NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 8, 2025--
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against WPP plc (“WPP” or the “Company”) (NYSE: WPP) and reminds investors of the December 8, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251208932508/en/
Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.
As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose material information concerning WPP’s expected revenue for the fiscal year 2025. Defendants’ statements included, among other things, confidence in the Company’s continued efforts to revitalize and simplify its media division to obtain new wins and retain clientele, repeated claims that the “ramp-up of new wins” and ongoing sales to existing clients would offset lost clientele, and a continued emphasis on the Company’s self-proclaimed “cautious” guidance that purportedly accounted for “broad macro uncertainty.” Defendants provided these overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of WPP’s media arm; notably, that it was not truly equipped to handle the ongoing macroeconomic challenges while competing effectively and had instead begun to lose significant market share to its competitors. Such statements absent these material facts caused Plaintiff and other shareholders to purchase WPP’s securities at artificially inflated prices.
On July 9, 2025, WPP published a trading update for the first half of 2025, alerting investors that the company had allegedly “seen a deterioration in performance as Q2 has progressed.” The Company attributed its misfortune to both “continued macro uncertainty weighing on client spend and weaker net new business than originally anticipated,” at least in part due to “some distraction to the business” as a result of the continued restructuring of WPP Media a.k.a. GroupM.
Investors and analysts reacted immediately to WPP’s revelation. The price of WPP’s common stock declined dramatically. From a closing market price of $35.82 per share on July 8, 2025, WPP’s stock price fell to $29.34 per share on July 9, 2025, a decline of about 18.1% in the span of just a single day.
The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding WPP’s conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.
To learn more about the WPP class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/WPP or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.
Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP ( www.faruqilaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
FINAL DEADLINE ALERT: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of WPP
NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount on Monday launched a hostile takeover offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, initiating a potentially bruising battle with rival bidder Netflix to buy the company behind HBO, CNN and DC Studios, and the right to reshape much of the nation's entertainment landscape.
Emerging just days after top Warner managers agreed to Netflix's $72 billion purchase, Paramount's bid seeks to go over the heads of those leaders by appealing directly to Warner shareholders with more money — $74.4 billion — and a plan to buy all of Warner's business, including the cable business that Netflix does not want.
Paramount said its decision to go hostile came after it made several earlier bids that Warner management “never engaged meaningfully” with following the company's October announcement that it was open to selling itself.
In its appeal to shareholders, Paramount noted its offer also contains more cash than Netflix's bid — $18 billion more — and argued that it's more likely to pass antitrust scrutiny from the Trump administration.
Netflix on Monday said it had no comment about Paramount's challenge. But on Friday, Netflix downplayed concerns that regulators would oppose a combination of Netflix and Warner’s HBO Max streaming business.
The fight for Warner drew strong reaction in Washington, with politicians from both major parties picking sides and citing the likely impact on streaming prices, movie theater employment and the diversity of entertainment choices and political views.
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump weighed in, too, saying a Netflix-Warner combo “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.
Paramount, run by David Ellison, whose family is closely allied with Trump, said it had submitted six proposals to Warner over a 12-week period before the latest offer.
“We believe our offer will create a stronger Hollywood. It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theater industry," Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison said in a statement. He added that his deal would lead to more competition in the industry, not less, and more movies in theaters.
Adding to the political intrigue in the dueling bids, a regulatory document released Monday stated that an investment firm run by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner would be investing in the Paramount deal, too.
On Friday, Netflix struck its deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max. The cash and stock proposal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt.
The transaction is expected to close in the next 12 to 18 months, after Warner completes its previously announced separation of its cable operations. Not included in the deal are networks such as CNN and Discovery.
The federal government has authority to kill any big media deals if it has antitrust concerns. Trump has said he will be personally involved in the decision regarding Warner Bros.
Usha Haley, a Wichita State University professor who specializes in international business strategy, said Paramount’s ties to Trump are notable. Ellison is the son of longtime Trump supporter Larry Ellison, the world’s second-richest person.
“He said he’s going to be involved in the decision. We should take him at face value,” Haley said of Trump. “For him, it’s just greater control over the media."
The bid for Warner Bros. comes on the heels of Paramount's October purchase of the news and commentary website The Free Press. Paramount then installed the site's founder, Bari Weiss, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News, saying it believes the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based.
It was a bold step for the television network of Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and “60 Minutes,” long viewed by many conservatives as the personification of a liberal media establishment. The network placed someone in a leadership role who has a reputation for resisting orthodoxy and fighting “woke” culture.
Paramount's tender offer is set to expire on Jan. 8 unless it's extended.
Shares of Warner Bros. jumped nearly 4%, and Netflix was down 4% Monday in early afternoon trading. Paramount was up 9%.
Associated Press writers Matt Sedensky, David Bauder and Charles Sheehan in New York contributed to this report.
The Warner Bros. water tower is seen at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Warner Bros. water tower is seen at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
