CNBC Business News Update - Market Midday: Stocks Mixed, WBD Is For Sale, Coca Cola Out With Solid Quarterly Results 10/21/25

Episode Date: October 21, 2025

From Wall Street to Main Street, the latest on the markets and what it means for your money. Updated regularly on weekdays, featuring CNBC expert analysis and sound from top business newsmakers. Anchored by CNBC's Jessica Ettinger. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I'm Jessica Ettinger, CNBC, while street mixed in late morning trading, now the Dow, up 301 points, more than a half percent. The S&P 500 index has popped into the green, up 11 points. Now the NASDAQ, still in the red, down just 19 points. Warner Brothers Discovery shares are jumping today. The story we've been following closely, of course, has been Paramount's interest in trying to buy all of Warner Brothers Discovery. But here's the news. Warner Brothers is putting itself up for sale, saying that it will evaluate a broad range and strategic options that obviously will include selling the entire company. It doesn't mean they're abandoning the plan to split the company. That, of course, has been the plan that's been in place for quite some time. The company has said that it will initiate a review of strategic alternatives to, of course, what they always say, maximize a shareholder value. Now, they already have in hand a bid from Paramount. I reported previously, but now this will become a sort of a public story, if you will. CNBC's David Faber. General Motors shares higher. It not only beat earnings estimates for the last

quarter, but GM also issued a rosy forecast after GM worked with the White House. It says it's planning on a smaller tariff impact than previously thought. A little disagreement about where gas prices are right now. Gas Buddy says the national average for a gallon of regular gas hit a four-year low of $3 or under a gallon. While AAA says gas prices actually ticked up yesterday to $3.4 a gallon, either way, it's lower, about 15 cents lower per gallon than a month ago. As U.S. crude hovers around $58 a barrel, that can help the entire economy while it does hurt big oil as job cuts there loom. You have oil at $60, which is massively defleful.

What else is cheaper today than it was 10 years ago? Corvex founder Keith Meister on CNBC. Coca-Cola out with strong quarterly results today but says demand for drinks is still soft. It's sticking with its original full-year forecast, though, and wealthier Americans are spending more. What generally is happening is the Coke trademark is doing well, and then we're gaining in some of the premium segments, particularly the ones where we got great brand strength and the new up-and-coming things. things like Fair Life, or even ready to drink teas, which has grew strongly. For example, in the U.S., the products like Fair Life, Core Power, Top O'Chika, Smart Water, the ones that have a slightly higher price than average have been growing faster because they're

being bored by the higher income consumers. Coca-Cola CEO James Quincy on CNBC. Cattle ranchers in the U.S. say President Trump's solution to increase beef supply by buying it from Argentina is not a solution. idea is to ease sky-high beef prices in the U.S. but also to help Argentina's struggling economy. U.S. cattle farmers call it market manipulation that hurts them. The U.S. herd is at its lowest level since 1951. And the threat of New World screw worm is the real issue. And the government's not doing enough on that. The screw worm is actually a parasitic fly. It was once eradicated in

the U.S., but it's threatening a comeback. The U.S. Ag Department has closed the border to Mexico for imports of live cattle, bison, and horses on and off since last year because of the parasite. The NBA regular season begins tonight with a double header and the mega millions jackpot tonight. Well, more than a half billion at $650 million. Jessica Eddinger, CNBC. CNBC is the network for ambitious people.