Erste Group Bank Raises Earnings Estimates for Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) – Analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their FY2027 earnings estimates for Walt Disney in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now expects that the entertainment giant will earn $7.35 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $7.34. The consensus estimate for Walt Disney’s current full-year earnings is $5.47 per share.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $25.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.54 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 8.90%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.40 earnings per share.

DIS has been the topic of several other reports. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Guggenheim decreased their price target on Walt Disney from $140.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $135.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group reissued a “mixed” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $134.00.

Walt Disney Stock Down 2.4%

DIS opened at $92.50 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $104.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $108.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a market cap of $163.87 billion, a PE ratio of 13.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.42. Walt Disney has a 52 week low of $80.10 and a 52 week high of $124.69.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Copeland Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Curio Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 110.4% in the 4th quarter. Curio Wealth LLC now owns 223 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Sfam LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Walt Disney

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo kept an “overweight” rating and only trimmed its price target slightly to $148, implying large upside versus the current level — a vote of confidence from a major shop. Wells Fargo price target note
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish research and op-eds argue DIS is undervalued given its IP, parks recovery and monetization routes — several buy- and upgrade-style pieces suggest this pullback could be a buying opportunity. Buy Disney When Valuation Is Low
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group nudged up its FY2027 EPS forecast marginally, signaling some analyst confidence in medium‑term earnings resilience even as consensus remains split. (Research note summarized in market feeds.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and contributors keep highlighting parks as the company’s “core” — strong park demand supports cash flow even if media/tech bets stumble. Disney: Parks Is The Company’s Core Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate and brand news (D23/Disney Legends, merchandise and park promotions) remain positive for consumer engagement but are unlikely to move the stock materially in the near term. Disney Legends 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Major tech partnerships unraveled: OpenAI shut down the Sora project (central to Disney’s planned AI content tools), and Disney is reviewing/cancelling related deals — this undercuts a high-profile strategic growth pillar and drove investor concern. Disney Cancels OpenAI Deal
• Negative Sentiment: Exposure to Epic Games and its layoffs (after Disney’s commitment to a shared digital universe) raises doubts about the returns on a roughly $1.5B strategic push into gaming/virtual worlds. Market headlines frame this as an early, costly misstep for the new CEO. Disney CEO’s First Week Marred
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary pieces highlighting a “narrative problem” and blunt takes like “Disney’s stock is a dog” have amplified selling pressure — the market is punishing perceived strategic uncertainty and execution risk under new leadership. Disney Has a Narrative Problem

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.