Discover the best ways to buy Disney stock and maximize your investment. Follow our simple guide!

As a powerhouse in the entertainment industry, Disney offers a robust investment opportunity, and our blog is here to simplify the process for both seasoned investors and beginners alike. However, buying Disney stocks and shares requires some knowledge and preparation.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the steps you need to follow to buy Disney stocks and shares and provide you with some tips to help you make informed investment decisions.

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How to buy Walt Disney shares

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  1. Select a share platform - See our top platform picks
  2. Open your share account - To do this, you will need your bank details and national insurance number
  3. Fund your account - You will need to fund your a/c with a debit or credit card or bank transfer
  4. Search for the share using the Walt Disney stock code - Type in the DIS stock code into the search box
  5. Check out the latest info and price for the selected share - Some platforms offer free research and analysis
  6. Buy the share - Nice and easy!
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Trading news for Disney

Is now a good time to buy Disney shares?

Current and forecasted share price for Disney (DIS)

Disney stock is volatile, evidenced in the shares’ performance from 2022 to 2023. In April 2022, the share price of Disney sat at around $130, and the share price as of April 2023 currently sits at $99.91 (as of writing).

Will the Disney share price increase?

In November 2022, Disney replaced its CEO with former CEO Bod Iger, who was previously responsible for acquiring Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm. The company is currently going through a restructuring process – as of 8th February 2023, announced a cut of 3.6% of its global workforce as part of a cost-cutting exercise to make savings of $5.5bn with a focus on making the company more efficient. Investors have largely welcomed these cuts. See the technical analysis above on how brokers see the Disney share price prospects going forward.

Is Disney a good investment in 2023?

See the broker sentiment views above to get an idea of how brokers are seeing the Disney stock as whether a sell or buy currently.

What are the benefits of investing in Disney?

The strength of the brand

Disney has been around for nearly a hundred years and has developed a universally recognised brand. As a result, it has a loyal fan base. These factors, together with many others, mean that it has incredible potential for future increases in revenues, which in turn can benefit investors.

Many forms of revenue

Disney+, merchandise, theme parks, films, tv series, the list goes on. Disney produces a range of different revenue streams. Because the company can always pivot towards one of its many revenue streams when faced with challenges or potential losses, it reduces its risk as an investment prospect.

Growth potential

Disney has successfully operated for nearly 100 years as a company that has demonstrated its long-term growth potential.

With that in mind, investors should also consider the assets that Disney has accumulated over the years, including 21st Century Fox and franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel. This makes its reach and revenue potential attractive as an investment option.

Financials

Disney’s turnover grew to $82,722m (as at 1/10/2022) compared to $67,418m in 2021. Profit before tax more than doubled to $5,866m.

In the first quarter of 2022/23 revenue rose 8% to $23.5bn, primarily driven by Disney Parks, Experiences & Products.

Innovation

As mentioned earlier, Disney has consistently reinvented itself and added to its assets over the years in a variety of ways. This, coupled with its commitment to innovation in finding new and exciting ways to engage with its consumers, will likely continue to find new ways.

At the end of 2022, Disney rehired Bob Iger as CEO, who has embarked on a cost-cutting strategy to reign in the costs of competing in the streaming space.

What are the risks of investing in Disney?

The risks of the entertainment industry

Disney is in the entertainment industry, and therefore, it is affected by all factors that can impact it. The recent COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted how entertainment businesses are vulnerable to global events.

Dependence on certain franchises

Disney relies on some of its significant properties, such as Star Wars and Marvel, for revenue, representing a major part of their revenue.

As a result, if these properties should become less successful or less prevalent in the future, this will inevitably have an impact on how valuable the company is as a whole since it will need help to make up for these lost revenues in other areas of its asset portfolio.

Legal and regulatory risk factors

Since the scale of Disney is so massive, the company has to consider a wide variety of regulatory and legal factors. These factors can cause problems for the company in terms of how its run or restrict it from conducting business in specific ways.

For instance, specific properties it currently owns will go into the public domain after a particular time has passed because of the laws for copyright and intellectual property.

For example, the rights for the original likeness and use of Mickey Mouse will go into the public domain soon, meaning other companies and entities will be able to profit from this property, and it will not be exclusive to Disney any more.

Macroeconomic factors

External financial factors, such as economic downturns, significant changes in consumer spending, and so on, can cause large companies such as Disney to struggle and make losses.

A good recent example is the current U.K. cost of living crisis. This has led to Disney experiencing a 12% increase in its churn rate (loss of subscribers) in 2022 in the U.K.

Theme park dependency

One of Disney’s most popular assets, differentiating it from its competition, is its theme parks, which are found worldwide. However, Disney relies heavily on the revenues from theme park attendance, which is problematic when external factors interfere.

Covid 19 is an extreme example of how external factors can impact attendance at theme parks. Still, other factors, such as the rise in travel costs, economic downturns, natural disasters etc., can also play a role.

How to buy Disney indirectly within an investment fund

There are a few different investment options for investors to consider concerning investing in Disney stocks and shares via an investment fund. For example, you can invest in an ETF (exchange-traded fund) or funds that invest in the S&P 500.

Buying Disney Stock within an ETF

Several ETFs hold Disney shares. 

Here are a few examples:

  1. Invesco NASDAQ Internet ETF (PNQI). This ETF focuses on the largest and most liquid companies engaged with internet-related activities. At the time of writing, Disney represented 7.17% of its total holdings. This ETF trades in USD.
  2. Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX). With this ETF, investors can get broad-based exposure to the telecom industry at a low cost. As a result, it can often deliver attractive returns for dividend investors. At the time of writing, Disney represented 6.13% of the total fund. This ETF trades in USD.
  3. Fidelity MSCI Communication Services Index ETF (FCOM). FCOM tracks an index of well-known stocks such as Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, and Alphabet’s parent company, Google. At the time of writing, Disney represented 5.80% of the total fund. This ETF trades in USD.
  4. iShares Global Comm Services ETF (IXP). A combination of U.S. and international stocks makes up this ETF that provides exposure to the global telecom industry. At the time of writing, Disney represented 4.23% of the total fund. This ETF trades in USD.

The list above is incomplete, and other listed ETFs may also invest in Disney shares. Additionally, doing your own research and considering your investment objectives and risk tolerance before investing in any ETF is important.

How can I use spread betting or CFDs to trade Disney stock?

Spread betting and CFDs (contracts for difference) offer investors the ability to invest based on price speculation, as opposed to outright investment, so this is a useful alternative option for investors who might not be willing to take the risk on the potential volatility of Disney stock, but whom would want to pursue still an opportunity of making a return in some form.

Investors need to choose which investment technique they wish to use (i.e. going short or long on the investment) and then identify the size of the position they want to use, as well as setting the margins of the investment (i.e. the stop losses, leverage etc).

FAQs

This entirely depends on the investment platform/broker you choose to invest with. Some providers have higher requirements; some have lower. However, you can invest as little as $10 as a starting point.

Disney’s environmental, social and governance policy goals include a commitment to producing a positive impact within the communities it operates in, creating unique content and experiences around the world, reducing its impact on the environment via its day-to-day operations, services etc. and generally working hard to make a cleaner and safer world.

Finally, Disney also aims to promote respect, consideration, and appreciation within the culture it creates and perpetuates.

There are many ways to do this. Your first point of consideration is of course, the news, specifically any company news releases related to Disney or produced by the company directly, as well as entertainment industry news that might affect Disney.

Furthermore, keep up to date with investor sentiment via articles and blogs. The sentiment is the way investors feel about a particular stock. It can be helpful to consider the market’s overall opinion or speculations about a specific stock, as this can indicate how people will trade with it in the future, which can affect its share price.

 

About Walt Disney

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.

IMPORTANT: No news, feature article or comment should be seen as a personal investment recommendation. Before deciding to invest, you should ensure that you are familiar with the risks associated with a particular plan. If you are unsure of the suitability of a particular product, both in respect of its objectives and risk profile, you should seek independent financial advice. The value of shares, ETFs and ETCs, bought through a share dealing account, stocks and shares ISA, or a SIPP can fall and rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 67%-81% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to risk losing your money. Professional clients can lose more than they deposit. All trading involves risk. Tax treatment of ISAs depends on your circumstances and is based on current law, which may be subject to change in the future. ISA transfer charges may apply; please check with your provider.