"Impending Stock Market Turmoil: Trump Tariffs, Nvidia Earnings, Iran Concerns, and 5 More Key Updates for Today"
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 23 2026
0mins
Should l Buy WBD?
Source: Barron's
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Analyst Views on WBD
Wall Street analysts forecast WBD stock price to fall
14 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
9 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 28.200
Low
14.75
Averages
24.98
High
30.00
Current: 28.200
Low
14.75
Averages
24.98
High
30.00
About WBD
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. is a global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes a portfolio of branded content across television, film, streaming and gaming. The Company's segments include Studios, Networks and DTC. Studios segment primarily consists of the production and release of feature films for initial exhibition in theaters, production and initial licensing of television programs to its networks/DTC services as well as third parties, distribution of its films and television programs to various third party and internal television and streaming services, distribution through the home entertainment market, and others. Networks segment primarily consists of its domestic and international television networks. DTC segment primarily consists of its premium pay-TV and streaming services. Its brands and products include Discovery Channel, Max, DC, TNT Sports, Eurosport, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Webtoon Reports Q4 Earnings Decline Amid Losses
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- Widening Net Loss: The company's net loss under GAAP exceeded $336 million, compared to a loss of under $103 million in Q4 2024, reflecting significant challenges in cost control and profitability.
- Analyst Expectations Missed: Although analysts estimated revenue slightly above $334 million, the actual performance fell short, with an adjusted loss of $0 per share versus an expected loss of $0.04, raising concerns about the company's future outlook.
- Strategic Partnership Outlook: Webtoon highlighted key content deals with Disney and Warner Bros., with CEO Junkoo Kim stating these partnerships could help expand the comics industry and webcomics category, although short-term performance has yet to reflect these positive developments.
See More
Webtoon Entertainment Reports Deeper Losses in 2025 Earnings
- Revenue Decline: Webtoon reported a 6% year-over-year revenue decline in Q4 2025, falling to approximately $331 million, primarily due to decreases in paid content, intellectual property adaptations, and advertising, indicating significant pressure on the company's content creation and market competitiveness.
- Widening Net Loss: The company's net loss under GAAP exceeded $336 million, a substantial increase from the less than $103 million loss in Q4 2024, reflecting severe challenges in profitability and operational efficiency.
- Analyst Expectations Missed: Despite analysts estimating revenue at around $334 million, the actual results fell short, with an adjusted loss of $0 per share compared to the projected loss of $0.04, raising concerns about the company's future performance and market confidence.
- Cautious Future Outlook: Webtoon anticipates Q1 2025 revenue between $317 million and $327 million, suggesting a potential slight increase, yet the overall market environment remains challenging, with adjusted EBITDA expected to range from breakeven to $5 million, indicating ongoing efforts needed to improve financial health.
See More
Larry Ellison Briefly Surpasses Elon Musk as Richest Person
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- Investment Dynamics: Ellison is backing a deal exceeding $40 billion and providing equity financing guarantees to alleviate Paramount's capital concerns, while also investing in TikTok's U.S. operations, indicating his ongoing strategic positioning in the tech sector.
- Intensifying Wealth Competition: With a current net worth of $201 billion, Ellison trails Mark Zuckerberg by $31 billion, suggesting that unless Oracle or Paramount shares experience significant movement, he will remain in sixth place, reflecting the fierce competition within the tech industry.
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Trump Acquires Up to $1.25M in Netflix Debt Amid Bidding War
- Trump's Netflix Debt Investment: In January, Trump purchased between $600K and $1.25M in Netflix debt, adding to the $500K to $1M in bonds acquired in December, indicating his sustained confidence in the company.
- Transparent Investment Strategy: A White House official noted that these investments aim to replicate established indexes, with neither Trump nor his family directly influencing investment decisions, ensuring independence and transparency in the portfolio management.
- Paramount Acquisition Competition: Paramount Skydance successfully acquired Warner Bros. Discovery amid intense bidding against Netflix, finalizing the deal at $31 per share, reflecting the active M&A landscape in the media industry.
- Positive Market Reaction: Netflix shares rose 1.1% in Wednesday trading, with a cumulative increase of over 25% in the last six sessions, indicating optimistic market expectations for its future performance.
See More
Zaslav Profits from Merger Deal
- Equity Cash-Out: Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav sold 4,004,149 shares of WBD valued at $114.1 million, demonstrating his confidence and financial flexibility amid the merger process.
- Stock Appreciation: With WBD shares rising 147.9% over the past 52 weeks, Zaslav's stock has gained $66.99 million in value in just one year, reflecting market optimism regarding the merger's prospects.
- Merger Outlook: Although the merger faces regulatory hurdles, positive commentary from the White House could expedite the deal, which is expected to close in Q3 2026, further solidifying Warner Bros. Discovery's position in the media industry.
- Executive Compensation: Zaslav's unvested equity awards are valued at $537 million, and after the merger, his net worth could exceed $1 billion, highlighting his high compensation status and potential future earnings in the industry.
See More
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- Stock Performance: Netflix closed at $97.70 on Tuesday, up 0.63%, reflecting positive market sentiment driven by bullish analyst calls and the company's decision to walk away from the Warner Bros. acquisition.
- Increased Trading Volume: The trading volume reached 55.9 million shares, which is 8.6% above the three-month average, indicating strong investor interest and confidence in Netflix's growth prospects.
- Acquisition Proposal Termination: Netflix received a $2.8 billion termination fee after Warner Bros. deemed Paramount's bid superior, with investors applauding the company's fiscal discipline, which is expected to support its core business development.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: JPMorgan raised Netflix's price target to $120, further boosting market confidence in its future performance, as investors look forward to how the company will leverage the termination fee to drive business growth.
See More
Webtoon Reports Q4 Earnings Decline Amid Losses
- Revenue Decline: Webtoon reported a 6% year-over-year revenue decline in Q4, falling to nearly $331 million, primarily due to drops in paid content, IP adaptations, and advertising, indicating pressure in content creation and market competition.
- Widening Net Loss: The company's net loss under GAAP exceeded $336 million, compared to a loss of under $103 million in Q4 2024, reflecting significant challenges in cost control and profitability.
- Analyst Expectations Missed: Although analysts estimated revenue slightly above $334 million, the actual performance fell short, with an adjusted loss of $0 per share versus an expected loss of $0.04, raising concerns about the company's future outlook.
- Strategic Partnership Outlook: Webtoon highlighted key content deals with Disney and Warner Bros., with CEO Junkoo Kim stating these partnerships could help expand the comics industry and webcomics category, although short-term performance has yet to reflect these positive developments.
See More
Webtoon Entertainment Reports Deeper Losses in 2025 Earnings
- Revenue Decline: Webtoon reported a 6% year-over-year revenue decline in Q4 2025, falling to approximately $331 million, primarily due to decreases in paid content, intellectual property adaptations, and advertising, indicating significant pressure on the company's content creation and market competitiveness.
- Widening Net Loss: The company's net loss under GAAP exceeded $336 million, a substantial increase from the less than $103 million loss in Q4 2024, reflecting severe challenges in profitability and operational efficiency.
- Analyst Expectations Missed: Despite analysts estimating revenue at around $334 million, the actual results fell short, with an adjusted loss of $0 per share compared to the projected loss of $0.04, raising concerns about the company's future performance and market confidence.
- Cautious Future Outlook: Webtoon anticipates Q1 2025 revenue between $317 million and $327 million, suggesting a potential slight increase, yet the overall market environment remains challenging, with adjusted EBITDA expected to range from breakeven to $5 million, indicating ongoing efforts needed to improve financial health.
See More
Larry Ellison Briefly Surpasses Elon Musk as Richest Person
- Wealth Ranking Fluctuation: In 2025, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison briefly became the richest person with a net worth of $247 billion, but by early 2026, he lost $46.7 billion, a 19% decline, dropping him to sixth place, highlighting the impact of market volatility on billionaires.
- Stock Performance Pressure: Oracle's stock is under downward pressure, raising concerns about its future performance and potentially affecting the company's financing capabilities and growth prospects as investor confidence wanes.
- Investment Dynamics: Ellison is backing a deal exceeding $40 billion and providing equity financing guarantees to alleviate Paramount's capital concerns, while also investing in TikTok's U.S. operations, indicating his ongoing strategic positioning in the tech sector.
- Intensifying Wealth Competition: With a current net worth of $201 billion, Ellison trails Mark Zuckerberg by $31 billion, suggesting that unless Oracle or Paramount shares experience significant movement, he will remain in sixth place, reflecting the fierce competition within the tech industry.
See More
Trump Acquires Up to $1.25M in Netflix Debt Amid Bidding War
- Trump's Netflix Debt Investment: In January, Trump purchased between $600K and $1.25M in Netflix debt, adding to the $500K to $1M in bonds acquired in December, indicating his sustained confidence in the company.
- Transparent Investment Strategy: A White House official noted that these investments aim to replicate established indexes, with neither Trump nor his family directly influencing investment decisions, ensuring independence and transparency in the portfolio management.
- Paramount Acquisition Competition: Paramount Skydance successfully acquired Warner Bros. Discovery amid intense bidding against Netflix, finalizing the deal at $31 per share, reflecting the active M&A landscape in the media industry.
- Positive Market Reaction: Netflix shares rose 1.1% in Wednesday trading, with a cumulative increase of over 25% in the last six sessions, indicating optimistic market expectations for its future performance.
See More
Zaslav Profits from Merger Deal
- Equity Cash-Out: Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav sold 4,004,149 shares of WBD valued at $114.1 million, demonstrating his confidence and financial flexibility amid the merger process.
- Stock Appreciation: With WBD shares rising 147.9% over the past 52 weeks, Zaslav's stock has gained $66.99 million in value in just one year, reflecting market optimism regarding the merger's prospects.
- Merger Outlook: Although the merger faces regulatory hurdles, positive commentary from the White House could expedite the deal, which is expected to close in Q3 2026, further solidifying Warner Bros. Discovery's position in the media industry.
- Executive Compensation: Zaslav's unvested equity awards are valued at $537 million, and after the merger, his net worth could exceed $1 billion, highlighting his high compensation status and potential future earnings in the industry.
See More
Netflix Stock Rises Slightly Amid Positive Market Sentiment
- Stock Performance: Netflix closed at $97.70 on Tuesday, up 0.63%, reflecting positive market sentiment driven by bullish analyst calls and the company's decision to walk away from the Warner Bros. acquisition.
- Increased Trading Volume: The trading volume reached 55.9 million shares, which is 8.6% above the three-month average, indicating strong investor interest and confidence in Netflix's growth prospects.
- Acquisition Proposal Termination: Netflix received a $2.8 billion termination fee after Warner Bros. deemed Paramount's bid superior, with investors applauding the company's fiscal discipline, which is expected to support its core business development.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: JPMorgan raised Netflix's price target to $120, further boosting market confidence in its future performance, as investors look forward to how the company will leverage the termination fee to drive business growth.
See More
