Erste Group Bank Expects Stronger Earnings for Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2027 EPS estimates for shares of Walt Disney in a research report issued on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now expects that the entertainment giant will post earnings of $7.35 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $7.34. The consensus estimate for Walt Disney’s current full-year earnings is $5.47 per share.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Guggenheim reduced their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $140.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Walt Disney to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $123.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $151.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $134.00.

Walt Disney Trading Down 2.4%

NYSE:DIS opened at $92.50 on Friday. Walt Disney has a 1-year low of $80.10 and a 1-year high of $124.69. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $104.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $108.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $163.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.60, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.42.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.54 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.40 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Old North State Trust LLC bought a new stake in Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $547,000. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth approximately $372,000. Stance Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Stance Capital LLC now owns 12,455 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,417,000 after acquiring an additional 867 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,000,000. Finally, Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney News Summary

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.