Walt Disney Company (DIS)

Over the past 52 weeks, DIS stock has increased by 17.25%, with a share price of $111.68 as of October 24, 2025, an increase of 16.09% from October 28, 2024. Recent earnings reports have influenced the stock, with shares closing down by 2.7% on August 6, 2025, after Q3 results despite adjusted EPS exceeding expectations, as revenue slightly missed forecasts. The company is expected to announce its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings for 2025 on November 13, 2025. Disney announced a 50% dividend increase in January 2024, payable in July 2024, and plans to increase dividends by 33% to $0.50 per share in 2025, paid in two installments, while resuming its share repurchase program in fiscal year 2024, targeting $3 billion in buybacks. News regarding potential blackouts of ESPN and ABC on YouTube TV due to contract disputes also emerged in October 2025. Disney partnered with Formula 1 in May 2025 to enhance its global sports entertainment portfolio.

Demand for Disney's products and services exhibits seasonality. Theme parks experience peak seasons during school vacations, holidays, weekends, and summer, with specific busy periods including Spring Break, Thanksgiving week, and the Christmas/New Year's period, while low seasons occur in January, May, mid-August through September, and the first week of November. Movie releases are strategically placed to capitalize on seasonal audience behaviors, with blockbuster sequels and family-oriented adventures scheduled for early summer and late-fall/holiday shopping periods, and Pixar films positioned for spring releases. Advertising revenues for streaming services are typically higher during the fall and lower during the summer months, with seasonal consumer churn also observed. Demand for Disney consumer products increases around major holidays such as Christmas and Halloween.

The Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment conglomerate with a diverse portfolio spanning media, parks, and consumer products, operating within the Consumer Discretionary and Communication Services sectors. Disney's business is segmented into Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences. The Entertainment segment includes film and television content production and distribution under brands like ABC, Disney, Freeform, FX, Fox, National Geographic, Star, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures, along with streaming services like Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. The Sports segment primarily houses ESPN. The Experiences segment includes global theme parks and resorts, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, and related consumer products. Disney also licenses characters and intellectual property for merchandise, publishing, music, and interactive media.

The Walt Disney Company has a significant global presence in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. The Americas account for the largest portion of its revenue at approximately 78.99% in fiscal year 2024, while Europe contributed about 11.25%, and Asia Pacific around 9.76%. The company's global supply chain for Disney-branded products extends to approximately 40,000 facilities in about 100 countries.

The Walt Disney Company's brand reputation has faced challenges in the past year, with its reputation falling to "fair" in the Axios Harris Poll for 2025, ranking 76th out of 100 companies, a drop from 67th in 2024, largely due to consumer perceptions regarding pricing. Other events impacting its reputation include ongoing criticisms from conservative consumers regarding "woke" messaging and its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in films and TV shows. In early 2025, Disney reportedly scaled back some of its DEI initiatives, including removing "Diversity & Inclusion" as a performance factor for executive compensation and rebranding its "Reimagine Tomorrow" program. The indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September 2025 by ABC, following criticism from conservatives over the host's commentary, also drew attention. Furthermore, an overhaul of the Disability Access Service (DAS) at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in 2024 due to misuse also generated controversy among fans.

Institutional investors hold a significant portion of The Walt Disney Company's shares, with approximately 65.7% to 73% ownership. The largest institutional shareholders include Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock, Inc., and State Street Corp. Vanguard Group holds over 155 million shares, representing a 7.78% stake as of February 2025. Major individual insider shareholders include Christine M. McCarthy, Robert A. Iger, and Kevin A. Lansberry.