WBD vs PARA Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Both WBD and PARA are traditional media companies working through the difficult transition from declining linear television to streaming, each carrying significant strategic uncertainty around consolidation, debt, and corporate restructuring. Both have been frequently mentioned as potential acquisition or merger candidates in ongoing media industry consolidation.
WBD vs PARA compares two legacy media companies navigating similar structural challenges: streaming transition costs, linear network decline, and the prospect of further industry consolidation.
WBD holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. WBD leads on both 1-year return (+147.64%) and forward P/E (-3711.14x vs 6.77x for PARA), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. PARA leads on both revenue growth (0.50%) and operating margin (10.26%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies similar upside for both: +9.88% for WBD and +9.49% for PARA.
- →See value in HBO's premium content library and Max's path to streaming profitability
- →Believe continued deleveraging will improve the equity story
- →Are comfortable with ongoing consolidation and restructuring uncertainty
- →See value in CBS sports/news content and the Paramount Pictures library
- →Believe Paramount+ losses will narrow as the company restructures
- →Are willing to navigate major ownership transition uncertainty
| Metric | WBD | PARA |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 45.2 | 25.5 |
| AI rank | #730 | #2741 |
| Latest close | $26.20 | $18.51 |
| 1M return | -3.29% | +23.40% |
| 6M return | -7.13% | +73.80% |
| 1Y return | +147.64% | +77.50% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | WBD | PARA |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $24.79K (+147.9%) started 2025-06-18 | $17.94K (+79.4%) started 2024-10-08 |
| 5Y ago | $8.82K (-11.8%) started 2021-06-21 | $7.89K (-21.1%) started 2020-10-08 |
| 10Y ago | $10.04K (+0.4%) started 2016-06-20 | $6.41K (-35.9%) started 2015-10-08 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | WBD | PARA |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $67.64B | $6.99B |
| Trailing P/E | 93.00 | 368.00 |
| Forward P/E | -3711.14 | 6.77 |
| Price/Sales | N/A | 0.29 |
| EV/Revenue | 2.63 | 0.72 |
| Analyst target | $29.65 | $12.09 |
| Target upside | +9.88% | +9.49% |
| Metric | WBD | PARA |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | -1.00% | 0.50% |
| Earnings growth | N/A | N/A |
| EPS growth | N/A | N/A |
| FCF margin | +49.63% | +50.59% |
| Operating margin | 8.59% | 10.26% |
| Profit margin | -4.67% | -0.05% |
| ROIC proxy | -4.96% | 0.09% |
| Return on equity | -4.96% | 0.09% |
| Dividend yield | N/A | 1.90% |
| Beta | 1.55 | 1.19 |
| Debt/equity | 96.32 | 90.63 |
| Current ratio | 0.73 | 1.39 |
| Quick ratio | 0.41 | 1.03 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | WBD | PARA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +147.87% | +77.84% |
| CAGR | +148.19% | +78.08% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 2.09 | 1.21 | |
| Max drawdown | 21.31% | 23.91% | |
| Max daily drop | 8.01% | 10.97% | |
| Max wkly drop | 15.78% | 19.22% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -11.75% | -29.97% |
| CAGR | -2.47% | -6.88% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.13 | 0.08 | |
| Max drawdown | 78.49% | 89.51% | |
| Max daily drop | 19.04% | 28.35% | |
| Max wkly drop | 24.68% | 55.14% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +0.42% | -48.49% |
| CAGR | +0.04% | -6.42% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.14 | 0.01 | |
| Max drawdown | 91.32% | 89.51% | |
| Max daily drop | 27.45% | 28.35% | |
| Max wkly drop | 45.77% | 55.14% |
| Category | WBD | PARA |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. | Paramount Global |
| Sector | Communication Services | Communication Services |
| Industry | N/A | Entertainment |
| Core business | Warner Bros. Discovery owns HBO, HBO Max (Max), CNN, Warner Bros. film studio, and a large portfolio of cable networks, formed through the 2022 merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. | Paramount Global owns CBS, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+ streaming service, and a portfolio of cable networks including MTV and Nickelodeon, and is undergoing a major ownership and strategic transition. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Max streaming subscriber growth and profitability, the company's heavy debt load from the merger, and ongoing linear network secular decline. | Investors track Paramount+ subscriber growth and losses, the company's recent merger and ownership changes, and restructuring efforts across its linear television portfolio. |
- →Strong premium content library through HBO and Warner Bros. studio franchises
- →Max streaming service has achieved profitability with growing subscriber base
- →Significant cost synergies realized from the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger
- →Strong sports and news content through CBS broadcast network
- →Paramount+ streaming service has driven significant subscriber growth
- →Valuable film studio and library assets including Paramount Pictures
- →High debt load from the merger constrains financial flexibility
- →Linear cable network business faces accelerating secular decline
- →Subject to ongoing speculation about further industry consolidation or asset sales
- →Streaming segment has historically generated significant losses
- →Going through major corporate restructuring and ownership transition
- →Linear network and broadcast segment faces ongoing secular pressure
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