Walt Disney’s (DIS) “Buy” Rating Reaffirmed at Argus

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by equities researchers at Argus in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $134.00 price objective on the entertainment giant’s stock. Argus’ target price indicates a potential upside of 29.69% from the company’s current price.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Wolfe Research set a $131.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Walt Disney from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Walt Disney from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.22.

Walt Disney Price Performance

Walt Disney stock traded up $1.56 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $103.32. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,011,442 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,717,357. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $98.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $101.94. Walt Disney has a 12 month low of $92.18 and a 12 month high of $119.78. The company has a market capitalization of $179.42 billion, a PE ratio of 16.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.39.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $25.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.39 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 8.92%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.61 earnings per share. Walt Disney has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.642-6.642 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Walt Disney will post 6.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. J. Stern & Co. LLP lifted its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 9,060.1% in the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 38,135,363 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $4,338,660,000 after purchasing an additional 37,719,041 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,388,278,000. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the 2nd quarter valued at $725,219,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in Walt Disney by 62.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,876,878 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,578,773,000 after buying an additional 5,334,866 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 37.8% in the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 12,569,185 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,429,996,000 after acquiring an additional 3,450,198 shares during the period. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walt Disney News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Profit beat and improving growth: Disney reported adjusted EPS of $2.06, exceeding the $1.86 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 6.8% year over year to $25.25 billion. Segment operating income increased 21%, supported by Experiences and Entertainment. Disney Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Parks and franchise monetization remain key catalysts: Experiences revenue reached a quarterly record of nearly $10 billion, with domestic attendance and guest spending rising. “Toy Story 5,” which surpassed $1 billion at the box office, also boosted streaming engagement, merchandise sales and demand for parks and cruises. How Disney parks are bucking a travel slowdown
• Positive Sentiment: Streaming momentum strengthened: Streaming operating income more than doubled to $712 million. Disney also plans to develop Disney+ into a broader fan ecosystem incorporating interactive content, games and merchandise, while evaluating a free, ad-supported offering to expand reach and advertising revenue. Disney Q3 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns and advertising outlook improved: Disney reaffirmed fiscal 2026 guidance and raised planned share repurchases to at least $9 billion. ESPN also reported that advertising inventory for the next Super Bowl is already sold out. Disney Reaffirms Earnings Growth and Buybacks
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is supportive: Barclays raised its price target to $115 and assigned an Overweight rating. Guggenheim, Benchmark, Rosenblatt and Needham reiterated Buy ratings with targets ranging from $115 to $126, implying additional upside from recent levels.
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney agreed to sell its 50% stake in A+E Global Media to Hearst for approximately $1.2 billion in cash, reinforcing its focus on streaming, ESPN and core franchises while reducing exposure to traditional television assets. Disney exits A+E Media
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell slightly short of expectations, and the company’s FY2026 EPS guidance of 6.642 is below the approximately 6.83 analyst consensus, potentially limiting enthusiasm if future execution weakens.

Walt Disney Company Profile

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), commonly known as Disney, is a diversified global entertainment and media conglomerate headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy O. Disney, the company grew from an animation studio into a multi?national entertainment enterprise known for iconic intellectual property and family?oriented storytelling. Disney’s operations span film and television production, streaming services, theme parks and resorts, consumer products, and live entertainment.

On the content side, Disney produces and distributes feature films and television programming through a portfolio of studios and labels that includes Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Studios, along with broadcast and cable networks such as ABC, FX and National Geographic.