Latest news with #JamesHeaney
Business Insider
03-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Disney Stock Rides High as Analysts Say ‘Profits Are Back & Bigger than Ever'
Disney stock (DIS) has surged to new 52-week highs, with Jefferies upgrading the stock to Buy and pointing to strong tailwinds in parks, streaming, and cruises. Investor excitement is growing ahead of a packed July calendar, which includes fresh Marvel releases, new cruise rollouts, and the company's earnings report. Web traffic for Disney+ is soaring, and theme park bookings are beating expectations. Don't Miss TipRanks' Half-Year Sale Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. Disney Stock Breaks Out as Technical Signals Flash Green The technical setup looks strong. Disney stock is consolidating near $124, and analysts are watching for a breakout. The IBD Composite Rating has climbed to 94 out of 99, and the stock's relative strength line has hit fresh highs. It's trading well above key moving averages, signalling momentum that could carry into earnings. Jefferies Analyst Sees $144 Price Target and Strong Growth Ahead James Heaney, CFA at Jefferies, upgraded Disney to Buy with a new price target of $144. His bullish case is based on accelerating revenue in the Parks and Experiences division, cruise expansion with two new ships, and improving Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) margins. Heaney expects the cruise business alone could add over $1 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, Disney's content slate including Zootopia 2 and Avatar 3, alongside ESPN's DTC launch, creates further upside. Heaney is a 5-star TipRanks analyst with a 20.2% average return and a 51% success rate. Bank of America Adds Fuel With $140 Target Jessica Reif Ehrlich at Bank of America Securities also maintained a Buy rating with a $140 price target in a report issued June 27. Her optimism is rooted in sequential improvements in the Parks and Experiences division, led by two new cruise ships expected to drive long-term revenue gains. She also flagged strength in the sports advertising sector and ongoing margin improvements in the DTC business. Ehrlich sees Disney's 2025 earnings per share guidance as realistic, with the parks segment expected to provide the foundational strength while DTC investment continues. Despite some box office underperformance, the analyst expects profitability to rise, supported by upcoming releases and a strengthened content pipeline. Investor Exit Draws Headlines but Not Panic Former Marvel chairman Ike Perlmutter reportedly sold his entire Disney stake, calling for a stock decline. But his exit hasn't stopped the rally. Analysts say recent moves suggest institutional support is still strong, and technicals remain bullish. Is Disney Stock a Good Buy? Analysts are firmly in Disney's corner. Out of 19 Wall Street analysts covering the stock over the past three months, 16 rate it a Buy, while three recommend Hold. No analysts suggest selling the stock. The average 12-month DIS price target is $129.24, implying a 4.66% upside from the current price of $123.49.
Business Insider
01-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
‘It's Time to Pull the Trigger,' Says Jefferies About Disney Stock
Since 2016, Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) has faced various challenges that have constrained operating income growth. The steady decline of its traditional linear TV business, streaming losses, and the severe disruption from COVID-19 – which shut down parks, film production, and theatrical releases – have all weighed on profitability. Don't Miss TipRanks' Half-Year Sale Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. However, now Jefferies analyst James Heaney believes the company has 'finally righted the ship and the drivers ahead can change this dynamic.' So, what are these drivers? For one, Heaney had previously been worried about growth in Disney's Experiences segment – which accounts for roughly 60% of the company's operating income – given a 'tough macro environment' and the anticipated competitive pressure from the opening of Universal's Epic Universe. However, more recent data on trends at Walt Disney World support management's upbeat commentary in May, particularly regarding forward bookings, thereby 'reducing slowdown risks' in FY25. And looking ahead to FY26, the Experiences segment appears 'well-positioned,' with two new cruise ships set to launch and Epic Universe potentially shifting from a headwind to an 'Orlando traffic tailwind.' The analyst believes this 'creates a fundamentally stronger set-up,' projecting ~10% operating income growth in FY26 and 8% in FY27, compared to just 3.6% in FY24. Next, Heaney sees potential for a meaningful revenue boost from Disney's cruise business, estimating that the launch of two new ships in the first quarter of 2026 could generate an incremental $1 billion to $1.5 billion in annualized revenue (based on comparisons with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings). As a result, the analyst is now calling for 14% year-over-year growth for the Resorts and Vacations segment, up from the previous forecast of 8%. Third, Heaney thinks that Disney's DTC (direct-to-consumer) segment will be a key driver of operating income growth, estimating a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of over 130%, with margins expanding from just 0.6% in FY24 to more than 13% by FY28. In FQ2, Disney outperformed modest expectations around subscriber losses, helped by the success of Moana 2. The company continues to lean into its 'key differentiations' – including bundling, theatrical releases, and sports content – and early indicators suggest this approach is gaining traction. Visits to Disney+ have grown more than 40% YoY for three consecutive months. 'Stronger user growth and content coupled with advertising (new Amazon partnership) should drive enhanced scale and margins,' Heaney went on to say. Lastly, Disney's content and sports are 'on the right path.' Recent successes like Moana 2, Lilo & Stitch, and Andor have helped build a foundation, but the upcoming slate – including The Bear, Fantastic Four, Zootopia 2, and Avatar 3 – suggests a pipeline of strong releases. On the sports side, the analyst expects the launch of ESPN's direct-to-consumer service this fall will significantly increase ARPU (average revenue per user) in the Sports segment – anticipating a 25% YoY gain – that should 'serve as a catalyst to driving higher overall DIS CTV ad rev.' Taking all of this into account, Heaney is ready to shift gears, upgrading his rating on Disney stock from Hold to Buy. He's also lifting his price target from $100 to $144, pointing to a potential upside of 16% from here. (To watch Heaney's track record, click here) Heaney joins plenty of his colleagues in the bull camp; 15 others see the stock as a Buy while the addition of 3 Holds can't detract from a Strong Buy consensus rating. Going by the $129.24 average price target, shares will gain 4% in the months ahead. (See Disney stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights.
Globe and Mail
30-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Why AI Stock AppLovin Crushed It on Monday
Adtech company AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) was an outlier on the stock market in the best way as the trading week kicked off. On Monday, following a new and rather bullish note from a researcher tracking its fortunes, AppLovin's stock bounced almost 5% higher. That handily beat the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), which had a good if not spectacular day with a 0.5% rise. A bull weighs in again Before market open, Jefferies published a fresh report on AppLovin. In it, a team of pundits led by James Heaney reiterated its buy recommendation on the stock, citing numerous reasons to continue being optimistic about its future. According to reports, Heaney and his peers believe that spending on e-commerce advertising rose sequentially in the second calendar quarter of this year, and should continue to motor ahead in the third. AppLovin is poised to boost its revenue purely thanks to this dynamic. Jefferies added that AppLovin aims to roll out its offerings to a wider customer base next year, another factor that should bring in more business. It is also apparently contemplating a reduction of its gross merchandise value (GMV) minimum for clients, which currently stands at $10 million. Meanwhile, a recent double-digit swoon in AppLovin's share price makes it particularly attractive at the moment. Investors have been concerned with a short-seller report that dinged the company's reputation, product delays, and other developments. However, in the Jefferies team's view, none of these should be long-term drags on the specialty tech stock 's value. Concerning allegations Although personally, I'd agree mostly with this assessment, I still feel that the short-seller report brought up some concerns about AppLovin. I also feel company management hasn't sufficiently addressed these, and that in itself is a bit worrying. I'd be more comfortable with this stock -- which surely has potential for the reasons Jefferies stated -- if management did so. Should you invest $1,000 in AppLovin right now? Before you buy stock in AppLovin, 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 AppLovin 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 $713,547!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $966,931!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is1,062% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to177%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why AI Stock AppLovin Crushed It on Monday
A team of analysts reiterated its buy on the adtech specialist. It feels the stock is especially a buy now, following its recent share price decline. 10 stocks we like better than AppLovin › Adtech company AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) was an outlier on the stock market in the best way as the trading week kicked off. On Monday, following a new and rather bullish note from a researcher tracking its fortunes, AppLovin's stock bounced almost 5% higher. That handily beat the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), which had a good if not spectacular day with a 0.5% rise. Before market open, Jefferies published a fresh report on AppLovin. In it, a team of pundits led by James Heaney reiterated its buy recommendation on the stock, citing numerous reasons to continue being optimistic about its future. According to reports, Heaney and his peers believe that spending on e-commerce advertising rose sequentially in the second calendar quarter of this year, and should continue to motor ahead in the third. AppLovin is poised to boost its revenue purely thanks to this dynamic. Jefferies added that AppLovin aims to roll out its offerings to a wider customer base next year, another factor that should bring in more business. It is also apparently contemplating a reduction of its gross merchandise value (GMV) minimum for clients, which currently stands at $10 million. Meanwhile, a recent double-digit swoon in AppLovin's share price makes it particularly attractive at the moment. Investors have been concerned with a short-seller report that dinged the company's reputation, product delays, and other developments. However, in the Jefferies team's view, none of these should be long-term drags on the specialty tech stock's value. Although personally, I'd agree mostly with this assessment, I still feel that the short-seller report brought up some concerns about AppLovin. I also feel company management hasn't sufficiently addressed these, and that in itself is a bit worrying. I'd be more comfortable with this stock -- which surely has potential for the reasons Jefferies stated -- if management did so. Before you buy stock in AppLovin, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and AppLovin 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 $713,547!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $966,931!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,062% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 177% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AppLovin and Jefferies Financial Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why AI Stock AppLovin Crushed It on Monday was originally published by The Motley Fool Melden Sie sich an, um Ihr Portfolio aufzurufen.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures rise as momentum builds for Trump trade deals, tax bill
US stock futures climbed on Monday amid signs of progress in trade talks, setting up the major gauges for more all-time highs to end one of the most volatile first halves of a year in recent memory. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) rose roughly 0.5%. Contracts on the S&P 500 (ES=F) moved up about 0.4%, while those on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) jumped 0.4%. Stocks are poised to start a holiday-shortened week with fresh records in sight, as hopes rise that the US and its top trading partners are closing in on deals over the sweeping tariffs introduced by President Trump. Canada scrapped a digital services tax targeting US tech companies late on Sunday — just hours before it was set to start collecting payments — in a bid to revive stalled trade negotiations. On Friday, Trump called an abrupt halt to the talks over the tax, describing them as a "blatant attack" on the US. Despite a temporary turn lower, all three major indexes closed higher on Friday. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) clinched new record highs for the first time since February — the start of the year's tariff-fueled stock swings. The easing in odds of a global trade war comes as a July 9 deadline looms for the resumption of sweeping US "reciprocal" tariffs, which Trump on Sunday said he didn't think he'd need to extend. So far, his administration has hammered only two accords — not full-blown agreements — with China and the UK, as the British tariff deal went into effect on Monday. Meanwhile, market watchers are closely following Senate negotiations over Trump's proposed $4.5 trillion tax cut bill, as Republican leaders race to persuade party holdouts to back the legislation. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it would add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over a decade, as it stands. The Senate is set to vote on dozens of amendments in a marathon session on Monday. Looking ahead, the June jobs report on Thursday will be a highlight, as markets increasingly grow optimistic that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates soon. But the week's trading will be cut short, as markets will close at 1 p.m. on Thursday and remain shut on Friday for the Fourth of July holiday. Disney stock (DIS) rose about 2% in premarket trading Monday after Jefferies analyst James Heaney upgraded the stock. Heaney sees Disney's cruise business, content slate, and parks business fueling a rally in shares over the summer. Yahoo Finance's Brian Sozzi writes: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports: Read more here. Earnings: No notable earnings releases. Economic data: MNI Chicago PMI (June); Dallas Fed manufacturing activity Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Warring GOP puts Trump tax bill to marathon Senate vote today Canada scraps digital services tax that Trump slammed Disney's stock has bagged a Jeffries upgrade — here's why Week ahead: Crucial jobs report looms with stocks at records Trump: TikTok buyer group found, needs China's OK Bitcoin soars, altcoins fade in $300 billion crypto shakeout China's economy shows surprising signs of strength Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer lays out what investors should know about the week ahead: Read more here. Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) stock rose 6% in premarket trading on Monday following the news that HPE and Juniper Networks have reached an agreement with the US Department of Justice that it will not challenge HPE's acquisition of Juniper. Palantir (PLTR) stock rose 5% before the bell and are trading at an all-time high, up 90% this year. Yahoo Finance Anchor Julie Hyman recently broke down the stock's history on a episode of Market Domination Overtime: Juniper Networks, Inc. (JNPR) stock rose 8% premarket after the DOJ said it would not pursue an investigation into HPE's acquisition of Juniper. As earning season approaches, Goldman Sachs (GS) said on Monday that US profit margins will be tested as investors await to see how President Trump's war has hurt companies. Goldman's David Kostin said Q2 earnings will show the immediate impact of tariffs, which have risen about 10% this year. Most costs will be passed on to consumers, but margins will suffer if firms absorb more than expected. Early results are mixed: General Mills (GIS) stock fell 5% last week due to a weak forecast and tariff warning, while Nike (NKE) rose 15% after announcing it will offset higher duties. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. European stocks outperformed their US peers by the biggest margin on record in dollar terms during the first half. It's a dramatic sign of how the region's markets are staging a comeback after more than a decade in the doldrums. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Canada has scrapped its planned digital services tax on US tech firms late on Sunday, just hours before it was due to come into effect. The move aims to revive stalled trade talks with the US, which President Trump suddenly halted on Friday over the tax, calling it a "blatant attack" on American tech companies. US stock futures rose as investors welcomed the news. Benchmark stock indexes in Tokyo and Shanghai also moved higher amid optimism that the US and its top trading partners can hammer out trade deals. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump now plan to reach a deal by July 21, Canada's finance ministry said. Trump warned on Friday that he would set new tariffs on Canadian goods within a week, risking fresh tension between the two countries. The White House has set a July 9 deadline for trading partners to broker deals with the US over the sweeping 'reciprocal' tariff rates announced in early April. The 3% tech tax would have hit firms like Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Amazon (AMZN) starting on Monday. Canada will now bring forward legislation to cancel the tax. "The DST was announced in 2020 to address the fact that many large technology companies operating in Canada may not otherwise pay tax on revenues generated from Canadians," a statement from the Canadian finance ministry said. "Canada's preference has always been a multilateral agreement related to digital services taxation." Oil prices fell overnight Sunday as global markets adjusted to the easing of tensions in the Middle East, in combination with a commitment from OPEC+ to increase supply in August. Reuters reports: Read more here. Disney stock (DIS) rose about 2% in premarket trading Monday after Jefferies analyst James Heaney upgraded the stock. Heaney sees Disney's cruise business, content slate, and parks business fueling a rally in shares over the summer. Yahoo Finance's Brian Sozzi writes: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports: Read more here. Earnings: No notable earnings releases. Economic data: MNI Chicago PMI (June); Dallas Fed manufacturing activity Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Warring GOP puts Trump tax bill to marathon Senate vote today Canada scraps digital services tax that Trump slammed Disney's stock has bagged a Jeffries upgrade — here's why Week ahead: Crucial jobs report looms with stocks at records Trump: TikTok buyer group found, needs China's OK Bitcoin soars, altcoins fade in $300 billion crypto shakeout China's economy shows surprising signs of strength Yahoo Finance's Josh Schafer lays out what investors should know about the week ahead: Read more here. Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) stock rose 6% in premarket trading on Monday following the news that HPE and Juniper Networks have reached an agreement with the US Department of Justice that it will not challenge HPE's acquisition of Juniper. Palantir (PLTR) stock rose 5% before the bell and are trading at an all-time high, up 90% this year. Yahoo Finance Anchor Julie Hyman recently broke down the stock's history on a episode of Market Domination Overtime: Juniper Networks, Inc. (JNPR) stock rose 8% premarket after the DOJ said it would not pursue an investigation into HPE's acquisition of Juniper. As earning season approaches, Goldman Sachs (GS) said on Monday that US profit margins will be tested as investors await to see how President Trump's war has hurt companies. Goldman's David Kostin said Q2 earnings will show the immediate impact of tariffs, which have risen about 10% this year. Most costs will be passed on to consumers, but margins will suffer if firms absorb more than expected. Early results are mixed: General Mills (GIS) stock fell 5% last week due to a weak forecast and tariff warning, while Nike (NKE) rose 15% after announcing it will offset higher duties. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. European stocks outperformed their US peers by the biggest margin on record in dollar terms during the first half. It's a dramatic sign of how the region's markets are staging a comeback after more than a decade in the doldrums. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Canada has scrapped its planned digital services tax on US tech firms late on Sunday, just hours before it was due to come into effect. The move aims to revive stalled trade talks with the US, which President Trump suddenly halted on Friday over the tax, calling it a "blatant attack" on American tech companies. US stock futures rose as investors welcomed the news. Benchmark stock indexes in Tokyo and Shanghai also moved higher amid optimism that the US and its top trading partners can hammer out trade deals. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump now plan to reach a deal by July 21, Canada's finance ministry said. Trump warned on Friday that he would set new tariffs on Canadian goods within a week, risking fresh tension between the two countries. The White House has set a July 9 deadline for trading partners to broker deals with the US over the sweeping 'reciprocal' tariff rates announced in early April. The 3% tech tax would have hit firms like Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Amazon (AMZN) starting on Monday. Canada will now bring forward legislation to cancel the tax. "The DST was announced in 2020 to address the fact that many large technology companies operating in Canada may not otherwise pay tax on revenues generated from Canadians," a statement from the Canadian finance ministry said. "Canada's preference has always been a multilateral agreement related to digital services taxation." Oil prices fell overnight Sunday as global markets adjusted to the easing of tensions in the Middle East, in combination with a commitment from OPEC+ to increase supply in August. Reuters reports: Read more here. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
