Detailed financial statements for Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG): income statement, balance sheet and cash-flow summary. Track margins, debt, liquidity and profitability trends year over year: ten fiscal years free and up to 20 with Premium.
Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG), established in 1929 and based in New York City, functions as a prominent global entertainment enterprise primarily focused on music. Its operations span the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and numerous other international markets. The company's activities are organized into two distinct divisions: Recorded Music and Music Publishing. The Recorded Music division is dedicated to identifying and cultivating emerging musical talent.
Analysis Summary
Warner Music Group Corp. reported revenue of $6.71B in the most recent fiscal year, growing at a 5-year CAGR of 8.5%.
Trailing-twelve-month margins: gross margin 45.8%, operating margin 14.3%, net margin 9.2%. Free cash flow grew at 9.8% CAGR over 5 years.
At $32.55 (closing price, November 4, 2026), WMG trades at a P/E of 25.23 and an ROE of 90.84%. Market capitalisation stands at $17.0B, placing it among large-cap names.
Balance sheet quality for WMG: debt-to-equity ratio of 5.76, current ratio of 0.73 over the last 12 months, net debt of $4.08B at the end of the last fiscal year. A debt-to-equity below 1.0 typically signals conservative capital structure, while a current ratio above 1.5 indicates comfortable short-term liquidity.
Cash flow quality is strong: free cash flow of $539.0M represents 148% conversion of reported net income. High conversion (above 90%) suggests earnings translate cleanly into cash; lower conversion may indicate working capital tightness or accounting timing differences.
Income Statement (10y)
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $3.25B | $3.58B | $4.00B | $4.47B | $4.46B | $5.30B | $5.92B | $6.04B | $6.43B | $6.71B |
| Cost of Revenue | $1.71B | $1.93B | $2.17B | $2.40B | $2.33B | $2.74B | $3.08B | $3.18B | $3.35B | $3.63B |
| Gross Profit | $1.54B | $1.65B | $1.83B | $2.07B | $2.13B | $2.56B | $2.84B | $2.86B | $3.07B | $3.08B |
| Research & Development | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Selling, General & Admin | $1.08B | $1.22B | $1.41B | $1.51B | $2.17B | $1.72B | $1.79B | $1.74B | $1.78B | $1.71B |
| Operating Expenses | $1.32B | $1.42B | $1.62B | $1.72B | $2.36B | $1.95B | $2.12B | $2.07B | $2.25B | $2.38B |
| Operating Income | $214.0M | $222.0M | $217.0M | $356.0M | -$229.0M | $609.0M | $714.0M | $790.0M | $823.0M | $694.0M |
| EBITDA | $507.0M | $398.0M | $841.0M | $678.0M | -$59.0M | $884.0M | $1.20B | $1.08B | $1.09B | $1.03B |
| Interest Expense | $173.0M | $149.0M | $138.0M | $142.0M | $127.0M | $122.0M | $125.0M | $141.0M | $161.0M | $159.0M |
| Pre-tax Income | $41.0M | -$2.0M | $442.0M | $267.0M | -$447.0M | $456.0M | $740.0M | $609.0M | $601.0M | $490.0M |
| Income Tax | $11.0M | -$151.0M | $130.0M | $9.0M | $23.0M | $149.0M | $185.0M | $170.0M | $123.0M | $120.0M |
| Net Income | $25.0M | $143.0M | $307.0M | $256.0M | -$475.0M | $304.0M | $551.0M | $430.0M | $435.0M | $365.0M |
| EPS | $0.05 | $0.28 | $0.62 | $0.50 | -$0.93 | $0.58 | $1.06 | $0.82 | $0.83 | $0.70 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $0.05 | $0.28 | $0.62 | $0.50 | -$0.93 | $0.58 | $1.06 | $0.82 | $0.84 | $0.70 |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted) | 502.0 M | 502.0 M | 502.0 M | 510.0 M | 510.0 M | 513.5 M | 519.8 M | 515.7 M | 517.5 M | 519.0 M |
Income Statement (Quarterly)
| Year | 2025-Q3 | 2025-Q4 | 2026-Q1 | 2026-Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.87B | $1.84B | $1.73B | $1.86B |
| Gross Profit | $834.0M | $853.0M | $802.0M | $854.0M |
| Operating Income | $143.0M | $327.0M | $270.0M | $305.0M |
| EBITDA | $253.0M | $390.0M | $398.0M | $405.0M |
| Net Income | $109.0M | $176.0M | $183.0M | $204.0M |
| EPS | $0.21 | $0.34 | $0.35 | $0.39 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $0.21 | $0.34 | $0.35 | $0.39 |
Balance Sheet (10y)
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash & Equivalents | $359.0M | $647.0M | $514.0M | $619.0M | $553.0M | $499.0M | $584.0M | $641.0M | $694.0M | $532.0M |
| Short-term Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Receivables | $329.0M | $404.0M | $447.0M | $775.0M | $771.0M | $839.0M | $984.0M | $1.12B | $1.25B | $1.34B |
| Inventory | $41.0M | $39.0M | $42.0M | $74.0M | $79.0M | $99.0M | $108.0M | $126.0M | $99.0M | $62.0M |
| Total Current Assets | $908.0M | $1.27B | $1.18B | $1.69B | $1.68B | $1.90B | $2.14B | $2.40B | $2.64B | $2.77B |
| Property, Plant & Equipment | $203.0M | $213.0M | $229.0M | $300.0M | $604.0M | $632.0M | $641.0M | $703.0M | $706.0M | $630.0M |
| Goodwill | $1.63B | $1.69B | $1.69B | $1.76B | $1.83B | $1.83B | $1.92B | $1.99B | $2.02B | $2.06B |
| Intangible Assets | $2.32B | $2.21B | $2.00B | $1.87B | $1.81B | $2.17B | $2.38B | $2.50B | $2.51B | $2.73B |
| Total Assets | $5.33B | $5.72B | $5.34B | $6.02B | $6.41B | $7.21B | $7.83B | $8.54B | $9.15B | $9.83B |
| Accounts Payable | $204.0M | $208.0M | $281.0M | $260.0M | $264.0M | $302.0M | $268.0M | $300.0M | $289.0M | $257.0M |
| Short-term Debt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Current Liabilities | $1.84B | $2.10B | $2.37B | $2.82B | $2.72B | $3.15B | $3.37B | $3.54B | $3.90B | $4.20B |
| Long-term Debt | $2.78B | $2.81B | $2.82B | $2.97B | $3.10B | $3.35B | $3.73B | $3.96B | $4.01B | $4.37B |
| Total Liabilities | $5.12B | $5.41B | $5.66B | $6.29B | $6.46B | $7.17B | $7.66B | $8.12B | $8.48B | $9.07B |
| Retained Earnings | -$715.0M | -$654.0M | -$1.27B | -$1.18B | -$1.75B | -$1.71B | -$1.48B | -$1.39B | -$1.31B | -$1.33B |
| Total Equity | $195.0M | $293.0M | -$334.0M | -$289.0M | -$63.0M | $31.0M | $152.0M | $307.0M | $518.0M | $647.0M |
| Total Debt | $2.78B | $2.81B | $2.82B | $2.97B | $3.44B | $3.68B | $4.01B | $4.26B | $4.29B | $4.61B |
| Net Debt | $2.42B | $2.16B | $2.31B | $2.35B | $2.89B | $3.18B | $3.43B | $3.62B | $3.59B | $4.08B |
| Working Capital | -$934.0M | -$825.0M | -$1.20B | -$1.13B | -$1.04B | -$1.25B | -$1.23B | -$1.14B | -$1.25B | -$1.43B |
Balance Sheet (Quarterly)
| Year | 2025-Q3 | 2025-Q4 | 2026-Q1 | 2026-Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash & Equivalents | $532.0M | $751.0M | $741.0M | $618.0M |
| Total Assets | $9.83B | $10.01B | $10.61B | $10.73B |
| Total Liabilities | $9.07B | $9.18B | $9.64B | $9.64B |
| Total Equity | $647.0M | $720.0M | $738.0M | $854.0M |
| Total Debt | $4.61B | $4.79B | $4.94B | $4.92B |
Cash Flow (10y)
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Income | $30.0M | $149.0M | $312.0M | $258.0M | -$470.0M | $307.0M | $555.0M | $439.0M | $478.0M | $370.0M |
| Depreciation & Amortization | $293.0M | $251.0M | $261.0M | $269.0M | $261.0M | $306.0M | $339.0M | $332.0M | $327.0M | $376.0M |
| Stock-based Compensation | $23.0M | $70.0M | $62.0M | $50.0M | $608.0M | $45.0M | $39.0M | $49.0M | $52.0M | $54.0M |
| Change in Working Capital | $26.0M | $173.0M | $79.0M | -$74.0M | $30.0M | -$81.0M | -$87.0M | -$119.0M | -$148.0M | -$221.0M |
| Operating Cash Flow | $342.0M | $535.0M | $425.0M | $400.0M | $463.0M | $638.0M | $742.0M | $687.0M | $754.0M | $678.0M |
| Capital Expenditure | -$67.0M | -$60.0M | -$88.0M | -$145.0M | -$125.0M | -$574.0M | -$326.0M | -$241.0M | -$116.0M | -$139.0M |
| Acquisitions | $45.0M | $73.0M | -$23.0M | -$231.0M | -$94.0M | 0 | 0 | $45.0M | $19.0M | 0 |
| Stock Repurchased | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -$6.0M | 0 | -$5.0M | -$16.0M |
| Dividends Paid | 0 | -$84.0M | -$925.0M | -$94.0M | -$344.0M | -$265.0M | -$318.0M | -$340.0M | -$361.0M | -$383.0M |
| Free Cash Flow | $275.0M | $475.0M | $337.0M | $255.0M | $338.0M | $64.0M | $416.0M | $446.0M | $638.0M | $539.0M |
Cash Flow (Quarterly)
| Year | 2025-Q3 | 2025-Q4 | 2026-Q1 | 2026-Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $231.0M | $440.0M | $134.0M | $142.0M |
| Capital Expenditure | -$28.0M | -$50.0M | -$27.0M | -$28.0M |
| Free Cash Flow | $203.0M | $390.0M | $107.0M | $114.0M |
| Dividends Paid | -$100.0M | -$100.0M | -$100.0M | -$300.0M |
| Stock-based Compensation | $11.0M | $19.0M | 0 | $33.0M |
Growth & Margins (10y)
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | +10.2% | +12.0% | +11.7% | -0.3% | +18.8% | +11.7% | +2.0% | +6.4% | +4.4% | |
| Net Income Growth (YoY) | +472.0% | +114.7% | -16.6% | -285.5% | +164.0% | +81.2% | -22.0% | +1.2% | -16.1% | |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | +462.2% | +121.4% | -19.4% | -286.0% | +162.4% | +82.8% | -22.6% | +1.2% | -15.7% | |
| Shares Change (YoY) | +0.0% | +0.0% | +1.6% | +0.0% | +0.7% | +1.2% | -0.8% | +0.3% | +0.3% | |
| FCF Growth (YoY) | +72.7% | -29.1% | -24.3% | +32.5% | -81.1% | +550.0% | +7.2% | +43.0% | -15.5% | |
| Gross Margin | 47.4% | 46.0% | 45.8% | 46.3% | 47.7% | 48.3% | 48.0% | 47.4% | 47.8% | 45.8% |
| Operating Margin | 6.6% | 6.2% | 5.4% | 8.0% | -5.1% | 11.5% | 12.1% | 13.1% | 12.8% | 10.3% |
| EBITDA Margin | 15.6% | 11.1% | 21.0% | 15.2% | -1.3% | 16.7% | 20.3% | 17.9% | 16.9% | 15.3% |
| Net Margin | 0.8% | 4.0% | 7.7% | 5.7% | -10.6% | 5.7% | 9.3% | 7.1% | 6.8% | 5.4% |
| FCF Margin | 8.5% | 13.3% | 8.4% | 5.7% | 7.6% | 1.2% | 7.0% | 7.4% | 9.9% | 8.0% |
| Effective Tax Rate | 26.8% | 7,550.0% | 29.4% | 3.4% | -5.1% | 32.7% | 25.0% | 27.9% | 20.5% | 24.5% |
Per-Share Data (10y)
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCF Per Share | $0.55 | $0.95 | $0.67 | $0.50 | $0.66 | $0.12 | $0.80 | $0.86 | $1.23 | $1.04 |
| Dividends Per Share | $0.00 | $0.17 | $1.84 | $0.18 | $0.67 | $0.52 | $0.61 | $0.66 | $0.70 | $0.74 |
| Shares Outstanding (Basic) | 502.0 M | 502.0 M | 502.0 M | 510.0 M | 510.0 M | 513.5 M | 519.8 M | 515.7 M | 517.5 M | 519.0 M |
What to look at in Technology companies
- Revenue growth 3y (>=15%/year) — Validates sustained traction, not a one-off.
- Gross margin (Sub-sector dependent) — SaaS >=70%, Internet >=55%, Semis >=45%, Hardware >=35%.
- FCF / Revenue (>=20%) — Real cash generated. Many tech firms dress up non-GAAP earnings.
- ROIC (>=15%) — Capital reinvested efficiency — Buffett's first metric.
- SBC / Revenue (<10% healthy) — Stock-based compensation. Silent dilution: >20% destroys value.
- Net Debt / EBITDA (<=2x (1.5x SaaS)) — Resilience in downturns and rate hikes.
Profitability
| Return on Equity | 90.84% |
| Return on Invested Capital | 12.58% |
| Return on Assets | 6.26% |
| Gross Margin | 45.77% |
| Operating Margin | 14.31% |
| Net Margin | 9.20% |
Financial Health
| Debt / Equity | 5.76 |
| Current Ratio | 0.73 |
| Piotroski F-Score | 4 |
| Altman Z-Score | 1.72 |
Key Ratios (10y)
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 604.82 | 107.57 | 48.58 | 60.24 | -30.90 | 73.69 | 21.90 | 38.29 | 37.71 | 48.66 |
| P/B | 77.54 | 51.60 | -45.27 | -53.15 | -232.67 | 707.93 | 79.37 | 52.75 | 31.27 | 27.32 |
| P/S | 4.66 | 4.23 | 3.78 | 3.43 | 3.28 | 4.14 | 2.04 | 2.68 | 2.52 | 2.64 |
| Gross Margin | 47.4% | 46.0% | 45.8% | 46.3% | 47.7% | 48.3% | 48.0% | 47.4% | 47.8% | 45.8% |
| Operating Margin | 6.6% | 6.2% | 5.4% | 8.0% | -5.1% | 11.5% | 12.1% | 13.1% | 12.8% | 10.3% |
| Net Margin | 0.8% | 4.0% | 7.7% | 5.7% | -10.6% | 5.7% | 9.3% | 7.1% | 6.8% | 5.4% |
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More sections of WMG: Overview · Valuation · Estimates · Technical · Ownership
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