Walt Disney Stock Forecast: Strong Buy Call Trending By Analysts

Walt Disney (DIS) stock has fallen 4.9% over the past week, 8.6% over the past month, and 7.0% over the past year, even as Wall Street’s analysts are strongly bullish, forecasting a move from the last closing price of $104.22 to an average 12‑month target of $135.78. That consensus implies meaningful upside despite the recent slide, with experts pointing to healthy trends in streaming and the Experiences (parks and cruises) business as key drivers for a rebound. Overall, the Street’s message is that short‑term volatility may be masking a longer‑term growth story.

Analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich of BofA, who ranks 929 out of 11,984 analysts with a 54% success rate and an 11.8% average return per rating, reiterated her Buy rating on DIS on February 3, 2026, with a price objective of $140, implying solid upside from current levels. She highlighted a “solid start to the fiscal year,” with first‑quarter revenue up 5.2% to $26 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.63 beating her $1.49 estimate. While operating income slipped 9.1% year‑on‑year, Experiences operating income came in ahead of expectations, driven by higher cruise volumes and guest spending, offsetting more mixed results in Entertainment and rising costs in Sports. She also noted Disney’s reiterated outlook for double‑digit adjusted EPS growth by fiscal 2026 and suggested that the expected appointment of Josh D’Amaro as CEO could remove a succession overhang, particularly given the importance of the Experiences segment.

Ehrlich’s thesis leans heavily on three pillars: improving profitability in direct‑to‑consumer streaming, a reacceleration in Parks, and multi‑year sports opportunities that should cement ESPN’s role as a premium sports brand. Within Entertainment, she pointed to stronger‑than‑expected revenue from subscription and affiliate fees, content sales, and theatrical releases, partially offset by the Star India transaction and temporary carriage issues. In Experiences, 7% revenue growth in both domestic and international operations fueled a 6% rise in operating income, with cruises and higher guest spending doing much of the work. In Sports, revenue edged up 1.2% and operating income modestly beat her forecast despite higher sports rights costs and subscriber declines, helped by better advertising rates. Overall, Ehrlich’s Buy and $140 target reflect confidence that these drivers can push earnings higher and support a higher valuation over time.

J.P. Morgan analyst David Karnovsky, who ranks 621 out of 11,984 with a strong 67.56% success rate and a 14.6% average return, also reiterated a Buy (Overweight) on DIS on February 3, 2026, setting a December 2026 price target of $138. He views the market’s negative reaction to the F1Q report—Disney shares fell 7% on the day despite the S&P 500 gaining 0.5%—as overdone. Karnovsky emphasizes that Disney maintained its fiscal 2026 outlook, including double‑digit operating income growth for Entertainment, low‑single‑digit growth for Sports, high‑single‑digit growth for Experiences, and a 10% margin for streaming (SVOD). He acknowledges that softer F2Q guidance for Entertainment and Sports makes the year more heavily weighted to the second half and that theatrical results can be harder for investors to trust, but he argues that domestic park attendance growth and 12% SVOD revenue growth show the core engines are performing.

Karnovsky’s investment case balances caution on the broader media landscape with conviction that Disney stands out in the group. He points to unique content, improving streaming economics, and strong parks operations as reasons Disney can navigate PayTV subscriber losses and ad headwinds, helped by cost cuts in Linear Networks and new distribution deals for ESPN. He sees attractive value in the stock at less than 16 times forward EPS, a historically wide discount to the market. Adding to the bullish chorus, Morgan Stanley’s Thomas Yeh initiated coverage on February 3, 2026, with a Buy (Overweight) and a $135 price target, estimating about 30% upside as the P/E multiple expands from roughly 15x to 17x by the end of 2026. Yeh, who ranks 11,116 out of 11,984 with a 39.53% success rate and an average return of -8.4%, still argues that Disney’s iconic brands, double‑digit adjusted EPS growth potential in FY26 and beyond, and accelerating streaming and cruise profitability support a healthier long‑term story than recent disclosures and near‑term guidance might suggest. Never miss a stock rating. Find all the latest ratings on TipRanks’ Top Wall Street Analysts page.