FY2026 EPS Estimates for Walt Disney Cut by Erste Group Bank

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank trimmed Disney's FY2026 EPS estimate to $6.63 (from $6.65), a very small cut that is essentially in line with the consensus of about $6.61.
• Disney recently beat quarterly expectations with $1.63 EPS and $25.98 billion in revenue; the stock trades at a P/E of 14.89 and carries an average analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $133.53.
• An FCC review of ABC broadcast licenses tied to DEI and the Jimmy Kimmel dispute creates regulatory and reputational uncertainty that could pressure ad sales and local affiliate relationships, even as management keeps ESPN and pushes broader AI adoption.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank dropped their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Walt Disney in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, April 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now anticipates that the entertainment giant will post earnings per share of $6.63 for the year, down from their previous forecast of $6.65. The consensus estimate for Walt Disney's current full-year earnings is $6.61 per share.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.06. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 8.90% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business had revenue of $25.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.54 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.40 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on DIS. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $150.00 to $148.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $151.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, February 2nd. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $123.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Walt Disney to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Guggenheim reduced their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $140.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $133.53.

Walt Disney Price Performance

Shares of DIS opened at $101.23 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $179.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.44. Walt Disney has a 1 year low of $88.56 and a 1 year high of $124.69. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $100.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $106.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 26,767 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $2,980,000 after buying an additional 1,904 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 31.9% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,470 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $678,000 after acquiring an additional 1,322 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 16.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 17,955 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $2,227,000 after acquiring an additional 2,503 shares during the period. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC lifted its position in Walt Disney by 28.6% in the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 8,330 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $1,033,000 after acquiring an additional 1,855 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC lifted its position in Walt Disney by 10.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 115,759 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $14,355,000 after acquiring an additional 11,304 shares in the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Walt Disney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Disney decides to keep ESPN inside the company, signaling management views sports as central to its streaming and long‑term subscriber strategy; that reduces uncertainty about a disruptive spin‑off and preserves a core revenue stream. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Management is pushing broad AI adoption across the workforce (badges, dashboards, manager check‑ins) which could boost productivity and content/operations efficiency over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst tweaks: Erste Group trimmed FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts very slightly (FY26 to $6.63, FY27 to $7.31) — changes are minimal versus consensus (~$6.61) and unlikely to move the needle materially by themselves.
• Neutral Sentiment: Content, parks and events updates (new merchandise, a Muppets retheme of Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, and event date announcements) support ongoing consumer engagement but are standard operating items rather than catalysts. Read More. | Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: the FCC has ordered an early review of eight ABC broadcast licenses tied to Disney’s DEI practices and the political clash over Jimmy Kimmel; regulators and industry groups say the move creates significant uncertainty and could bring reputational or compliance costs. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Political headlines (Trump‑Kimmel feud and related coverage) are keeping the regulatory story in the newsflow, which can pressure ad sales and local affiliate relationships in the near term and has been cited as a reason for recent share pressure. Read More.

About Walt Disney

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.

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.