The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $127.61.

Several analysts recently commented on DIS shares. Argus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $134.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Walt Disney from $145.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday. Barclays increased their price objective on Walt Disney from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $115.00 price target on Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, August 3rd.

Walt Disney Stock Down 0.5%

DIS stock opened at $105.58 on Tuesday. Walt Disney has a 52 week low of $92.18 and a 52 week high of $117.09. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $103.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $101.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $182.30 billion, a PE ratio of 21.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.41.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The entertainment giant reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.20. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.90% and a net margin of 8.70%.The firm had revenue of $25.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.61 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Walt Disney has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.642-6.642 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walt Disney will post 6.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Walt Disney News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walt Disney this week:

• Positive Sentiment: “Avengers: Endgame Encore” generated an $86 million global re-release opening, reinforcing the commercial strength of Disney’s Marvel library and potentially improving expectations for future Marvel releases, including “Doomsday.” Avengers: Endgame Encore box office report
• Positive Sentiment: Disney+ and Hulu raised ad-free subscription prices by roughly 13%. Management reportedly says streaming profit dollars now exceed margins as a key performance focus, supporting average-revenue-per-user growth and streaming profitability. Disney streaming price increase report
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney World is introducing or adjusting several park offerings, including a new adult nightlife destination, Animal Kingdom changes, merchandise promotions and transportation refurbishments. These items may affect guest experience and attendance at the margin but are not major companywide earnings catalysts. Disney World adult nightlife destination
• Negative Sentiment: Former CEO Bob Chapek renewed criticism of Disney’s governance and succession battle, saying he raised concerns about Bob Iger with the board weekly and felt erased after his 2022 ouster. The comments do not change near-term earnings, but could revive questions about management stability and strategic execution. CNBC report on Bob Chapek and Bob Iger

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 7,238 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.31, for a total transaction of $762,233.78. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 62,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,563,235.13. The trade was a 10.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Paul Roeder sold 3,596 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.32, for a total transaction of $382,326.72. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 14,452 shares of company stock valued at $1,532,157 over the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 29.2% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,522,860 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $969,646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,924,200 shares during the period. Aviva PLC increased its position in shares of Walt Disney by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 1,516,177 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $172,495,000 after buying an additional 78,914 shares during the period. Windsor Advisory Group LLC increased its position in shares of Walt Disney by 297.9% during the first quarter. Windsor Advisory Group LLC now owns 10,082 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $972,000 after buying an additional 7,548 shares during the period. Cullen Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Walt Disney in the second quarter worth about $4,092,000. Finally, Weiss Asset Management LP purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the first quarter worth about $694,000. Institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

About Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is a global entertainment company that develops, produces and distributes branded content across film, television, streaming and other media platforms. Its portfolio includes Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and 20th Century Studios, as well as ABC, Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN. The company also licenses its characters and intellectual property for consumer products, games and other experiences.

Disney operates theme parks, resorts and cruise lines through its Experiences business.