Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. $WBD Shares Sold by Prospera Financial Services Inc

Key Points

• Prospera Financial Services cut its Warner Bros. Discovery holdings by 42.6% in the second quarter, selling 282,023 shares and retaining 380,242 shares valued at approximately $10.1 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $27.69. Ratings range from “Strong Buy” to “Sell,” while institutional investors own about 59.95% of WBD shares.
• Warner Bros. Discovery exceeded quarterly EPS expectations with $0.06 versus an estimated loss of $0.14, but revenue fell 11.2% year over year to $8.72 billion. The company also faces continued uncertainty from antitrust challenges to its proposed Paramount merger and significant insider share sales.

Prospera Financial Services Inc cut its holdings in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD - Free Report) by 42.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 380,242 shares of the company's stock after selling 282,023 shares during the quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc's holdings in Warner Bros. Discovery were worth $10,137,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in WBD. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 304.9% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 68,950 shares of the company's stock worth $729,000 after acquiring an additional 51,920 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in Warner Bros. Discovery by 50.5% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 63,254 shares of the company's stock valued at $679,000 after purchasing an additional 21,228 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in Warner Bros. Discovery by 6.2% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 65,082 shares of the company's stock valued at $698,000 after purchasing an additional 3,779 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth grew its position in Warner Bros. Discovery by 91.6% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 116,821 shares of the company's stock worth $1,254,000 after purchasing an additional 55,837 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Warner Bros. Discovery by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 111,450 shares of the company's stock worth $1,277,000 after purchasing an additional 4,062 shares during the period. 59.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on WBD. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Seaport Research Partners cut Warner Bros. Discovery from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Freedom Capital raised Warner Bros. Discovery from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Huber Research raised Warner Bros. Discovery from an "underweight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Warner Bros. Discovery presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $27.69.

Warner Bros. Discovery News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Warner Bros. Discovery this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Freedom Capital upgraded WBD from “hold” to “strong buy,” adding to the stock’s bullish sentiment. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Paramount Skydance reportedly said a sale of CNN could be considered to help resolve California’s antitrust lawsuit challenging its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Such a concession could improve the transaction’s chances of closing, although it would also reshape the deal’s strategic benefits. Paramount says CNN sale is on the table
• Neutral Sentiment: Paramount CEO David Ellison reportedly threatened to begin moving the company out of California if the state attorney general does not negotiate a settlement. The escalation increases pressure for a resolution but could prolong uncertainty around the WBD merger. Paramount California exit threat
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage continues to describe the Paramount–WBD transaction as being in legal limbo, with an antitrust trial reportedly scheduled for March 2027. The prolonged timetable makes the stock particularly sensitive to regulatory and courtroom developments. Paramount Skydance versus WBD deal analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Director Kenneth W. Lowe sold 120,000 shares for approximately $3.24 million, while insider Gerhard Zeiler sold 591,038 shares worth about $15.99 million. The sizable insider selling may weigh on sentiment, though the filings do not establish the sellers’ motivations. WBD insider sale filing
• Negative Sentiment: The merger’s antitrust challenges remain a material downside risk: failure or substantial modification of the deal could remove a major source of potential value for WBD shareholders. Democratic scrutiny of the Paramount-WBD deal

Warner Bros. Discovery Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock opened at $27.65 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $26.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $27.17. The company has a market cap of $69.32 billion, a P/E ratio of -21.77 and a beta of 1.55. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $11.25 and a fifty-two week high of $30.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.78.

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.14) by $0.20. Warner Bros. Discovery had a negative net margin of 8.77% and a negative return on equity of 8.91%. The business had revenue of $8.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.25 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.63 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. will post -1.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Warner Bros. Discovery

In other Warner Bros. Discovery news, Director Kenneth W. Lowe sold 120,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.97, for a total value of $3,236,400.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 990,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,703,212.76. This trade represents a 10.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Gerhard Zeiler sold 591,038 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.05, for a total value of $15,987,577.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 537,436 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,537,643.80. This trade represents a 52.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Warner Bros. Discovery Profile

Warner Bros. Discovery NASDAQ: WBD is a global media and entertainment company formed when WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc combined their businesses in 2022. Headquartered in New York City, the company assembles a broad portfolio of film and television production, linear and cable networks, streaming services and consumer distribution operations. Its assets span well-known studio brands, premium scripted and unscripted programming, news and factual entertainment, and licensed franchise properties.

The company's core activities include film and television production and distribution through units such as Warner Bros.

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This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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