Even after the big run-up, there's still potential here.After years of horrendous stock price performance, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD -3.23%) has finally had its day in the sun. Year to date, this media conglomerate's shares are up by more than 75%, but most of these gains arrived over the last month, as shares surged from the low teens to nearly $20 per share.Strategic alternatives, or at least the potential for strategic alternatives, has been the key factor behind this big run-up. The question now, howe ...

Key Takeaways Disney launches ESPN's standalone streaming service with AI-driven and interactive features.New NFL and WWE rights deepen ESPN's content slate and boost monetization opportunities.Integrating ESPN with Disney and Hulu reinforces Disney's streaming ecosystem strategy.Disney’s (DIS) latest push into sports streaming puts ESPN’s digital transformation at the center of its Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) strategy. The launch of the standalone ESPN DTC service on Aug. 21, 2025, marks a major milestone in ...

Key Takeaways Disney stock surged 23.1% in six months, but investors should hold rather than add.DIS projects 18% EPS growth but faces streaming competition and theme park slowdown.Netflix, Amazon, and Warner Bros. Discovery intensify pressure on DIS streaming growth.Disney (DIS) has experienced a remarkable 23.1% surge over the past six months, outperforming the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and rewarding shareholders who maintained conviction through the company's strategic transformation. However, ...

The Consumer Discretionary group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Boyd Gaming (BYD) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Consumer Discretionary sector should help us answer this question.Boyd Gaming is a member of our Consumer Discretionary group, which includes 264 different companies and currently sits at #10 in the Zacks Sector Rank. Th ...

Key Takeaways Disney is merging Hulu into Disney by 2026 to reduce churn and improve customer retention.The move is expected to lower acquisition costs by 30% and lift ARPU through bundling and ads.Disney forecasts 185.4M combined subscribers by year-end 2025, with revenue growth of 4% in 2025.Disney’s (DIS) decision to fully integrate Hulu into Disney+ could prove to be a pivotal moment in its streaming strategy. By creating a unified app that blends branded entertainment, general content, sports and news, ...

Core Viewpoint - Comcast shares experienced a rebound, closing 0.43% higher at $32.43 after a decline over the previous six trading sessions [1] Summary by Relevant Sections - Stock Performance - Comcast shares rose 0.43% on Wednesday, reversing a loss of more than 4% over the past six sessions [1] - Year-to-date, the company has seen a decline of over 13% [1]

Group 1: Streaming Growth and Strategy - Disney's streaming base is expanding rapidly, with combined Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions reaching 183 million, an increase of 2.6 million sequentially in Q3 of fiscal 2025 [1][9] - The company is focusing on boosting Average Monthly Revenue Per Paid Subscriber (ARPU) and profitability through recent price increases, ad-supported tiers, and Hulu's integration into Disney+ [3][9] - Management anticipates over 10 million net new subscriptions in Q4 of fiscal 2025, primarily driven by Hulu's expanded Charter deal, projecting the combined streaming base to rise to 185.4 million [4][9] Group 2: Content and Competitive Positioning - Disney's content strategy includes a strong slate of upcoming releases such as Marvel Zombies, Tron: Ares, and Zootopia 2, which are expected to enhance viewership and attract new subscribers [2] - The company is building a balanced streaming portfolio by leveraging personalization, pricing strategies, and ESPN's sports content to sustain growth [2] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is emerging as a significant competitor, with 125.7 million subscribers and a 9% year-over-year revenue increase in Q2 2025, aiming for 150 million subscribers by 2026 [5] - Netflix remains Disney's strongest rival, boasting over 300 million subscribers and continuing to enhance its competitive edge through strong original content and disciplined investment [6] Group 4: Financial Performance and Valuation - Disney shares have increased by 3.5% year-to-date, underperforming the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and Zacks Media Conglomerates industry [7] - The stock is trading at a forward 12-month price/earnings ratio of 17.88X, compared to the industry's 20.47X, indicating a relatively favorable valuation [10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Disney's fiscal 2025 earnings is $5.86 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 17.91% [13]

Group 1 - Atlanta Braves Holdings, Inc. (BATRA) is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector, which consists of 254 individual stocks and ranks 8 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - The Zacks Rank system, which focuses on earnings estimates and revisions, currently gives BATRA a rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook [3] - Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BATRA's full-year earnings has increased by 50%, reflecting improved analyst sentiment [4] Group 2 - Year-to-date, BATRA has returned 10.9%, slightly outperforming the average gain of 10.7% for the Consumer Discretionary group [4] - BATRA belongs to the Media Conglomerates industry, which includes 16 companies and currently ranks 174 in the Zacks Industry Rank; this industry has seen an average gain of 11.2% this year, indicating BATRA is slightly underperforming its industry [6] - In comparison, Dunelm Group (DNLMY), another stock in the Consumer Discretionary sector, has outperformed with a year-to-date return of 20.8% and is part of the Textile - Home Furnishing industry, which ranks 9 and has gained 14.4% this year [5][7]

Upgrades - Loop Capital upgraded Union Pacific (UNP) to Hold from Sell with a price target of $227, increased from $214, noting shares are down 5% year-to-date and valuation multiples are modestly above five-year lows [2] - BofA upgraded Prologis (PLD) to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $130, up from $118, citing improved lease conversion rates in Q3 compared to Q2 and positive demand-supply dynamics expected through 2026 [3] - Goldman Sachs upgraded Hershey (HSY) to Buy from Sell with a price target of $222, raised from $170, highlighting a compelling risk/reward scenario after multiple guidance reductions [4] - Arete upgraded Baidu (BIDU) to Buy from Sell with a price target of $143, emphasizing the potential of Baidu's Kunlun chip venture to offset challenges in its online advertising business [5] - Citizens JMP upgraded CoreWeave (CRWV) to Outperform from Market Perform with a price target of $180, projecting growth of its GPU-as-a-service business to an estimated $300 billion from $3 billion to $4 billion currently [4] Downgrades - TD Cowen downgraded Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) to Hold from Buy with an unchanged price target of $14, expressing concerns about the stock's risk/reward after a recent rally [6] - Rothschild & Co Redburn downgraded Live Nation (LYV) to Neutral from Buy with a price target of $170, up from $144, indicating slower margin expansion and reduced earnings upside potential [6] - Stifel downgraded VF Corp. (VFC) to Hold from Buy with a price target of $16, increased from $15, stating that the stock's risk-reward is now balanced after a 12.5% one-month return [6] - JPMorgan downgraded Camp4 Therapeutics (CAMP) to Neutral from Overweight without a price target, noting early-stage challenges in its lead program despite a cash runway into 2027 [6] - JPMorgan downgraded Neumora Therapeutics (NMRA) to Underweight from Neutral without a price target, citing a failed Phase 3 trial for its treatment in major depressive disorder [6]

Group 1: Disney's Direct-to-Consumer Momentum - Disney's Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) segment has shown significant growth, reporting an operating income of $346 million in Q3 of fiscal 2025, a turnaround from a $19 million loss a year ago, driven by price increases, subscriber growth, and rising ad revenues [1][9] - The company projects a remarkable $1.3 billion in DTC operating income for fiscal 2025, indicating an over 800% year-over-year increase [2][9] - Disney+ and Hulu have reached a combined total of 183 million subscribers, with an expectation of adding 10 million more in Q4 2025 [3][9] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Netflix remains the leader in streaming with over 300 million subscribers and plans to invest $18 billion in content for 2025, enhancing revenues through ads and price increases [5] - Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming segment, Max, added 3.4 million subscribers, reaching 125.7 million, and achieved $293 million in EBITDA, showcasing strong competitive strength against Disney [6] Group 3: Financial Performance and Valuation - Disney shares have increased by 5.2% year-to-date, underperforming the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector's growth of 10.9% and the Zacks Media Conglomerates industry's growth of 10.1% [7] - The stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month price/earnings ratio of 18.12X, compared to the industry's 20.29X, indicating a relatively favorable valuation [10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Disney's fiscal 2025 earnings is $5.86 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 17.91% [13]