Needham & Company LLC Reiterates “Buy” Rating for Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by research analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $125.00 price target on the entertainment giant’s stock. Needham & Company LLC’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 29.29% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on DIS. Phillip Securities upgraded Walt Disney to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Walt Disney from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 16th. UBS Group reiterated a “mixed” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $123.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on Walt Disney from $136.00 to $132.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walt Disney has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.81.

Walt Disney Price Performance

Walt Disney stock opened at $96.69 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $171.28 billion, a PE ratio of 14.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.44. Walt Disney has a 52-week low of $80.10 and a 52-week high of $124.69. 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’s 50 day moving average is $103.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $108.46.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.06. Walt Disney had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 8.90%. The business had revenue of $25.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.54 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.40 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Walt Disney will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DIS. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Walt Disney by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 26,767 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $2,980,000 after purchasing an additional 1,904 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 31.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,470 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $678,000 after buying an additional 1,322 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 16.2% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 17,955 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $2,227,000 after buying an additional 2,503 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 46,179 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $5,727,000 after buying an additional 1,052 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 4.8% in the 2nd quarter. Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,680 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $332,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walt Disney News Summary

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.