The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts remain broadly positive: Twenty-one brokerages assign Disney a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, including 16 buys and one strong buy, with an average 12-month price target of approximately $127.61.
• Disney exceeded quarterly profit expectations: The company reported adjusted EPS of $2.06 versus the $1.86 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 6.8% year over year to $25.25 billion, slightly below expectations.
• Growth initiatives are balanced by risks: Theme-park promotions, major Walt Disney World expansion plans and increased AI leadership could support future growth, while reported layoffs, operational issues with Lightning Lane and recent insider selling remain concerns.

Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-one ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned 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 objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $127.6111.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on DIS shares. Argus reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $134.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Wolfe Research set a $131.00 price objective on Walt Disney in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walt Disney from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Tuesday, September 8th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 7,238 shares of the firm'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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 62,323 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,563,235.13. This trade represents a 10.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Paul M. Roeder sold 3,596 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.32, for a total value of $382,326.72. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 14,452 shares of company stock worth $1,532,157. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Silicon Valley Capital Partners raised its holdings in Walt Disney by 29.4% during the 2nd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 783 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 234.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 1,426 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $137,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the second quarter worth $58,000. Scholtz & Company LLC bought a new position in Walt Disney during the second quarter worth $2,818,000. Finally, Studio Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Walt Disney by 12.4% during the second quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 28,203 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $2,736,000 after buying an additional 3,120 shares during the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Walt Disney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Disney’s theme parks are reportedly defying an industry slowdown, with promotional pricing—including $59 tickets—helping support attendance at Walt Disney World and Disneyland while Universal and SeaWorld face weaker traffic. The promotions may support near-term visitor volumes, though they could pressure per-guest revenue. Disney Theme Parks Defy Industry Slump With Price Cuts and Promotions
• Positive Sentiment: Disney is preparing a major Walt Disney World expansion, including a new Adventureland project, the finishing work on Monsters, Inc. Land and plans to hire approximately 5,000 cast members. These investments could increase future capacity, attendance and consumer spending. Disney World Announces Massive Hiring Spree Ahead of Historic Theme Park Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: The company named former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand as chief technology officer, with responsibility for enterprise technology, data and artificial intelligence. The appointment could accelerate Disney’s use of AI and improve operational efficiency across its businesses. Disney introduces CTO role to lead enterprise tech, AI platforms
• Positive Sentiment: ESPN is developing plans to maximize coverage of the 2027 Super Bowl, potentially creating an opportunity for stronger ratings, advertising demand and sports-media engagement for Disney. ESPN wants to break the Super Bowl ratings record
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank expects stronger earnings for Disney, while Adam Smith’s appointment as chairman of Disney Entertainment’s direct-to-consumer division represents another management change. Neither item included detailed financial targets in the available reports. Erste Group Bank Expects Stronger Earnings for Walt Disney
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of additional layoffs planned for late September suggest continued cost restructuring. While cuts can improve profitability, they may also signal pressure in parts of the business and create execution risk. More Disney layoffs happening at end of September
• Negative Sentiment: Disney reportedly had to modify its Lightning Lane system after overselling, highlighting potential guest-experience and operational challenges. The removal of a long-standing single-rider option may add to capacity concerns. Walt Disney World Forced To Change Lightning Lane System After Oversells

Walt Disney Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE DIS opened at $104.21 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $179.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.49, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.41. Walt Disney has a 12 month low of $92.18 and a 12 month high of $117.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $103.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $101.58.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The entertainment giant reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.20. Walt Disney had a net margin of 8.70% and a return on equity of 9.90%. The business had revenue of $25.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $25.39 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.61 EPS. The firm's quarterly 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. As a group, analysts forecast that Walt Disney will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company NYSE: DIS is a global entertainment and media company that develops, produces and distributes content across film, television and streaming platforms. Its portfolio includes Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and other brands, with content distributed through theatrical releases, television networks and direct-to-consumer services such as Disney+, Hulu and ESPN's streaming offerings.

Disney also operates sports media businesses, including ESPN, and owns and manages theme parks, resorts, cruise lines and other location-based entertainment experiences.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.