Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Now Covered by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

Investment analysts at Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) in a research note issued on Tuesday. The firm set an “overweight” rating and a $135.00 price target on the entertainment giant’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price suggests a potential upside of 28.97% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on DIS. Phillip Securities raised shares of Walt Disney to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $141.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Friday, October 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $151.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Eighteen 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.40.

Walt Disney Stock Down 7.2%

Shares of NYSE:DIS opened at $104.68 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $186.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.26, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.43. Walt Disney has a 12-month low of $80.10 and a 12-month high of $124.69. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $110.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

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. Walt Disney had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 9.37%. The company had revenue of $25.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.40 earnings per share. Walt Disney’s revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Walt Disney will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in DIS. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Walt Disney by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 26,767 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $2,980,000 after buying an additional 1,904 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Walt Disney by 31.9% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC boosted its holdings in Walt Disney by 1.1% in the second quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 175,999 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $21,824,000 after purchasing an additional 1,831 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Walt Disney by 12.3% in the second quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 23,756 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $2,946,000 after purchasing an additional 2,593 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Drake & Associates LLC purchased a new position in Walt Disney in the second quarter valued at approximately $224,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walt Disney News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus: Disney topped EPS and revenue expectations, driven by box-office hits and improving streaming margins; the quarter reinforced the company’s recovery narrative. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Streaming profitability improved: Disney reported record streaming profit aided by price increases, a key long-term value driver if subscriber trends stabilize. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Parks remain a cash engine: Experiences posted record revenue and generated the majority of operating income, offsetting weaknesses elsewhere. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns accelerating: Management signaled meaningful buybacks and maintains a dividend, supporting shareholder returns as leverage stays low. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO succession nearing a decision: Reports say the board is close to naming parks chief Josh D’Amaro as CEO — that could reduce uncertainty once official, but investors are focused on who will lead strategy post-Iger. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management tone: Bob Iger emphasized momentum and offered transition advice; comments aim to reassure but don’t eliminate near-term operational risks. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Tepid near-term guidance: Disney issued modest guidance for the fiscal quarter ahead, citing international visitation headwinds and higher pre-opening and cruise costs — that weaker outlook pressured the stock despite the beat. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: International tourism slowdown: Lower foreign visitors to U.S. parks (notably from Canada and other markets) is cited as a headwind to Experiences growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: YouTube TV carriage dispute hit: Disney disclosed a roughly $110M operating-income impact from a blackout, highlighting distribution risks that can dent short-term profitability. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term IP and legal risks flagged: Analysts point to expiring copyrights, AI-driven piracy and possible lawsuits as material risks that could pressure future content monetization. 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.