The Walt Disney Company operates as an entertainment company worldwide. It operates through three segments: Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences. The company produces and distributes film and television video streaming content under the ABC Television Network, Disney, Freeform, FX, Fox, National Geographic, and Star brand television channels, as well as ABC television stations and A+E television networks; and produces original content under the ABC Signature, Disney Branded Television, FX Productions, Lucasfilm, Marvel, National Geographic Studios, Pixar, Searchlight Pictures, Twentieth Century Studios, 20th Television, and Walt Disney Pictures banners. It also offers direct-to-consumer streaming services through Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar, Hulu, and Star+; sports-related entertainment services through ESPN, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+ DTC, and Star; sale/licensing of film and episodic content to third-party television and VOD services; theatrical, home entertainment, and music distribution services; DVD and Blu-ray discs, electronic home video licenses, and VOD rental services; staging and licensing of live entertainment events; and post-production services. In addition, the company operates theme parks and resorts comprising Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, National Geographic Expeditions, and Adventures by Disney, as well as Aulani, a Disney resort and spa in Hawaii. It also licenses its intellectual property to a third party for operations of the Tokyo Disney Resort; licenses trade names, characters, visual, literary, and other IP for use on merchandise, published materials, and games; operates a direct-to-home satellite distribution platform; sells branded merchandise through retail, online, and wholesale businesses; and develops and publishes books, comic books, and magazines. The company was founded in 1923 and is based in Burbank, California.

Disney’s underlying business remains strong in terms of scale, but the valuation no longer looks cheap against the backdrop of slowing earnings quality. Revenue is holding at around $25.2 billion and has been broadly stable over the years, which supports the investment case, but this is not accompanied by a comparable improvement in profitability. A P/E of 21.67 is above the industry median, a P/S of 1.94 is almost twice the median, and a P/FCF of 24.28 is especially well above the industry level, which limits the potential for further re-rating. At the same time, P/B is around the median, so the balance sheet and market capitalization do not look extremely expensive on an asset basis. Debt load is moderate: debt/equity of 0.33 is below the industry median, which is a positive and reduces financial risk. However, liquidity is weak: a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.71 are below comfortable levels, so the margin of safety in working capital is limited. Profitability is generally average or below the industry: ROE of 7.47, ROA of 4.25, and ROI of 5.66 are below the median, while the net profit margin of 8.70 is noticeably below prior levels. Most importantly, over the years ROE, ROA, ROI, and net margin have declined from higher levels, meaning earnings quality has deteriorated. The operating margin is around the median and looks more stable, but the gross margin of 37.60 is below the industry benchmark, indicating pressure on gross efficiency. On the positive side, gross profit, EBITDA, and net income have grown in absolute terms, and the overall level of assets and equity remains stable. The dividend yield of 0.42% remains low and is not a strong argument for holding the stock, although the dividend policy itself appears stable. Overall, the fundamentals support the company as a high-quality large-cap asset, but the current market valuation already reflects a significant part of these strengths, while weaker profitability and expensive multiples limit upside. For an investor, this is more a story of stability and brand strength than of clear undervaluation.

Walt Disney Company (The)

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Рынок не поддерживает быков.

Strong index, significantly down. The market does not support the bulls.

Сильный индекс, без изменений. Отток средств из лонгов на высоком уровне.

Strong index, flat. Outflow of funds from longs at a high level.

Disney looks solid in terms of scale and balance sheet, but high valuation multiples and weakening profitability limit the potential for re-rating.

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the iShares Russell Top 200 Value ETF (Symbol: IWX) where we have detected an approximate $384.1 million dollar outflow -- that's a 10.2% decrease week over week (from 33,300,000 to 29,900,000). Among the largest underlying components of IWX, in trading today Walt Disney Co. (Symbol: DIS) is up about 0.9%, Verizon Communications Inc (Symbol: VZ) is up about 0.9%, and McDonald's Corp (Symbol: MCD) is higher by about 0.3%. For a complete list of holdings, visit the IWX Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of IWX, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, IWX's low point in its 52 week range is $87.26 per share, with $113.95 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $113.51. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
Further IWX Research:

IWX, DIS, VZ, MCD: ETF Outflow Alert

Key Points
Streaming stocks have struggled this year, amid a rush to consolidate.
The combination of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery could shake up the industry.
Big tech streaming platforms also pose a threat to the streaming and entertainment companies.
The streaming sector remains as volatile as ever, and the push to consolidation has continued this year.
The merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount closed earlier this month, forming Skydance (NYSE: SKYD). This new Hollywood powerhouse will have to overcome roughly $80 billion in debt to deliver results for investors.
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Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) agreed to be acquired by Fox Corporation in a move by Fox to expand its distribution and reach, as Alphabet's YouTube gains market share over traditional streamers.
Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) remains the industry leader, but a lot could change in the next few years. Let's take a look at where Netflix and its streaming peers could be by 2030.
1. Netflix
Netflix invented streaming and continues to lead the industry, though doubts about its future have grown this year.
The stock has tumbled as it's reported weak engagement and as it's lost market share to YouTube. Netflix no longer reports subscriber numbers, so we have less insight into the business than we once did.
The question for Netflix is whether it can maintain its current level of growth in the low-teens revenue range. If it can do that, the stock could be 50% higher or better by 2030. However, if the growth in the business continues to slow, Netflix stock is likely to underperform. While a decline in revenue seems unlikely, Netflix's original content has been underwhelming, and it will have to turn that around for its growth rate to stabilize.
2. Disney
Disney (NYSE: DIS) has been slow to find success with its streaming business after launching Disney+, but its streaming platform, which also includes Hulu and ESPN, is finally profitable and is delivering strong bottom-line growth.
Under new CEO Josh D'Amaro, the company is in the process of restructuring under his "One Disney" plan, which will enable viewers to easily use all three of its services in one app. Additionally, the company is embracing that strategy to do more to bundle its parks and experiences with streaming, using streaming to market the parks, and to better target its experiences to individual viewers' tastes.
The plan makes sense, but Disney has been slow to execute these strategies in the past, so investors may want to wait and see how the rollout goes. Disney stock has gone nowhere in the last decade, but it could finally make gains as streaming profits grow. After so much underperformance in recent years and with the entertainment business largely mature, I'm skeptical that the company can outperform the market between now and 2030.
3. Skydance
The newest kid on the block in streaming has the most to prove. Skydance combined two struggling legacy streaming platforms, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, into one, and absorbed roughly $80 billion in debt to do it.
It also settled a lawsuit with several state attorneys general. It made a number of compromises, including releasing at least 30 theatrical films per year over the next five years. That commitment, among others, could hamper its ability to turn profitable.
Given its debt and the restrictions from the settlement, Skydance faces an uphill battle through 2030. The stock will struggle to outperform the market.
4. Comcast
Finally, Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) is the last major streaming stock on the list, following the wave of consolidation. However, the Peacock parent has less exposure to streaming than other companies on this list, as its primary business is broadband internet.
With its cable business declining and broadband mature, the company has struggled to grow. While Peacock offers a good mix of entertainment and has reached 48 million users in the U.S., it doesn't operate internationally and is unlikely to have a significant impact on Comcast's bottom line.
For dividend and value investors, Comcast may be attractive, but the business and the stock have been in decline for years, and that trend will be difficult to reverse.
What it means for investors
Legacy operators still face headwinds from the decline of the cable and box office businesses, giving Netflix an advantage over its peers.
Still, all of these companies are competing against big tech companies like Amazon, Alphabet, and Apple that see streaming as a way to pad their user ecosystems and make them stickier, and they have the means to operate at a loss if needed.
Therefore, all four of these stocks face challenges in addition to streaming reaching maturity in established markets like North America. Netflix still looks like the best bet, given its established global presence and scale, but its days of delivering market-crushing growth for investors may be over.
Should you buy stock in Netflix right now?
Before you buy stock in Netflix, consider this:
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Jeremy Bowman has positions in Netflix and Roku. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Netflix, Roku, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Here's Where Netflix and 3 Other Streaming and Media Stocks Could Be by 2030

In a study of analyst recommendations at the major brokerages, for the underlying components of the S&P 500, Walt Disney Co. (Symbol: DIS) has taken over the #41 spot from Lam Research Corp (Symbol: LRCX), according to ETF Channel. Below is a chart of Walt Disney Co. versus Lam Research Corp plotting their respective rank within the S&P 500 over time (DIS plotted in blue; LRCX plotted in green):
Below is a three month price history chart comparing the stock performance of DIS vs. LRCX:
DIS is currently trading off about 0.1%, while LRCX is down about 0.9% midday Monday.
Further DIS Research:

Walt Disney Achieves #41 Analyst Rank, Surpassing Lam Research

Key Points
Once AI can churn out endless songs and videos, the companies that help people choose what to watch and listen to will gain the most.
Two companies stand out as the clearest winners of the surge of AI-generated content.
In creative tools, the software people already use may matter more than whoever builds the best AI model.
Famous characters and classic song catalogs land on the diluted side, because AI is wearing down the walls that made them so valuable.
How We Got Here
On Dec. 11, 2025, Disney (NYSE:DIS) agreed to license more than 200 characters to Sora, OpenAI's AI video app, for three years and to invest $1 billion in OpenAI. On the evening of March 23, 2026, roughly 30 minutes after the two teams finished a working meeting, OpenAI told Disney it was shutting Sora down entirely.
It announced the shutdown publicly the next day. Disney walked away, and no money ever changed hands. We keep coming back to that half-hour because it shows how quickly a big artificial intelligence (AI) partnership can vanish.
Missed AI’s "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we’re only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
AI is already cutting production costs. Big-budget productions often spend 20% to 40% of their budgets on visual effects and post-production, and that's the first cost AI cuts. If you've built a career in visual effects, that line item is your paycheck. Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) has already used generative AI to make 17 minutes of its docuseries The American Experiment "twice as fast and at half the cost."
In music, the flood has already arrived. At the June peak, more than half of the daily uploads to music-streaming service Deezer, roughly 90,000 tracks a day, were AI-generated. If you're a musician, every new song you release has to compete with that. Listeners, at least, mostly aren't choosing the AI tracks. Fully AI-generated music accounts for just 1% to 3% of streams on Deezer, and Deezer says most of that listening is fraud.
The Assets AI Can't Reproduce
So, who comes out ahead of the AI revolution in the entertainment sector? We'd ask one question of any media company: What does it own or do that becomes more valuable when AI makes content cheap to generate?
A company in the appreciating category owns something that AI abundance makes scarcer relative to demand. That could be a curation layer, which helps people with limited time choose from an endless supply. It could be an ad graph, the user data behind ad targeting, which improves with every bit it collects. Or it could be a workflow already installed on a million desks.
A company in the diluting category is counting on the flood staying contained. It wins only if its brand or pricing power holds up against rivals operating at a fraction of the cost.
Scorecard: Which Assets Appreciate, Which Get Diluted
These are some of the public companies with the most riding on that question.
Appreciating
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) collects its own viewing data on more than 325 million paid memberships. It has disrupted itself three times. In March 2026, it paid $587 million for InterPositive, Ben Affleck's AI filmmaking start-up. A 33% operating margin in the second quarter of 2026 gives Netflix the cash to keep buying its way to the front of every new wave.
Spotify (NYSE:SPOT) has 777 million monthly active users and close to two decades of data on individual tracks. Every track in the daily AI flood makes Spotify's knack for steering listeners toward songs they'll finish a little more valuable. If you've ever skipped song after song hunting for one you actually like, you already know why.
Appreciating With Caveats
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) owns YouTube, which is forecast by research firm eMarketer to pull in roughly $9 billion of U.S. connected-TV (streaming TV) ad revenue in 2026. It also owns Veo and Gemini's image model, two of the leading AI video and image generators.
That means Alphabet collects on both sides: from the platform where AI content lands and from the tools people use to make it. In September, a federal judge declined to break up Google's adtech business, ordering behavioral fixes and a six-year monitor instead. Google has said it will appeal the underlying ruling.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) runs the largest AI-optimized social ad graph in the world. In September 2025, it launched Vibes, a feed of AI-generated short videos, on the belief that synthetic video will go mainstream. That's far from certain. If advertisers ever start paying less for AI-made inventory than for human-made content, Meta would feel it most because it distributes more of that content than anyone else.
Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) owns Creative Cloud, its suite of design apps that includes Photoshop, and the huge base of customers already working in it. That base matters more now that the top AI image and video generators are roughly interchangeable.
Adobe's annual recurring revenue from AI-first products passed $650 million last quarter, up more than 150% year over year. A new CEO, Anil Chakravarthy, takes over on Dec. 1. The thesis depends on Adobe pressing that distribution advantage faster than the models commoditize.
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) owns Mickey Mouse, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, and no AI company can legally copy most of them. Keeping it that way now takes lawyers. Disney sued image generator Midjourney in June 2025, and shortly before signing its OpenAI deal, it sent Google a cease-and-desist letter accusing the tech giant of widespread copyright infringement. That's what counting on the flood staying contained looks like.
Meanwhile, AI is shrinking the edge Disney's budgets used to buy. Few rivals could afford the visual effects that make a Marvel movie look like a Marvel movie, and that's the cost AI cuts first. Disney's first big AI licensing deal died with Sora, which was reportedly burning around $1 million a day, and AI companies losing money that fast make shaky customers. Disney can still win, but only the way the diluting side wins, with a brand strong enough to hold up against rivals operating at a sliver of its cost.
The best reason to own Disney today is its parks, cruise ships, and merchandise business, which together earned more than half of its operating profit last quarter. That's a separate bet from the one this article is about.
Universal Music Group (OTC:UMGNF), Warner Music Group (NASDAQ:WMG), and Sony Music, part of Sony Group (NYSE:SONY), own the catalogs behind most of the songs people stream. In 2024, all three sued AI song generators Suno and Udio, arguing that machine-made tracks would "substantially dilute the royalty pools" paid to artists.
By late 2025, Universal had settled with Udio, and Warner had settled with both. Each settlement came with a licensing deal. So, Suno, one of the companies the labels accused of diluting their business, now trains on licensed label music.
The licensing money is still too small to move the results. Take out Downtown, an artist-services company Universal bought in February 2026, and Universal's second-quarter revenue growth drops from 13% to about 6% in constant currency. The royalty hit from AI is small, too, for now. One big reason is that curators keep AI songs out of listeners' way.
Deezer strips them from its recommendations and playlists, and in a survey Deezer commissioned, 97% of people couldn't tell AI music from human-made music in a blind test. That leaves the labels' protection in the hands of the streaming services. In music, the power is shifting to whoever decides what plays next, and for hundreds of millions of listeners, that's Spotify.
The Bottom Line
Both Netflix and Spotify, the clearest appreciating companies on our list, own curation assets that gain value with every new wave of AI content. Netflix has shown it can reinvent itself three times over. Spotify built the taste engine that other companies' AI floods now need. Disney and the major labels land on the diluted side. Their characters and catalogs still matter, but AI keeps lowering the walls around them, and the licensing money meant to make up the difference is too small or too shaky to count on.
With the cost of generating content heading toward zero, the companies worth owning are the ones sitting on something AI can't reproduce.
Should you buy stock in Walt Disney right now?
Before you buy stock in Walt Disney, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Walt Disney wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $379,123!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,396,103!*
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This article was created using Large Language Models (LLMs) based on The Motley Fool's insights and investing approach. It has been reviewed by our AI quality control systems. Since LLMs cannot (currently) own stocks, it has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Adobe, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Netflix, Spotify Technology, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2028 $330 calls on Adobe and short January 2028 $340 calls on Adobe. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Founded in 1993 in Alexandria, VA., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community. Reaching millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, radio show, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services, The Motley Fool champions shareholder values and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company's name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king -- without getting their heads lopped off.

As AI Turns Media on Its Head, the Curators Win

Netflix’s NFLX rising content commitments are pressuring cash flow as the streaming giant continues to invest heavily to maintain a broad and competitive entertainment slate. As of June 30, 2026, the company had $25.1 billion in content obligations, up from $24 billion at the end of 2025, with $11.9 billion due within the next 12 months. Of the total, $19.6 billion had not yet been recognized on the balance sheet. Netflix also estimates that obligations for unknown future titles could add another $1 billion-$4 billion over the next three years.
The cash burden is also evident in Netflix’s content investment. The company added $9.8 billion to content assets in the first half of 2026, up from $7.4 billion a year earlier, while content amortization increased to $8.5 billion from $7.7 billion. Importantly, Netflix said second-quarter operating cash flow declined primarily because payments for content assets increased by $1.06 billion. As a result, free cash flow fell to $1.5 billion from $2.3 billion a year earlier. However, the company also cited higher cash tax payments, partly related to the Warner Bros. termination fee.
The spending requirement is unlikely to ease as Netflix continues building its future entertainment pipeline. Its 2026 slate includes returning franchises such as Bridgerton, ONE PIECE, Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Gentlemen. September announcements also added Lust Stories 3, Shaque: Trust No One and The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 5 to its content lineup.
Thus, Netflix’s expanding entertainment pipeline can support engagement and revenue growth, but rising content commitments and higher upfront cash spending could keep cash flow under pressure, making disciplined capital allocation increasingly important.
Disney & Paramount Challenge Netflix on Content Spending
The Walt Disney Company DIS is challenging Netflix through sustained investment in creative IP and streaming content, with Disney+ using films and series as the core of its global ecosystem. The company also plans to bring select premium sports events to Disney+, while ESPN remains its primary daily sports destination. This content-and-sports pipeline gives Disney multiple ways to deepen engagement and fan value, positioning it as a broad entertainment competitor to Netflix.
Paramount Skydance PSKY, with a broader entertainment slate, is stepping up competition with Netflix through an expanding pipeline, with Paramount having greenlit 40 new or returning DTC series and targeting 15+ films in 2027. Paramount is also expanding sports rights through UFC, Zuffa Boxing and UEFA, alongside NFL, WNBA and PGA TOUR programming. These investments are designed to strengthen engagement, retention and streaming scale.
NFLX’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Netflix’s shares have declined 25% year to date, underperforming the Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry and Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector, which have fallen 18.3% and 14.4%, respectively.
NFLX’s YTD Price Performance
Netflix’s valuation remains elevated, with the stock trading at a forward 12-month price/book TTM ratio of 9.71X versus the industry’s 5.17X. NFLX carries a Value Score of D.
NFLX’s Valuation
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NFLX’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $3.59 per share and remains unchanged over the past 30 days. This indicates a 41.9% increase from the previous year.
NFLX currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Netflix's Content Commitments Rise: Is Cash Flow Under Pressure?

(RTTNews) - The Walt Disney Company (DIS) is eliminating hundreds of jobs in its human resources and technology functions, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The latest job cuts come after Disney reduced about 1,000 positions in April across areas including marketing, studio and television operations, ESPN, products and technology, and some corporate teams.
Disney had about 231,000 employees at the end of fiscal 2025, with roughly 172,000 based in the U.S. and 59,000 outside the country.
Last year, the company removed several hundred positions in film and television marketing, TV publicity, casting and development, according to Reuters.
On the NYSE, Walt Disney shares closed down 0.17% at $105.41 on Tuesday.

Disney Reportedly To Cut Hundreds Of Jobs In HR And Technology

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (Symbol: XLC) where we have detected an approximate $261.3 million dollar inflow -- that's a 1.2% increase week over week in outstanding units (from 201,150,000 to 203,500,000). Among the largest underlying components of XLC, in trading today AT&T Inc (Symbol: T) is down about 0.1%, Warner Bros Discovery Inc (Symbol: WBD) is off about 0.1%, and Walt Disney Co. (Symbol: DIS) is relatively unchanged. For a complete list of holdings, visit the XLC Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of XLC, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, XLC's low point in its 52 week range is $105.03 per share, with $120.405 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $111.12. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
Further XLC Research:

XLC, T, WBD, DIS: Large Inflows Detected at ETF

Key Points
Meta's personal AI agent is enjoying rapid adoption.
New virtual reality glasses integrate with Muse and add unique features.
Shares of Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) rose 13% this past week, driven by excitement over the tech titan's new Muse personal artificial intelligence (AI) agent and innovative devices designed to expand its capabilities.
Missed AI’s "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we’re only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Muse could be a huge hit
Meta's new AI agent app quickly surged to the top of Apple's rankings for the most-downloaded free iPhone apps in the U.S. Users are intrigued by Muse's ability to perform tasks like managing email, shopping, and making travel reservations.
With its intuitive design, Muse could see rapid uptake by a sizable portion of the social media giant's 3.6 billion daily active users.
New hardware could accelerate Muse's growth
Meta also debuted a slate of new devices that integrate with Muse at its Connect 2026 event on Wednesday.
Meta's new AI glasses will allow people to talk to Muse and have the AI agent take action based on what they're looking at. Partnerships with Shopify, Walmart, and a host of other retailers, travel sites, and digital payment companies add to the devices' usefulness.
Meta VR Glasses go even further to include "a personal cinema, courtside seat, workspace, and gaming console." The lightweight virtual reality glasses are designed to deliver immersive experiences from IMAX, Disney, and other entertainment leaders. They can also serve as a personalized workstation by allowing users to turn any flat surface into a keyboard and touchpad.
These intriguing new product launches are making investors more bullish on Meta's prospects in an increasingly AI agent-driven world.
Should you buy stock in Meta Platforms right now?
Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $383,680!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,382,954!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 937% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 214% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 27, 2026.
Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Meta Platforms, Shopify, Walmart, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Founded in 1993 in Alexandria, VA., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community. Reaching millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, radio show, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services, The Motley Fool champions shareholder values and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company's name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king -- without getting their heads lopped off.

Why Meta Platforms Stock Jumped 13% This Week

Key Points
Walt Disney relies on its iconic content library and massive physical presence in theme parks to drive a diversified revenue model.
Netflix remains the global leader in pure-play streaming with a subscriber base exceeding 300 million members and high net margins.
Which entertainment giant offers the best combination of value and growth for your portfolio in 2026?
The entertainment industry has evolved into a fierce competition for consumer attention and time. Should investors choose the legacy and diversification of Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) or the high-growth efficiency of Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)?
Disney relies on a mix of theme parks, theatrical releases, and its growing direct-to-consumer services to generate long-term value. Netflix focuses exclusively on digital content delivery and global membership expansion. Both companies are dominant forces, yet they present fundamentally different business models and financial profiles for retail investors to consider.
The case for Walt Disney
Disney operates a multifaceted empire spanning theme parks, media networks, and theatrical production. The company remains a titan among streaming service stocks through its Disney+ and Hulu platforms, which leverage deep intellectual property from Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. In its latest annual report, filed for FY 2025, the company highlighted broad distribution agreements with cable and telecom operators, though it faced challenges like a service blackout on YouTube TV. It also holds a significant interest in Fubo and has entered into a sportsbook partnership with DraftKings (NASDAQ:DKNG).
Financial performance showed steady progress in FY 2025, with revenue reaching nearly $94.4 billion. This represented a growth of approximately 3.4% compared to the previous fiscal year, as the company worked to balance traditional television declines with streaming gains. Net income for the period was close to $12.4 billion, producing a net margin of roughly 13.1%. This expansion in profitability indicates that the company is successfully managing costs while scaling its digital services and benefiting from strong demand at its domestic and international theme parks.
As of its September 2025 balance sheet, Disney maintained a debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 0.4x, which measures total debt relative to shareholder equity. Its current ratio, which gauges the ability to cover short-term debts with liquid assets, was nearly 0.7x. Free cash flow reached roughly $10.1 billion for the year, representing the cash left over after the company paid for capital expenditures. These funds allow the company to continue investing in new park attractions and high-budget content production to keep its audience engaged across all platforms.
The case for Netflix
Netflix is a pure-play streaming pioneer that earns revenue almost entirely through global membership subscriptions. In its latest annual report, filed for FY 2025, the company reported having over 300 million paid memberships across more than 190 countries. Its strategy focuses on a massive volume of original content, including TV series, films, and live events, while expanding into mobile games. To drive further growth, Netflix has partnered with internet-connected device manufacturers and telecommunications operators to bundle its service into consumer data plans and cable packages.
During FY 2025, the company saw significant financial expansion as revenue reached nearly $45.2 billion. This was an increase of approximately 15.9% over the previous year, driven by both subscriber additions and the successful implementation of an ad-supported tier. Net income was close to $11.0 billion, resulting in a net margin of roughly 24.3%. This high net margin highlights the scalability of the Netflix model, where the cost of producing content can be spread across an increasingly large global audience, leading to superior capital efficiency.
As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the company had a debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 0.5x. The current ratio was nearly 1.2x, indicating a solid buffer for meeting short-term financial obligations. Free cash flow for the year was roughly $9.5 billion, providing the company with the capital needed to fund its content budget and pursue strategic opportunities. By focusing entirely on digital delivery without the overhead of physical theme parks, Netflix maintains a lean operation that prioritizes technology and content spend.
Risk profile comparison
Disney faces risks related to regulatory and legal scrutiny, including an active antitrust class action settlement regarding streaming pricing and ongoing reviews of its broadcast licenses. The company also deals with significant programming cost inflation, particularly regarding long-term sports programming rights for its ESPN brand. Furthermore, the exit from joint ventures and the potential acquisition of new assets carry execution risks that could lead to asset impairments if projected synergies are not realized. Competition for advertising revenue remains intense, especially from tech giants and other media conglomerates.
Netflix is navigating the risks associated with its proposed $42.2 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) assets, which could cause financial disruption if regulatory approval is withheld or integration proves difficult. The company also has a heavy reliance on third-party cloud computing services, primarily Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) Web Services, and any dispute or service failure there could materially harm its operations. Additionally, Netflix must compete for leisure time against social media platforms and hardware-integrated services from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), while also managing the rising costs of fixed-price content commitments.
Valuation comparison
Netflix carries a higher premium for its superior growth and net margin, while Disney appears more affordable based on its lower multiple of sales and future earnings estimates.
Metric
Walt Disney
Netflix
Forward P/E
15.3x
19.8x
P/S ratio
1.9x
6.1x
Valuation metrics sourced from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and may differ from other data providers.
Which stock would I buy in 2026?
I'd go with Disney. Having parks, streaming, and film all pulling in the same direction simultaneously is not something Disney has always been able to claim, but it can right now. Its most recent quarter delivered record theme park revenue for the third consecutive time, streaming posted double-digit operating margins for the first time, and Toy Story 5 crossed $1 billion at the global box office.
Netflix has built something remarkable, with a global streaming platform boasting over 300 million subscribers and operating margins above 30%. The cheaper, ad-supported version of Netflix keeps gaining subscribers, and the company returned a record amount of cash to shareholders through buybacks last quarter.
But Netflix's most recent quarter missed revenue estimates, Q3 guidance came in below expectations, and the stock has fallen significantly from its highs. When a business this well-run starts giving cautious guidance, it could mean the easy growth is behind it. Netflix may find its footing again, but right now, Disney is the one delivering the kind of results that make a stock easy to hold for the long haul.
Should you buy stock in Walt Disney right now?
Before you buy stock in Walt Disney, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Walt Disney wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $386,781!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,379,943!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 936% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 213% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 25, 2026.
Sara Appino has positions in Amazon and Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Walt Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Walt Disney vs. Netflix: Which Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

Key Points
Although Comcast consistently generated higher overall revenue totals across the entire measured timeframe, Walt Disney shows a noticeably stronger growth trajectory that highlights an underlying structural shift in financial momentum between the two distinct global companies.
Comcast experienced modest quarter-over-quarter revenue fluctuations that included a slight year-over-year contraction for the quarter ended June 2026, while Walt Disney maintained a steady and reliable pace of continuous upward revenue momentum.
Retail investors analyzing these contrasting financial trajectories should watch whether the two companies see their historical revenue gap continue to narrow in upcoming quarters, or if the larger baseline difference simply stabilizes around its current level.
Comcast: Modest Revenue Contraction During Recent Quarters
Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) primarily generates its core operating revenue by providing cable internet, media broadcasting, streaming services, and theme park experiences.
It recently announced a planned tax-free spin-off on June 29 to formally separate its NBCUniversal media business from Comcast, forming two independent publicly traded companies, while simultaneously launching a specialized new home cybersecurity service that technically integrates artificial intelligence with its existing regional gateway hardware infrastructure.
Walt Disney: Consistent Upward Revenue Growth Momentum
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) earns its primary operating revenue through a vast portfolio of film studios, television networks, streaming services, and theme parks.
It implemented multiple structural phases of targeted workforce reductions alongside numerous executive leadership appointments across its various entertainment and technology divisions throughout its fiscal third quarter, ended June 27, while concurrently agreeing to a finalized $100 million settlement to legally resolve a lingering class action antitrust lawsuit regarding alleged agreements among its animation studios.
Why Revenue Matters for Investors
Revenue essentially represents the total top-line money entering a business before any expenses are subtracted. This metric reveals whether an organization is successfully attracting customers and growing its overall business volume over time.
Quarterly Revenue Trends for Comcast and Walt Disney
Calendar quarter
Comcast Revenue
Walt Disney Revenue
Q3 2024
$32.1 billion (quarter ended Sept. 30, 2024)
$22.6 billion (quarter ended Sept. 28, 2024)
Q4 2024
$31.9 billion (quarter ended Dec. 31, 2024)
$24.7 billion (quarter ended Dec. 28, 2024)
Q1 2025
$29.9 billion (quarter ended March 31, 2025)
$23.6 billion (quarter ended March 29, 2025)
Q2 2025
$30.3 billion (quarter ended June 30, 2025)
$23.6 billion (quarter ended June 28, 2025)
Q3 2025
$31.2 billion (quarter ended Sept. 30, 2025)
$22.5 billion (quarter ended Sept. 27, 2025)
Q4 2025
$32.3 billion (quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025)
$26.0 billion (quarter ended Dec. 27, 2025)
Q1 2026
$31.5 billion (quarter ended March 31, 2026)
$25.2 billion (quarter ended March 28, 2026)
Q2 2026
$29.9 billion (quarter ended June 30, 2026)
$25.2 billion (quarter ended June 27, 2026)
Data source: Financial Modeling Prep. Data as of Sept. 25, 2026.
Foolish Take
Comcast and Walt Disney have experienced massive transformation in the entertainment industry. First, the arrival of streaming upended old cable TV models. Now, the artificial intelligence boom presents new challenges and opportunities. That's why Disney announced the hiring of Karandeep Anand, the company's first Chief Technology Officer, on Sept. 18.
Comcast's response to the rapidly evolving media landscape was to announce a split between its entertainment and broadband technology businesses into two separate publicly-traded companies. In looking at the company's revenue trend, it's worth noting the 1.2% year-over-year decline in the second quarter to $29.9 billion is the result of its decision to divest some of its business units. On a pro forma basis, Q2 revenue actually increased 4.7% over 2025.
Even so, Disney enjoyed stronger sales growth in its fiscal third quarter ended June 27. The company reported a 7% year-over-year increase to $25.2 billion, thanks to strong 10% growth in revenue from its Experiences division, which encompasses theme parks and cruise ships.
Should you buy stock in Comcast right now?
Before you buy stock in Comcast, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Comcast wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $386,781!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,379,943!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 936% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 213% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of September 25, 2026.
Robert Izquierdo has positions in Comcast and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.