Wall Street Analysts Shift Positions: Disney Gets a Nod, Gold Stocks Downgraded

Wall Street is seeing a wave of rating adjustments and positioning signals just as Q2 earnings season kicks into high gear. From entertainment giants to gold miners, from aircraft leasing to tech heavyweights, analyst views are diverging sharply. As of 1:30 PM ET on July 13, Disney (DIS) was at $97.26, up 1.72% from its prior close of $95.62, with an opening price of $96.10, a session high of $97.54, and a low of $96.01.^{[Yahoo Finance]}

Bank of America: Five Stocks to Buy Ahead of Earnings

In a July 11 report, Bank of America highlighted a group of stocks it says are “best positioned” for the upcoming earnings season. The bank’s analyst team believes these companies are likely to deliver strong quarterly results.^[CNBC]

The named stocks include Disney (DIS), Spotify (SPOT), IBM, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Grab Holdings, and Deutsche Bank (DB). BofA analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich is particularly bullish on Spotify. “We believe Spotify’s Q2 2026 results will reflect stable trends in key performance indicators, with revenue growth accelerating in the period, driven by a weakening headwind from foreign exchange,” she wrote. The analyst expects Spotify’s earnings to be released in early August.

BofA did not provide a specific price target or detailed analysis for Disney in its public report but listed it as a stock worth buying ahead of earnings. Disney is set to report its fiscal third-quarter results in early August.

Morgan Stanley: Opportunity Beyond Tech

Morgan Stanley’s chief U.S. equity strategist, Mike Wilson, struck a more broadly optimistic tone in a recent report. According to Yahoo Finance, Wilson believes profits in sectors outside of technology could get a boost.^{[Yahoo Finance]}

Wilson’s comments come as the market remains intensely focused on AI-related tech stocks. CNBC’s “Options Action” program on July 10 also discussed how traders are hunting for new AI trade opportunities, touching on names like the QQQ (Nasdaq 100 ETF) and Oklo (OKLO).^[CNBC]

Wilson’s view suggests that as earnings season unfolds, improving profits in traditional sectors like industrials, financials, and consumer goods could provide fresh support for the market, rather than relying solely on a handful of tech giants.

Gold Miner Downgraded, Investment Committee Shifts Gold

In the gold space, Zacks Research on July 11 downgraded South African gold miner Sibanye Gold (SBSW) from “Hold” to “Strong Sell.”^[MarketBeat]The firm did not detail the reasons for the downgrade in its public summary, but the move comes against a backdrop of recent high volatility in gold prices.

Meanwhile, CNBC’s “Investment Committee” program on July 10 discussed specific portfolio adjustments. Steve Weiss, founder and managing partner of Short Hills Capital Partners, and Bill Baruch, founder and president of Blue Line Capital, detailed their latest position changes in FTAI Aviation (FTAI) and the gold ETF (GDX).^[CNBC]

FTAI Aviation is an asset management company focused on aircraft engine leasing and maintenance, while GDX is an ETF that tracks the performance of gold mining stocks. The moves by these two fund managers suggest that professional investors are reassessing their gold-related allocations amid heightened price swings.

Analyst View: Large Gold Miners Still in Focus

Despite the downgrade for Sibanye Gold, other large gold miners continue to attract analyst attention. A July report on Yahoo Finance explored whether Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM) is among the top large-cap stocks to buy, according to analysts.^{[Yahoo Finance]}The report did not reach a definitive conclusion, but it reflects that interest in gold mining leaders has not completely faded.

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