Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Stock Rating Reaffirmed as “Buy” by Needham & Company LLC

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $125.00 price objective on the entertainment giant’s stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 16.07% from the company’s current price.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial cut their target price on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $119.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Truist Financial set a $115.00 price target on Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group set a $115.00 price target on Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, August 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.06.

Walt Disney Stock Up 0.6%

NYSE DIS traded up $0.68 during trading on Friday, hitting $107.70. 2,118,647 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,179,167. Walt Disney has a 12 month low of $92.18 and a 12 month high of $117.09. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $105.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $101.94. 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 capitalization of $185.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.22, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.41.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The entertainment giant reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.20. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.90% and a net margin of 8.70%.The company had revenue of $25.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.39 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. The business’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. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Walt Disney will post 6.92 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Paul M. Roeder sold 3,596 shares of the business’s 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.13, for a total value of $387,596.34. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 62,328 shares in the company, valued at $6,677,198.64. This represents a 5.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 14,452 shares of company stock worth $1,532,157. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cim Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Walt Disney by 66.2% during the second quarter. Cim Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,883 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,336,000 after purchasing an additional 5,530 shares in the last quarter. Aviva PLC raised its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 1,516,177 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $172,495,000 after acquiring an additional 78,914 shares during the last quarter. Cullen Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the second quarter valued at approximately $4,092,000. Windsor Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 297.9% in the first quarter. Windsor Advisory Group LLC now owns 10,082 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $972,000 after acquiring an additional 7,548 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Weiss Asset Management LP bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the first quarter valued at approximately $694,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walt Disney News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Needham reiterates Buy rating: Needham & Company maintained its “buy” recommendation and set a $125 price target, implying approximately 16% upside. The call reinforces confidence in Disney’s earnings recovery and strategic initiatives. Benzinga analyst rating report
• Positive Sentiment: Disney+ to stream the 2027 Super Bowl: Making the game available to all U.S. Disney+ subscribers, alongside its ABC and ESPN broadcasts, could drive engagement, new subscriptions, advertising data and cross-platform monetization. Disney will also stream two preceding Monday Night Football games. Disney+ to stream upcoming Super Bowl
• Positive Sentiment: Theme parks continue to support pricing power: Disney raised character-dining and buffet prices at Walt Disney World, while ticket increases were described as relatively modest. Higher per-guest spending could support Parks revenue and margins, although demand remains a consideration. Disney World dining price increases
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney pitches “Infinity Vision” large-screen format: Disney has reportedly discussed a premium theater network with Paramount, Universal, Lionsgate and Sony covering roughly 5,500 screens. The initiative could increase control over blockbuster distribution, but it also entails execution and investment risks and may intensify competition with IMAX. Disney Infinity Vision large-screen format
• Negative Sentiment: Content licensing highlights pressure in traditional media: Disney’s licensing of titles to Netflix may generate near-term revenue, but it also underscores the challenges facing Disney’s linear television business and the need to maximize streaming cash flow. Disney content licensing to Netflix

Walt Disney Company Profile

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.