
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD)
Warner Bros. Discovery is a global media giant that creates films, television shows, and news content, while running streaming services like Max.
Is Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Owns a vast and valuable library of intellectual property. Worth weighing: High levels of debt often associated with the media sector.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. do?
This company owns a massive library of entertainment, including iconic film studios and TV networks, making money through advertising, cinema tickets, and monthly streaming subscriptions. They are currently in a tricky transition period as they try to move viewers from traditional cable TV to their digital streaming platforms. It comes down to whether streaming can grow fast enough to offset the fading of their older, traditional television business.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and momentum, and weakest on growth.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- !Revenue slipped about 11% over the year
- —
- Quality screens low
- Growth screens low
- Income screens low
Does Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Does Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $3.41B in cash against about $32.02B of debt - so it has net debt of about $28.61B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-10. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. fell as much as −38% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Who owns Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.?
About 76% of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., or about 76 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds, and company insiders hold about 4%. The rest, roughly 20%, is held by the public and smaller investors.
What this does and doesn't tell you
This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-05 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-06 | $-0.10 | $0.06 | Beat +159% |
| 2026-05-06 | $-0.10 | $-1.17 | Missed -1110% |
| 2026-02-26 | — | $-0.10 | Missed -2790% |
| 2025-11-06 | $-0.08 | $-0.06 | Beat +29% |
| 2025-08-07 | $-0.23 | $0.63 | Beat +376% |
| 2025-05-08 | $-0.12 | $-0.18 | Missed -53% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 3 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Dominance in the global streaming market
Failure to compete with tech-led streaming rivals
What are the pros and cons of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Owns a vast and valuable library of intellectual property
- Strong brand recognition across film and television
- Significant scale in the global media market
- High levels of debt often associated with the media sector
- Struggling to turn a profit in the current financial climate
- Declining revenue growth: How fast the company's sales grew versus a year ago. in a competitive landscape
- Rapidly changing consumer habits moving away from cable
- Intense competition from well-funded tech streaming rivals
- High sensitivity to economic downturns affecting advertising spend
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A consistent return to positive net profit margins
- A significant reduction in total corporate debt
- Sustained growth in streaming subscriber numbers
Common questions about Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
Does Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. report earnings next?
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-11-05. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.