Paramount agrees to delay closing its Warner Bros buyout for months while judge considers challenge
Skydance-owned Paramount on Friday agreed to delay closing its $81 billion buyout of Warner Bros
Archived explainer. For the current picture see today's WBD page.
WARNER BROS DISCOVER Series A (WBD) is drawing unusual attention today. Our newswire has captured 10 stories on WBD across 8 sources in the last 36 hours, with AI sentiment reading bearish (avg 41/100).
Warner Bros Discovery stock is moving lower today amid news that Paramount has agreed to delay its $110 billion acquisition of the company. The merger, which had already faced regulatory scrutiny, is now paused until mid-August or until legal challenges are resolved. The development has triggered a decline in WBD shares, which are trading at $25.69 as of the latest update, down from an opening price of $26.00.
Paramount, owned by Skydance, announced on Friday that it would delay the closing of the deal for several months. The decision follows a legal challenge by U.S. states, which have raised concerns over the merger’s potential antitrust implications. The merger pause was initially extended to mid-August, with the possibility of further delays if the legal battle continues. While the deal has already cleared regulatory hurdles in the European Union, U.S. approval remains uncertain. The stock is trading with increased volume, at 34.3 million shares so far, which is 1.6 times the 3-month daily average.
The company’s CEO, David Zaslav, recently sold $59.5 million in shares, according to a recent SEC filing. Meanwhile, former President Donald J. Trump has made two separate purchases in WBD stock this year, each between $15,001 and $50,000. Retail traders on Reddit and Twitter are discussing the merger delay, with some suggesting the stock is undervalued and others speculating on the impact on the broader M&A landscape.
Warner Bros Discovery has a market cap of $64.8 billion but remains unprofitable with a trailing twelve-month earnings per share of -$0.70 and a net margin of -4.7%. The stock is currently trading within its 52-week range of $10.76 to $30.00. Intraday movement has been choppy, with a high of $26.58 and a low of $25.66. Over the past eight trading sessions, the stock has fallen 4.9%, from $27.47 to $26.11. Unusual options activity has also been noted, with put options seeing a premium of $668,000 compared to call options at $0.
Warner Bros Discovery is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on August 6, 2026. Investors will also closely monitor the legal developments surrounding the Paramount merger and any further regulatory updates.
AI-assisted analysis composed exclusively from headlines and data on the Top Tier newswire. Not financial advice.
Skydance-owned Paramount on Friday agreed to delay closing its $81 billion buyout of Warner Bros
The delay would last until June 2027, or until legal challenges to the megadeal are resolved
The merger between entertainment giant Paramount Skydance ($PSKY) and Warner Bros. Discovery ($WBD) has now hit a more serious roadblock, and one that will last for...
Paramount delays Warner Bros. merger until June amid lawsuit
NEW YORK, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq: WBD) today announced that it will report its second quarter 2026 results on Thursday, August 6, 2026 before the market opens. Links to the live webcast of the conference call as well as the...
Paramount Skydance’s $110B Warner Bros. Discovery deal is delayed to at least Aug.
Warner Bros. Discovery now has a potential 21.1% return if the Paramount Skydance deal closes in March 2027. Learn more on WBD and PSKY stocks here.
More on WBD: full news and sentiment history. Sentiment scores are AI-derived research signals, not financial advice.
Earlier WBD move explainers: 2026-07-28 · 2026-07-27 · 2026-07-24 · 2026-07-20 · 2026-07-13