Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) vs News Corporation (NWS) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | NWS | 2.4% revenue growth vs WBD's -4.8% |
| Value | NWS | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | NWS | 5.1% net margin vs WBD's 1.3% |
| Stability / Safety | NWS | Beta 0.79 vs WBD's 1.72, lower leverage |
| Dividends | NWS | 1.2% yield; 1-year raise streak; WBD pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | WBD | +175.2% vs NWS's -16.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NWS | 2.8% ROA vs WBD's 0.5%, ROIC 10.5% vs -9.7% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Warner Bros. Discovery is a global media and entertainment conglomerate that produces and distributes content across film, television, and streaming platforms. It generates revenue primarily through three segments: Studios (film and TV production), Networks (cable and broadcast channels), and Direct-to-Consumer (streaming services like Max and discovery+). The company's key advantage is its massive content library and iconic franchises — including DC, Harry Potter, HBO originals, and Discovery's unscripted programming — which create a deep moat in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape.
News Corporation is a global media and information services company that creates and distributes authoritative content across newspapers, books, digital platforms, and subscription video services. It generates revenue primarily through digital real estate services — including REA Group in Australia — subscription fees for Dow Jones publications like The Wall Street Journal, and advertising across its news media properties. The company's competitive advantage lies in its portfolio of iconic, trusted brands with deep journalistic heritage and its strategic shift toward higher-margin digital and subscription-based revenue streams.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
NWS leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). WBD leads in 1 (Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
WBD is the larger business by revenue, generating $37.9B annually — 4.4x NWS's $8.6B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 5.1% (NWS) to 1.3% (WBD). On growth, NWS holds the edge at +5.5% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… | NWSNews Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $37.9B | $8.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $16.4B | $1.8B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $485M | $439M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $4.1B | $652M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +44.0% | +55.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +1.5% | +15.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +1.3% | +5.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +10.9% | +7.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -6.0% | +5.5% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.1% | -10.5% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, NWS's 3.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than WBD's 10.3x.
| Metric | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… | NWSNews Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $78.3B | $5.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $112.5B | $5.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -6.26x | 32.42x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 25.00x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 10.27x | 3.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.99x | 0.59x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.03x | 1.59x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 17.68x | 6.83x |
Profitability & Efficiency
NWS delivers a 4.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $5 in annual profit, vs $1 for WBD. NWS carries lower financial leverage with a 0.31x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to WBD's 1.13x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), NWS scores 8/9 vs WBD's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… | NWSNews Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +1.3% | +4.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +0.5% | +2.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -9.7% | +10.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -10.2% | +10.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.13x | 0.31x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $34.2B | $537M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $5.3B | $2.4B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $39.5B | $2.9B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.85x | 24.23x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in NWS five years ago would be worth $11,872 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,450 for WBD. Over the past 12 months, WBD leads with a +175.2% total return vs NWS's -16.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors WBD at 21.9% vs NWS's 15.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… | NWSNews Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +1.4% | -11.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +175.2% | -16.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +81.3% | +53.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -45.5% | +18.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +15.2% | +143.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +21.9% | +15.5% |
Risk & Volatility
NWS is the less volatile stock with a 0.79 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than WBD's 1.72 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. WBD currently trades 96.3% from its 52-week high vs NWS's 73.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… | NWSNews Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.72x | 0.79x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $30.00 | $35.58 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $7.52 | $25.49 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +96.3% | +73.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 64.6 | 35.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 25.2M | 1.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates WBD as "Hold" and NWS as "Buy". NWS is the only dividend payer here at 1.24% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | WBDWarner Bros. Disc… | NWSNews Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $25.59 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 31 | 33 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +1.2% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $0.32 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +3.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 100 | 111.55 | +11.6% |
| News Corporation (NWS) | 100 | 243.92 | +143.9% |
News Corporation (NWS) returned +19% over 5 years vs Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD)'s -46%. A $10,000 investment in NWS 5 years ago would be worth $11,872 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | $6.5B | $39.3B | +505.2% |
| News Corporation (NWS) | $8.3B | $8.5B | +1.9% |
News Corporation's revenue grew from $8.3B (2016) to $8.5B (2025) — a 0.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 18.4% | -28.8% | -256.5% |
| News Corporation (NWS) | 2.2% | 5.5% | +154.3% |
News Corporation's net margin went from 2% (2016) to 5% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 28.8 | 15.3 | -46.9% |
| News Corporation (NWS) | 37.2 | 36.6 | -1.6% |
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. has traded in a 11x–29x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-6x. News Corporation has traded in a 18x–99x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~32x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Bros. Discov… (WBD) | 1.96 | -4.62 | -335.7% |
| News Corporation (NWS) | 0.3 | 0.81 | +170.0% |
News Corporation's EPS grew from $0.30 (2016) to $0.81 (2025) — a 12% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. generated $4B FCF in 2024 (+83% vs 2021). News Corporation generated $727M FCF in 2025 (-14% vs 2021).
WBD vs NWS: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is WBD or NWS a better buy right now?
News Corporation (NWS) offers the better valuation at 32.4x trailing P/E (25.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate News Corporation (NWS) a "Buy" — based on 33 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — WBD or NWS?
Over the past 5 years, News Corporation (NWS) delivered a total return of +18.7%, compared to -45.5% for Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD). A $10,000 investment in NWS five years ago would be worth approximately $12K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NWS returned +143.6% versus WBD's +15.2%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — WBD or NWS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), News Corporation (NWS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.79β versus Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.'s 1.72β — meaning WBD is approximately 118% more volatile than NWS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, News Corporation (NWS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 31% versus 113% for Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — WBD or NWS?
News Corporation (NWS) is the more profitable company, earning 5.5% net margin versus -28.8% for Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. — meaning it keeps 5.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NWS leads at 16.7% versus -25.5% for WBD. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NWS leads at 56.2%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — WBD or NWS?
In this comparison, NWS (1.2% yield) pays a dividend. WBD does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is WBD or NWS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, News Corporation (NWS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.79), 1.2% yield, +143.6% 10Y return). Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) carries a higher beta of 1.72 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (NWS: +143.6%, WBD: +15.2%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between WBD and NWS?
Both stocks operate in the Communication Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. NWS pays a dividend while WBD does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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