Warner Music Group

WMGNASDAQUSD

THESIS ALERT

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$31.84
+$0.05 (+0.16%)Today 1M +10.86%

Updated Nov 10, 4:00 PM ET · Regular session · May be delayed

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Source valuation snapshot. Not a live recalculation.
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Latest filed annual earnings; price snapshot date unavailable. Not forward P/E.
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Diluted earnings per share from the latest filed annual.
$31.79
Prior regular-session close from the quote source.
$31.13–$31.89
Regular-session low and high so far today.
1.4M
Regular-session shares traded · Nov 10, 4:00 PM ET.
Nov 19 projected
Projected for 2026-11-19 from the company’s own results filings (SEC 8-K Item 2.02). The company has not confirmed the date.
$23.34–$35.42
52-week trading low and high returned by the quote source.

Understand the Business

Why the Stock Moved

Period-matched expectations history is not yet available. Current metrics are not a substitute for a historical explanation.

The core investment thesis

Own WMG if you believe the 2025 profit and cash-flow slump reverses and Warner Music Group can turn its growing revenue base back into rising operating income despite a highly levered balance sheet.

WMG price history

LATEST PRICE$31.84TODAY+$0.05 (+0.16%)
WMG +10.90%S&P 500 -3.68%Since first plotted close
4 hours

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INVESTMENT THESIS

What must happen next

5 MATERIAL PROPOSITIONS
  • WMG’s revenue growth will remain positive and reaccelerate without requiring another profit decline.HoldingMateriality: High

    FY2026 revenue growth exceeds FY2025’s growth rate and operating income also increases year over year. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

    Watch: FY2026 revenue is flat/down, or revenue grows while operating income declines again.

    Supporting sources

    Source notes are factual paraphrases; read the original disclosures below.

    FY2026 revenue growth exceeds FY2025’s growth rate and operating income also increases year over year.

    Open source ↗
  • Gross profit will resume growing with revenue rather than staying nearly flat as it did in FY2025.HoldingMateriality: High

    FY2026 gross profit grows at least in line with revenue, producing a stable or higher gross margin. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

    Watch: Another annual report shows revenue growth but gross profit flat or down.

    Supporting sources

    Source notes are factual paraphrases; read the original disclosures below.

    FY2026 gross profit grows at least in line with revenue, producing a stable or higher gross margin.

    Open source ↗
  • Operating income will rebound from the FY2025 decline, showing that cost pressure or investment spending is not permanently eroding profitability.HoldingMateriality: Medium

    FY2026 operating income rises year over year and operating margin improves from FY2025. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

    Watch: FY2026 operating income declines again or operating margin compresses further.

    Supporting sources

    Source notes are factual paraphrases; read the original disclosures below.

    FY2026 operating income rises year over year and operating margin improves from FY2025.

    Open source ↗
  • Operating cash flow will stabilize and continue to cover reported net income, preserving financial flexibility.HoldingMateriality: Medium

    FY2026 operating cash flow grows year over year and remains above net income. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

    Watch: FY2026 operating cash flow falls again or drops below net income.

    Supporting sources

    Source notes are factual paraphrases; read the original disclosures below.

    FY2026 operating cash flow grows year over year and remains above net income.

    Open source ↗
  • Balance-sheet risk will not worsen materially despite liabilities remaining large relative to assets and cash.HoldingMateriality: Medium

    Future filings show liabilities flat/down or growing slower than assets, with cash stable or higher. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

    Watch: Liabilities rise again while cash or equity falls, increasing dependence on refinancing or external capital.

    Supporting sources

    Source notes are factual paraphrases; read the original disclosures below.

    Future filings show liabilities flat/down or growing slower than assets, with cash stable or higher.

    Open source ↗
Full investment case & evidence

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Original research

WMG’s revenue growth will remain positive and reaccelerate without requiring another profit decline. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

Gross profit will resume growing with revenue rather than staying nearly flat as it did in FY2025. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

Operating income will rebound from the FY2025 decline, showing that cost pressure or investment spending is not permanently eroding profitability. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

Operating cash flow will stabilize and continue to cover reported net income, preserving financial flexibility. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

Balance-sheet risk will not worsen materially despite liabilities remaining large relative to assets and cash. This is a load-bearing condition for Warner Music Group's investment case.

All standing thesis claims
Original report summary

you believe the 2025 profit and cash-flow slump reverses and Warner Music Group can turn its growing revenue base back into rising operating income despite a highly levered balance sheet.

Evidence assessed Nov 11, 2026. Expand each conclusion for its evidence and what would change it. Thesis evidence—not a buy or sell recommendation.

BULL CASE / BEAR CASE

Bull case and bear case for Warner Music Group

Where the evidence on Warner Music Group stands: Holding on the latest evidence (Nov 11, 2026). Of its 5 thesis points, 5 holding.

Bull case: what the evidence supports

  • WMG’s revenue growth will remain positive and reaccelerate without requiring another profit decline.

    sec.gov ↗

  • Gross profit will resume growing with revenue rather than staying nearly flat as it did in FY2025.

    sec.gov ↗

  • Operating income will rebound from the FY2025 decline, showing that cost pressure or investment spending is not permanently eroding profitability.

    sec.gov ↗

  • Operating cash flow will stabilize and continue to cover reported net income, preserving financial flexibility.

    sec.gov ↗

  • Balance-sheet risk will not worsen materially despite liabilities remaining large relative to assets and cash.

    sec.gov ↗

Bear case: what would count against it

  • FY2026 revenue is flat/down, or revenue grows while operating income declines again.

    sec.gov ↗

  • Another annual report shows revenue growth but gross profit flat or down.

    sec.gov ↗

  • FY2026 operating income declines again or operating margin compresses further.

    sec.gov ↗

Thesis-Break Engine

What has broken in Warner Music Group’s thesis

Each break OptimistFi flagged on Warner Music Group, dated — with what has historically followed the same kind of break across the market, not a forecast for Warner Music Group.

peers+15%-20%-2%12 mo agonow+6 mo
Daily price, then where similar breaks led across the market: the typical -2% path vs comparable companies over six months, inside the middle-half range (+15% to -20%). A base rate, not a forecast.
  • CEO / officer changecondition set before this filing

    Across all companies, this kind of break has happened 16,849 times before. Those stocks trailed comparable companies by a median of 2% over the next six months, and 38% of them trailed it by 10 points or more.

How the Thesis-Break Engine works →Historical outcomes are measured against comparable companies after past breaks of the same kind, across all companies. Not a prediction.

MARKET + FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT

The numbers behind the thesis

Sourced from filings and market data

What Changed

  1. MIXED
    Other material event.

    Warner Music Group filed an SEC 8-K on 2026-11-09: Other material event. It is a dated development that tests the current thesis.

  2. MIXED
    Entered a material definitive agreement.

    Warner Music Group filed an SEC 8-K on 2026-09-25: Entered a material definitive agreement. It is a dated development that tests the current thesis.

  3. MIXED
    Director or principal officer change.

    Warner Music Group filed an SEC 8-K on 2026-09-22: Director or principal officer change. It is a dated development that tests the current thesis.

RISKS / FALSIFIERS

What could break the thesis

  • FY2026 revenue is flat/down, or revenue grows while operating income declines again.
  • Another annual report shows revenue growth but gross profit flat or down.
  • FY2026 operating income declines again or operating margin compresses further.
  • FY2026 operating cash flow falls again or drops below net income.
  • Liabilities rise again while cash or equity falls, increasing dependence on refinancing or external capital.

WMG news

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

WMG income statement

Annual filed results · USD · Oldest to newest. Margins are calculated from the reported figures.

WMG: quick answers

When does Warner Music Group (WMG) report earnings next?
Warner Music Group's next results are projected for November 19, 2026, from the dates of its own results filings with the SEC. The company has not confirmed the date. It last reported on August 5, 2026. Earnings calendar
What is WMG's short interest?
As of October 30, 2026, 7.3M WMG shares were sold short, down 27.6% from the count before. At the stock's average daily volume that is 3.4 days to cover. FINRA publishes the count twice a month. WMG short interest history
Have members of Congress traded WMG?
1 trade in WMG has been disclosed under the STOCK Act by members of Congress, the President or senior officials, none in reports made public in the last 90 days. Every disclosed WMG trade
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