Walt Disney’s (DIS) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC reiterated their buy rating on shares of Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) in a research note published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. Needham & Company LLC currently has a $125.00 target price on the entertainment giant’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $145.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Walt Disney from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 19th. Argus restated a “buy” rating and set a $134.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, September 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.06.

Walt Disney Price Performance

NYSE DIS opened at $108.06 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $186.59 billion, a PE ratio of 22.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $105.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $102.02. Walt Disney has a 12-month low of $92.18 and a 12-month high of $117.09.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The entertainment giant reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.20. Walt Disney had a net margin of 8.70% and a return on equity of 9.90%. The company had revenue of $25.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.61 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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, equities analysts predict that Walt Disney will post 6.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Paul Roeder sold 3,596 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.31, for a total transaction of $381,011.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 62,995 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,634,003.45. This represents a 5.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 18,070 shares of company stock valued at $1,913,168 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Highland Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 316.4% in the second quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 279 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walt Disney during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Walt Disney by 82.2% during the 1st quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 317 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Walt Disney

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

• Positive Sentiment: Needham reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $125 price target, implying roughly 15.7% upside from the referenced trading level. The bullish view adds support to sentiment as investors assess Disney’s streaming, parks and content businesses.
• Positive Sentiment: Disney+ will stream the 2027 Super Bowl, giving the company a major opportunity to collect valuable viewing data, strengthen its advertising business and promote Disney’s streaming platform. Why Disney’s Super Bowl Streaming Plan Is a Bigger Deal Than It Seems
• Positive Sentiment: Disney is pitching its Infinity Vision premium large-format cinema system to Paramount, Universal, Lionsgate and Sony. If adopted, the format could give Disney more influence over theatrical presentation and create incremental licensing or participation revenue, although it must compete with IMAX. Walt Disney Unveils Infinity Vision For Big Screen Releases
• Positive Sentiment: Theme-park demand appears resilient: Disney World’s premium Lightning Lane passes reportedly sold out ahead of a busy weekend, while higher character-dining and buffet prices indicate continued pricing power. These trends could support parks revenue and margins. Disney World Runs out of Line-Skipping Passes
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney’s licensing of content to Netflix signals a more flexible streaming strategy that may improve monetization and reach, but it could also reduce exclusivity for Disney+ content. Disney Is Opening the Door to Netflix
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Brent Woodford sold 3,618 DIS shares for approximately $381,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Because the sale was scheduled in advance and he retains a substantial stake, it is a limited bearish signal rather than evidence of a fundamental change.

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.