The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) ended Christmas Eve trading higher, riding a broader “Santa rally” mood on Wall Street while investors digested fresh media-sector analysis and upbeat studio headlines.
Because today (Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025) was an early-close session and U.S. markets are closed on Thursday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day), the next “normal” U.S. stock market open is Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. [1]
Below is what happened to Disney stock after the bell today—and the key news, forecasts, and analyst views from Dec. 24 to have on your radar before the next session.
Disney stock price after the bell: where DIS finished on Dec. 24, 2025
DIS last traded around $114.48, up about 1.1% on the day, after a holiday-shortened session (with lighter volume than a typical full trading day). The day’s range was roughly $112.79 to $114.53, with about 4.6 million shares traded. [2]
That move broadly tracked a positive (but thin) tape in U.S. equities, where stocks drifted higher to more records in the shortened session. [3]
Important calendar note:
So, if you’re looking for “tomorrow’s open,” there isn’t one in the U.S. due to the holiday.
Why Disney stock was up today: the market backdrop mattered
Disney participated in a generally constructive Christmas Eve session that saw major indexes finish higher on optimism around the late-year “Santa Claus rally” pattern and supportive macro expectations for 2026. [6]
In Dow component terms, Disney was also cited among names contributing to the blue-chip index’s upside earlier in the session. [7]
With holiday liquidity typically thin, single-stock moves can be more “headline-and-flow driven” than fundamentally meaningful—especially for mega-cap names like Disney.
Today’s Disney headlines and fresh analysis investors are watching
1) “Disney could be the real winner” from the Warner takeover battle—analyst take
One of the most-circulated Disney stock takes today (Dec. 24) argued Disney may benefit indirectly from the ongoing Warner Bros. Discovery takeover fight—even without bidding itself.
A MoffettNathanson analyst (Robert Fishman) reiterated a Buy view and a $140 price target, arguing Disney can keep improving streaming and execution while rivals are pulled into deal complexity and regulatory uncertainty. [8]
A key forecast highlighted in that analysis: Disney’s streaming operating income is expected by Wall Street to rise materially from $1.3 billion in fiscal 2025 to $4.4 billion by 2028 (as framed in the note and coverage). [9]
Why this matters for DIS investors:
- The market has spent years debating whether Disney’s streaming can become sustainably profitable.
- “Industry distraction” risk can be real in M&A-heavy environments; analysts arguing Disney benefits by staying focused can influence sentiment, particularly into year-end rebalancing.
2) Disney’s branding push: Chief Brand Officer Asad Ayaz in the spotlight
A separate major story today focused on Asad Ayaz—Disney’s first-ever Chief Brand Officer—and the company’s push to recalibrate the brand amid cultural/political noise and recent box office stumbles.
Coverage described Disney’s “Best Christmas Ever” campaign and a broader attempt to depoliticize and unify Disney’s image across parks, film/TV, and corporate messaging. [10]
Why this matters for the stock:
- For Disney, brand strength is not “soft”—it affects pricing power (parks/cruises), retention (streaming bundles), and franchise durability (studio pipelines).
- While this isn’t a one-day trading catalyst, it feeds longer-term narratives about management execution heading into 2026.
3) Disney hits a major box office milestone: $6 billion global in 2025
Disney’s studio business also got a sentiment boost today from multiple entertainment-trade reports saying Disney has crossed $6 billion at the global box office in 2025, positioning it as the top studio this year and marking a milestone it hadn’t reached since before the COVID-era disruptions. [11]
The milestone coverage pointed to big releases—including “Lilo & Stitch” and “Zootopia 2”—as key drivers, along with the latest Avatar film’s momentum. [12]
Supporting context from recent box-office reporting: Avatar: Fire and Ash opened to roughly $345 million worldwide through its opening weekend, per Reuters. [13]
Why investors care:
- Studio results can be volatile quarter-to-quarter, but box office strength supports downstream monetization (PVOD, streaming windows, consumer products, parks synergy).
- After prior years of uneven theatrical performance, a “return to dominance” narrative can matter for multiples—especially when paired with streaming margin improvement.
Wall Street forecasts: what analysts are projecting right now
Even on a quiet holiday session, Disney remains one of the most-covered media stocks on the Street. Here’s what the mainstream forecast picture looks like based on widely cited analyst compilations:
- MarketWatch showed a wide target range (roughly $77 to $160) with a median around $136 and an average around the mid-$130s as of Dec. 24, 2025. [14]
- Zacks similarly listed an analyst target range of $77 to $160, with an average target implying high-teens upside from recent levels. [15]
- MarketBeat also pegged the consensus in the mid-$130s, again implying upside from today’s ~$114 area. [16]
How to read this:
- The range is the story: DIS is still a “prove it” stock for some analysts (especially around linear-TV decline and sports rights economics), while bulls emphasize streaming profitability, parks/capital discipline, and franchise power.
What to know before the next market open
1) There’s no U.S. session “tomorrow”—plan for Friday, Dec. 26
Because Christmas Day is a full market holiday, any headline risk (or upside surprise) will be absorbed into Friday’s open rather than a Thursday session. [17]
Practical implication: Expect pent-up repositioning into Friday, but also remember the post-holiday session can still be liquidity-thin.
2) Streaming profitability is still the core medium-term driver
Disney’s most recent company-reported results (fiscal 2025) underline why streaming remains central:
- Disney reported Direct-to-Consumer operating income of $352 million in Q4 fiscal 2025 (up year over year), alongside higher DTC revenue. [18]
- The company reported Disney+ and Hulu subscription figures in that release, highlighting continued scale while the business shifts toward profitability. [19]
Investors will keep mapping all news flow—content performance, pricing/bundles, churn commentary—back to the question: How durable are streaming margins into 2026–2028?
3) ESPN’s direct-to-consumer strategy remains a key narrative
Disney’s sports strategy has been evolving toward more direct distribution. ESPN announced the launch of its new direct-to-consumer service and enhanced ESPN app earlier in 2025, positioning it as a major strategic move. [20]
Even if there’s no “new” ESPN headline today, the market often reprices Disney around:
- sports advertising trends,
- affiliate fee pressure,
- and whether DTC can offset linear declines.
4) Watch media M&A headlines—even if Disney isn’t the buyer
Today’s bull case coverage explicitly framed Disney as a potential “winner” by staying out of the Warner fray. That means any new developments in that takeover fight—financing, regulatory posture, rival strategies—can still impact Disney sentiment via peer-multiple resets across the sector. [21]
5) Key dates to keep in mind: next earnings window
Estimated calendars currently point to an early-February earnings timeframe for Disney’s next report, though dates can change until confirmed. One widely used earnings calendar flagged Feb. 4, 2026 (unconfirmed). [22]
For traders and long-term investors alike, that next earnings print is likely to refocus attention on:
- streaming margin trajectory,
- parks demand and per-capita spend,
- and the evolving profitability mix across Entertainment / Sports / Experiences.
Bottom line for Disney stock heading into the holiday break
Disney stock (DIS) finished Christmas Eve trading modestly higher, supported by a bullish year-end tape and a cluster of Disney-positive storylines today: (1) an analyst framing Disney as a beneficiary of rival M&A chaos, (2) renewed attention on brand strategy and messaging, and (3) a headline-grabbing $6B global box office milestone.
With U.S. markets closed on Dec. 25, the next real test for that sentiment comes Friday, Dec. 26, when investors will weigh holiday-thin trading conditions against a still-evolving 2026 outlook for streaming, sports, and the studio pipeline. [23]
References
1. www.nasdaq.com, 2. www.investing.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. www.nasdaq.com, 5. www.nasdaq.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.marketwatch.com, 8. www.barrons.com, 9. www.barrons.com, 10. www.wsj.com, 11. deadline.com, 12. variety.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.marketwatch.com, 15. www.zacks.com, 16. www.marketbeat.com, 17. www.nasdaq.com, 18. www.sec.gov, 19. www.sec.gov, 20. espnpressroom.com, 21. www.barrons.com, 22. www.wallstreethorizon.com, 23. www.nasdaq.com
