Tom Ryan, CEO and President of Paramount Streaming, speaks during the LG press conference ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 4, 2023.
Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images
Paramount stock jumped about 11% Friday, a day after posting another double-digit gain, on pace for its best day since last November.
The media giant released its third quarter earnings report after the closing bell Thursday, posting higher profit and revenue from a year earlier.
On Friday, the stock was up 24.6% week-to-date, in line for its best week since March 2021, when it gained 27.88%. However, the stock is still down about 20% year-to-date, heading for its seventh negative year in a row, its longest yearly losing streak.
Its streaming business, which includes Paramount+ and Pluto TV, also reported 38% growth in revenue and narrower losses. Paramount+ posted a total of 63 million subscribers.
Wall Street analysts liked what they saw from Paramount’s report.
Bernstein Research analysts noted that the trends in the third quarter were strong, and if the company keeps them up, Paramount can expect more earnings growth.
Moffett Nathanson Research analysts echoed that sentiment while remaining cautiously optimistic.
“Regardless of how any future bundling deal does or does not play out, Paramount+ is moving into
this age as a leaner and more efficient platform than we had anticipated,” they wrote.
Paramount’s positive momentum
The company’s positive momentum comes on the heels of a successful sale of book publisher Simon & Schuster earlier this week for $1.62 billion. CNBC previously reported that Paramount’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, is open to a merger or selling the company at the right price – but market conditions have complicated possibilities for a transformative transaction.
Paramount did, however, report losses in the TV arena, with advertising revenue dipping 14%. Its TV assets include brands like MTV,…
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