Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Earns Buy Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Oct 9th, 2026

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS – Get Free Report)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by research analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $125.00 target price on the entertainment giant’s stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price objective points to a potential upside of 15.56% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $145.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, September 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.06.

View Our Latest Research Report on Walt Disney

Walt Disney Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:DIS traded up $1.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $108.17. 4,345,254 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,189,452. The firm has a market capitalization of $186.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.30, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.41. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $105.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $101.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.71. Walt Disney has a twelve month low of $92.18 and a twelve month high of $117.09.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The entertainment giant reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $25.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.39 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 8.70% and a return on equity of 9.90%. Walt Disney’s revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.61 earnings per share. Walt Disney has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.642-6.642 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Walt Disney will post 6.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.13, for a total value of $387,596.34. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 62,328 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,677,198.64. The trade was a 5.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Paul Roeder sold 3,596 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.32, for a total transaction of $382,326.72. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 14,452 shares of company stock valued at $1,532,157. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. J. Stern & Co. LLP raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 9,060.1% in the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 38,135,363 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $4,338,660,000 after acquiring an additional 37,719,041 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,386,720,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 37.8% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 12,569,185 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,429,996,000 after acquiring an additional 3,450,198 shares during the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management LLC Investment Advisor acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 2nd quarter worth about $225,392,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Walt Disney by 16.2% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 15,106,105 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,718,622,000 after purchasing an additional 2,111,189 shares in the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walt Disney News Summary

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

Positive Sentiment: Needham reaffirmed its “buy” rating and set a $125 price target, implying meaningful upside from recent trading levels. The recommendation provides a near-term catalyst and reinforces the view that Disney’s valuation does not fully reflect its earnings and cash-flow potential.
Positive Sentiment: Disney+ will stream the 2027 Super Bowl, giving the service an unusually large opportunity to collect viewer data, attract subscribers and improve digital advertising capabilities. The event also supports Disney’s broader strategy of combining broadcast reach with streaming distribution. Disney Confirms That Disney+ Will Stream The 2027 Super Bowl
Positive Sentiment: Disney World is raising prices for character dining and buffets, a move that could lift per-visitor spending and resort profitability if attendance remains resilient. The announcement of the 2026 holiday season and new resort reservations also points to continued efforts to drive bookings and guest spending. Disney World Increases Character Dining and Buffet Prices
Neutral Sentiment: Disney is discussing its Infinity Vision premium large-screen format with Paramount, Universal, Lionsgate and Sony. The initiative could give Disney greater control over theatrical presentation and film economics, although Wedbush said it poses no immediate threat to IMAX. Disney Pitches Rival Studios on Infinity Vision
Negative Sentiment: Temporary closure of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and other attraction updates could inconvenience visitors and create short-term park disruption, though the longer-term impact appears limited. Higher prices could also risk customer pushback if attendance or guest satisfaction weakens.

Walt Disney Company Profile

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The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is a global entertainment company that develops, produces and distributes branded content across film, television, streaming and other media platforms. Its portfolio includes Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and 20th Century Studios, as well as ABC, Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN. The company also licenses its characters and intellectual property for consumer products, games and other experiences.

Disney operates theme parks, resorts and cruise lines through its Experiences business.