Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Stock Price Up 1.2% – Time to Buy?

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) shares rose 1.2% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $112.80 and last traded at $111.9510. Approximately 11,665,216 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 20% from the average daily volume of 9,689,259 shares. The stock had previously closed at $110.63.

Key Stores Impacting Walt Disney

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

• Positive Sentiment: Early box-office reception: “Avatar: Fire and Ash” pulled in ~$12M from Thursday previews — a solid start that supports near-term theatrical revenue and franchise monetization potential for Disney. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Streaming momentum: CEO commentary and analysis note ESPN’s new flagship streaming service is seeing early success and Disney+ / Hulu are producing robust profits — this supports margin recovery and valuation multiple expansion if subscription economics continue improving. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst endorsement: Wells Fargo highlights Disney as a top media pick, signaling institutional buy-side support that can help buoy the shares. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent market performance note: Coverage reporting a recent uptick/market-beating close may reflect short-term momentum and investor interest. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: R&D / attraction innovation: Disney is piloting 3D-printed props (Jungle Cruise polymer canoe) and advancing animatronic tech (self-walking Olaf) — these reduce production costs and enable new park experiences but are gradual, not immediate earnings drivers. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate: Several write-ups argue Disney may be undervalued after recent gains — useful context for investors weighing longer-term upside vs near-term risks. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Misinformation/fan coverage: Social posts and fact checks (e.g., fake Taylor Swift “Eras” ride video) and consumer pieces about parks/exhibits drive PR and foot traffic interest but have limited direct impact on fundamentals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Distribution/ad risk: The Oscars moving from ABC to YouTube after decades could signal shifting rights deals and ad-revenue pressures for Disney’s linear-TV business (ABC), representing a potential long-term headwind for segment advertising and carriage economics. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Loss in creative leadership: The death of former Imagineering SVP Eddie Sotto is a reputational/human-capital loss; important culturally but with limited direct financial impact. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on DIS. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $141.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Friday, November 14th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $144.00 to $136.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 14th. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Friday, November 14th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $134.41.

Walt Disney Stock Down 0.6%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market cap of $198.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.49. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $109.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $114.55.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 13th. The entertainment giant reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.08. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.37% and a net margin of 13.14%.The company had revenue of $22.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.14 earnings per share. Walt Disney’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a $0.75 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 139.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. Walt Disney’s payout ratio is presently 21.87%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Copeland Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the third quarter worth about $25,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 82.5% during the 2nd quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. now owns 208 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the third quarter worth $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Walt Disney during the third quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

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.