Ultra-High-Net-Worth Families Cut Direct Investments by 62%, Young Heirs Actively Engage
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 08 2026
0mins
Source: Newsfilter
- Investment Decline: According to Fintrx data, ultra-high-net-worth families made 62% fewer direct investments in December 2025, completing only 35 deals, reflecting a cautious approach amid tariff uncertainties and geopolitical conflicts.
- Emergence of Young Heirs: Despite the overall investment decline, millennial and Gen X heirs are actively engaging through family offices, as evidenced by Motier Ventures' participation in an €7.2 million ($8.5 million) seed round for blood testing startup Lucis, indicating a strong interest in tech investments.
- Diversified Investment Strategies: Billionaire eyewear heir Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio acquired a 30% stake in Italian right-wing media outlet Il Giornale through his family office LMDV Capital, showcasing that young heirs are not only focused on wealth preservation but also on social responsibility and information dissemination.
- Sustainable Investment Trends: According to UBS's latest family office survey, nearly one-third of family offices expect the next generation to be involved in direct investments, with 39% anticipating their involvement in managing investments, highlighting a strategic shift in engaging heirs in impactful investment activities.
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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: 29.150
Low
14.75
Averages
24.98
High
30.00
Current: 29.150
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.
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- Earnings Expectations: Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to report Q4 earnings per share of $0.04 on revenues of $9.33 billion, reflecting a year-over-year decline of approximately 7%, indicating challenges in revenue growth.
- Acquisition Dynamics: Over the past quarter, Warner Bros. Discovery navigated a series of acquisition proposals, notably rejecting an early offer from Paramount while exploring strategic options amid rising deal interest.
- Competitive Bidding: In November, the company received first-round offers from Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix, with bidders asked to submit improved bids, highlighting significant market interest in its key assets.
- Analyst Ratings: According to Alpha's QuantRating system, WBD holds an overall score of 3.46, reflecting A+ ratings in profitability and momentum but a D- in growth, indicating pressure on the company's growth prospects.
See More
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- Revenue Performance: Paramount reported Q4 revenue of $8.15 billion, an increase from $8 billion year-over-year, yet it fell short of analysts' expectations of $8.17 billion, indicating pressure on the company's revenue growth.
- Stock Price Reaction: Following the earnings report, Paramount's shares dropped nearly 2% in after-hours trading, reflecting a negative market response to the missed revenue expectations, which may impact investor confidence.
- Future Revenue Outlook: Despite the disappointing Q4 results, Paramount maintains its expectation of $30 billion in full-year revenue for 2026, aligning with analysts' forecasts, demonstrating the company's confidence in future growth.
- Market Update Access: Investors can get updates on this developing story directly on Stocktwits, indicating ongoing market interest and discussions regarding Paramount's future performance.
See More
Netflix Stock Rises 5.99% Amid Bidding War for Warner Bros.
- Stock Surge: Netflix's stock rose 5.98% to $82.7 at Wednesday's close, primarily driven by reports of a bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, indicating investor confidence in its market performance.
- Volume Spike: Trading volume reached 67.5 million shares, approximately 44% above the three-month average, reflecting a significant increase in market interest towards Netflix, which may indicate investor optimism about its future growth potential.
- Bidding Dynamics: Paramount Skydance has raised its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially gaining the upper hand in the competition with Netflix for studio assets, highlighting an intensifying trend of competition within the industry.
- Antitrust Pressure: With increasing antitrust scrutiny, Netflix faces heightened regulatory challenges; however, investors appear optimistic about the company's strategic maneuvers, believing that even walking away from the acquisition won't result in significant losses.
See More
Netflix's Bid for Warner Bros. Faces Significant Scrutiny
- Acquisition Proposal Pressure: Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is set to attend a White House meeting on Thursday to discuss the acquisition proposal for Warner Bros., yet pressure from Paramount Skydance, which recently made a $31-per-share offer, may sway Warner Bros. towards its bid, impacting Netflix's competitive position in the market.
- Legal Scrutiny Call: A coalition of 11 state attorneys general has urged the Department of Justice to scrutinize the merger proposal between Netflix and Warner Bros., expressing concerns that the deal could create a monopoly, leading to higher subscription costs and lower-quality content for residents.
- Warner Bros. Stance: Warner Bros. has stated that while it will engage further with Paramount regarding their proposal, its merger agreement with Netflix remains in effect, and the board continues to recommend the Netflix transaction, indicating strong support for the existing deal.
- Market Sentiment Shift: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for WBD and NFLX stocks trended in 'extremely bullish' territory, while PSKY was in 'bullish' territory, despite PSKY and NFLX shares falling 11% and 17% respectively over the past year, contrasting with WBD's impressive 160% rise during the same period.
See More
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- MongoDB Options Volume: As of now, MongoDB Inc's options volume has reached 12,327 contracts, equivalent to approximately 1.2 million shares, indicating a trading activity level that is 72.8% of its average daily volume over the past month, reflecting heightened market interest in the stock.
- High-Frequency Trading Insight: Notably, the $200 strike put option expiring on February 27, 2026, has seen a trading volume of 865 contracts today, representing about 86,500 underlying shares, which suggests investor expectations regarding future price volatility.
- Warner Bros Options Activity: Concurrently, Warner Bros Discovery Inc's options volume stands at 165,162 contracts, translating to approximately 16.5 million shares, which constitutes 70.4% of its average daily trading volume over the past month, indicating sustained market interest in the company.
- Bullish Call Options: For the $30 strike call option expiring on March 20, 2026, today's trading volume has reached 26,710 contracts, or about 2.7 million shares, reflecting investor optimism regarding Warner Bros' future performance.
See More
Warner Bros. Discovery Q4 Earnings Preview Amid Bidding War
- Earnings Expectations: Warner Bros. Discovery is projected to report Q4 revenue of $9.38 billion, down 6% from $10.03 billion last year, indicating significant financial pressure as the company has missed analyst estimates for 15 consecutive quarters.
- Earnings Per Share Shift: Analysts expect earnings per share of 3 cents, an improvement from a loss of 20 cents per share last year, yet the company has failed to meet EPS estimates in 8 of the last 10 quarters, highlighting ongoing profitability challenges.
- M&A Competition: Warner Bros. Discovery is currently facing two competing bids from Paramount and Netflix, with the Board suggesting that Paramount's revised offer could be superior, potentially impacting the company's strategic direction and future operations.
- Streaming Subscriber Growth: As of Q3, Warner Bros. Discovery reported 128 million streaming subscribers, up from 110.5 million a year ago, although the streaming segment's revenue remained flat, reflecting increased market competition and rising customer acquisition costs.
See More
