Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS – Free Report) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Raymond James Financial currently has $115.00 target price on the entertainment giant’s stock.
Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Citigroup lowered their target price on Walt Disney from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 16th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating and issued a $123.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $151.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Phillip Securities raised shares of Walt Disney to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Eighteen 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $132.81.
Check Out Our Latest Report on DIS
Walt Disney Price Performance
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analysts’ expectations of $25.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.40 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Walt Disney will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Institutional Trading of Walt Disney
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DIS. Old North State Trust LLC bought a new stake in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth $547,000. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at $372,000. Stance Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. Stance Capital LLC now owns 12,455 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,417,000 after acquiring an additional 867 shares during the period. Cornerstone Planning LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at $3,000,000. Finally, Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.
Key Stories Impacting Walt Disney
Here are the key news stories impacting Walt Disney this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Raymond James upgraded DIS to “Outperform” and set a $115 price target, arguing Disney is undervalued even under stress tests and that streaming profitability makes the risk/reward attractive. Disney Stock Gets an Upgrade. Why Analysts Say It Looks Cheap.
- Positive Sentiment: Other analysts and former skeptics flagged DIS as a bargain at current levels, reinforcing buying interest after recent share weakness. That renewed analyst support is driving short-term inflows. Is there a bargain to be had with Disney stock? This analyst thinks so.
- Neutral Sentiment: Disney reported strong Q1 results with streaming operating income up ~72%, a fundamental improvement that supports longer-term valuation upside, but the market has yet to re-rate the shares fully. Streaming Profits Are Up 72% Yet Disney Shares Are Down 17% This Year
- Neutral Sentiment: Operational catalysts: Disney opened the World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris and is repositioning its parks/experiences in Europe—a multi-year investment that supports Experiences revenue but has longer lead times for returns. Disney’s World Of Frozen Puts Experiences Division In European Focus
- Neutral Sentiment: Retail and guest promotions (e.g., special summer hotel rates for Disney+ Perks members, new ticket options) may help near-term park demand but are incremental to corporate earnings. Walt Disney World Offering Special Summer Hotel Rates for Disney+ Perks Members from $99
- Neutral Sentiment: Speculative M&A chatter (interest in Epic Games) remains unconfirmed; if real, it would be material, but for now it’s market rumor rather than an actionable catalyst. Disney Eyes Major Buyout Deal for Fortnite Creator Epic Games
- Negative Sentiment: Reports say Disney’s potential major partnership talks with OpenAI suffered a setback, removing a possible material growth vector tied to AI-driven content/tech collaboration. That uncertainty is a headwind for some valuation scenarios. The Walt Disney Company (DIS) Faces Setback to Its Potential Major Partnership with OpenAI
- Negative Sentiment: PR/operational hiccups—an Nvidia-powered Olaf robot malfunctioned at Disneyland Paris—underscore execution risks around new tech initiatives; these are minor but visible risks for brand/guest experience. An Nvidia AI-powered Olaf malfunctions at Disneyland Paris
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.
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