How to buy Disney shares

With plenty of Buzz (Lightyear) around the entertainment giant's move into TV streaming, if you're thinking of investing, here's what you need to know.

Disney is one of the most recognizable entertainment companies in the world, and that reputation contributes to the popularity of its stock. But that popularity only goes so far — the stock lost value last year.

Its five-year history is much rosier, and the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected a lot of companies. If you're confident in the future of the company, you can buy shares in just a few steps.

How to buy shares in Disney

  1. Choose a platform. If you're a beginner, our share-dealing table below can help you choose.
  2. Open your account. You'll need your ID, bank details and national insurance number.
  3. Confirm your payment details. You'll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
  4. Search the platform for stock code: DIS in this case.
  5. Research Disney shares. The platform should provide the latest information available.
  6. Buy your Disney shares. It's that simple.
The whole process can take as little as 15 minutes. You'll need a smartphone or computer, an internet connection, your passport or driving licence and a means of payment.

Our top picks for where to buy Disney shares

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Fees for buying 5x Disney shares with popular platforms

Both exchange rates and share prices fluctuate in real time, so the costs presented here should be considered as a guide only. They do not incorporate stamp duty. Always refer to the platform itself for availability and pricing – which may differ from our information.

Platform Customer feedback Monthly fee Min. initial deposit Trading fee estimate Link
eToro Free Stocks logo ★★★★★ £0 $100 £2.20
£441.77 total
Capital at risk
XTB logo ★★★★★ £0 No minimum £2.20
£441.77 total
Capital at risk
CMC Invest share dealing account logo ★★★★★ £0 No minimum £2.20
£441.77 total
Capital at risk
Hargreaves Lansdown Fund and Share Account logo ★★★★★ £0 £1 £16.35
£455.92 total
Capital at risk

Full comparison of share dealing platforms

All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.

Alternative ways to invest in Disney

Buying shares in just one company is generally considered a riskier bet than investing in a range of investments - AKA a "diversified portfolio". Experts generally recommend holding a mix of investments in specific assets and funds. Funds are ready-made portfolios of multiple companies' shares (potentially including Disney), and the idea is that drops in the value of one constituent company's share price might be offset by rises in others.

Disney is a major part of the NYSE, so it's included in many global funds and investment trusts, as well as tracker-style exchange traded funds (ETFs).

IconFund5-year performanceLink to invest
Invesco iconInvesco S&P 500 (SPXP)70.17%Capital at risk
DWS Xtrackers iconXtrackers S&P 500 Swap (XSPX)69.98%Capital at risk
HSBC iconHSBC S&P 500 (HSPX)68.59%Capital at risk
Vanguard iconVanguard S&P 500 (VUSA)68.24%Capital at risk
iShares iconiShares Core S&P 500 (CSP1)68.20%Invest with eToroCapital at risk
SPDR iconSPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPX5)67.96%Capital at risk

Is it a good time to buy Disney stock?

Only you can make the decision on the time to leap. The gauge below shows real-time ratings that are based on 26 popular indicators such as moving averages, for specific time periods. It's not a recommendation but is simply technical analysis that can form part of your research.

Finder might not agree with the analysis and we take no responsibility. We also give no representations or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the information provided on this page.

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All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.

Is Disney under- or over-valued?

Valuing a stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge value. Check out the Disney P/E ratio, PEG ratio and EBITDA

Disney's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 69x. In other words, Disney shares trade at around 69x recent earnings.

That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.

However, Disney's P/E ratio is best considered in relation to those of others within the entertainment industry or those of similar companies.

Disney's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 0.8133. A PEG ratio below 1 can be interpreted as meaning the shares are not overvalued given the current rate of growth.

The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into Disney's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.

However, it's sensible to consider Disney's PEG ratio in relation to those of similar companies.

Disney's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping $15.6 billion (£12.2 billion).

The EBITDA is a measure of a Disney's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.

To put that into context you can compare it against similar companies.

What's Disney's ESG track record?

Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like Disney.

Overall Disney ESG score

Disney's total ESG risk: 23.2

Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and Disney's overall score of 23.2 (as at 12/31/2018) is excellent – landing it in it in the 16th percentile of companies rated in the same sector.

ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like Disney is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).

To gain some more context, you can compare Disney's total ESG risk score against those of similar companies.

Disney's environmental score: 6.53/100

Disney's environmental score of 6.53 puts it squarely in the 8th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Disney is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Disney's social score: 13.06/100

Disney's social score of 13.06 puts it squarely in the 8th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Disney is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.

Disney's governance score: 15.61/100

Disney's governance score puts it squarely in the 8th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that Disney is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Disney's controversy score: 2/5

ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. A high-profile company, Disney scored a 2 out of 5 for controversy – the second-highest score possible, reflecting that Disney has, for the most part, managed to keep its nose clean.

Wondering how that compares? Below are the controversy scores of similar companies.

Frequently asked questions

All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.

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