Benchmark Initiates Coverage on Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)

Key Points

• Benchmark initiated coverage on Walt Disney with a buy rating and a $115 price target, implying about 20% upside from the prior close.
• Disney’s broader analyst picture remains constructive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and a $130.88 average price target across Wall Street coverage.
• The company’s latest earnings were solid, as Disney reported $1.57 EPS and $25.17 billion in revenue, both above expectations, while revenue rose 6.5% year over year.

Equities research analysts at Benchmark began coverage on shares of Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage set a "buy" rating and a $115.00 price target on the entertainment giant's stock. Benchmark's price objective indicates a potential upside of 20.24% from the company's previous close.

DIS has been the subject of several other research reports. Rosenblatt Securities restated a "buy" rating and issued a $126.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Raymond James Financial cut their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $119.00 to $111.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Phillip Securities raised shares of Walt Disney from a "moderate buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Wolfe Research set a $131.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Walt Disney from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walt Disney has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $130.88.

Walt Disney Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of DIS stock opened at $95.64 on Monday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $101.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $104.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.68 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Walt Disney has a 1 year low of $92.18 and a 1 year high of $123.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $166.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.28, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.39.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $25.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.87 billion. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 8.92% and a net margin of 11.54%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.45 earnings per share. Walt Disney has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.640-6.640 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Walt Disney will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

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

Walt Disney News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analyst coverage is helping sentiment, with a Monday research roundup highlighting Disney among names drawing attention from analysts; a separate note also said Disney stock is attracting strong buy calls amid recent milestones. Article Title Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha article argued Disney’s intellectual-property “flywheel” is working better than ever, pointing to ongoing monetization across studios, parks, and consumer products, which supports the long-term investment case. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney is promoting brand engagement through non-financial events and marketing, including a pin trading event and a spotlight on American suppliers tied to its 250th-year celebration; these are positive for brand visibility but unlikely to move the stock much on their own. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Box-office results for the live-action Moana remake were disappointing, with reports saying the debut underwhelmed and deepened concerns about Disney’s live-action remake strategy, a near-term headwind for sentiment. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A separate report said Disney is cracking down on “freeloaders” and tightening resort/park access rules, which could help revenue per visitor but may also be viewed as a consumer friction point. Article Title

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.

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