Vicus Capital Buys New Position in Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. $WBD

Vicus Capital purchased a new position in Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 24,968 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $488,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Warner Bros. Discovery during the second quarter valued at $306,848,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery by 4,639.8% in the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 22,788,847 shares of the company’s stock worth $445,066,000 after buying an additional 22,308,046 shares during the period. Sound Shore Management Inc CT bought a new position in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in the second quarter worth about $97,951,000. Maverick Capital Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery during the 2nd quarter valued at about $77,896,000. Finally, Duquesne Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of Warner Bros. Discovery during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $74,916,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 59.95% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on WBD shares. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery in a report on Friday, September 26th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Warner Bros. Discovery from $14.00 to $22.00 in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Cowen downgraded Warner Bros. Discovery from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th. Moffett Nathanson increased their target price on Warner Bros. Discovery from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their price target on Warner Bros. Discovery from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $23.22.

Warner Bros. Discovery Price Performance

Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock opened at $28.40 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $70.37 billion, a PE ratio of 149.48 and a beta of 1.56. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $26.15 and a 200 day moving average of $18.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. has a 12 month low of $7.52 and a 12 month high of $30.00.

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by ($0.02). Warner Bros. Discovery had a net margin of 1.28% and a return on equity of 1.34%. The firm had revenue of $9.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.05 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. will post -4.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Warner Bros. Discovery

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

• Positive Sentiment: Paramount reiterated a fully financed $30-per-share all-cash offer and said it will nominate directors to WBD’s board — a direct push to replace the board and deliver a takeover premium to shareholders. Paramount $30 per share update
• Positive Sentiment: Paramount filed to access information and launch a proxy fight — steps that increase the chance of shareholder pressure and a higher bid or board change, supporting the stock’s move. Reuters: Paramount to nominate directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Media exec Tom Rogers provided context on how ownership changes could affect viewers, regulators and shareholders — useful for framing long-term regulatory and strategic risk but not a direct catalyst. CNBC: Tom Rogers on takeover implications
• Negative Sentiment: Paramount sued WBD seeking detailed financial disclosures around the Netflix transaction and accused WBD’s board of misleading investors — litigation raises uncertainty, could delay deals, and increase costs. TechTimes: Paramount sues WBD
• Negative Sentiment: WBD publicly mocked Paramount/Skydance’s proposals as “gimmicks” while seeking potential sweetened bids — a sign the board is resisting, which could prolong the fight and keep regulatory/closing risk elevated. MSN: WBD mocks Paramount’s gimmicks
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets report an escalating proxy battle and courtroom filings (Deadline, WSJ, Business Insider) — ongoing litigation and board contests typically increase short-term volatility and create execution risk for any transaction. Deadline: Paramount proxy fight

Insider Buying and Selling at Warner Bros. Discovery

In other Warner Bros. Discovery news, CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels sold 242,994 shares of Warner Bros. Discovery stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.50, for a total value of $7,168,323.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 918,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,108,730. This trade represents a 20.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Lori C. Locke sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.62, for a total transaction of $138,100.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 110,084 shares in the company, valued at $3,040,520.08. This represents a 4.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 489,326 shares of company stock valued at $12,781,456 in the last quarter. 1.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.