Trump Withdraws from WBD Acquisition Dispute
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 05 2026
0mins
Should l Buy WBD?
Source: CNBC
- Trump's Change of Heart: In a recent interview, Trump stated he will not be involved in the acquisition battle between Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery, emphasizing that the Justice Department will handle the matter, reflecting his concern over market competition.
- Massive Acquisition Value: Netflix proposed a $72 billion acquisition of WBD, excluding its cable networks like CNN, which would allow Netflix to gain WBD's film studio and HBO streaming services, potentially reshaping the streaming market landscape.
- Hostile Takeover Strategy: Paramount launched a hostile bid for WBD with an enterprise value exceeding $108 billion, demonstrating its aggressive pursuit of market share and likely triggering more intense industry competition.
- Antitrust Concerns: Senator Mike Lee highlighted that the merger raises numerous antitrust issues, potentially leading to a concentration of production and distribution power, which could impact the fairness of market competition.
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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: 27.490
Low
14.75
Averages
24.98
High
30.00
Current: 27.490
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 Streaming, Studios and Global Linear Networks. The streaming segment primarily consists of its premium pay-television and streaming services. The 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 third parties and its networks/streaming services, distribution of its films and television programs to various third party and internal television and streaming services, distribution through the home entertainment market (physical and digital), related consumer products and themed experience licensing, and interactive gaming. The Global Linear Networks segment primarily consists of its domestic and international television networks.
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.
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