As the Q2 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the consumer discretionary - media industry, including Disney (NYSE: DIS) and its peers.

The Consumer Discretionary sector, by definition, is made up of companies selling non-essential goods and services. When economic conditions deteriorate or tastes shift, consumers can easily cut back or eliminate these purchases. For long-term investors with five-year holding periods, this creates a structural challenge: the sector is inherently hit-driven, with low switching costs and fickle customers. As a result, only a handful of companies can reliably grow demand and compound earnings over long periods, which is why our bar is high and High Quality ratings are rare. Media companies create, aggregate, and distribute content—including news, entertainment, and advertising—across television, print, digital, and out-of-home channels. Tailwinds include growing digital advertising budgets, content licensing opportunities, and global audience expansion through streaming and social platforms. Headwinds are substantial: traditional advertising revenue from print and linear TV continues its structural decline as audiences migrate to digital alternatives. Content creation costs are escalating amid intense competition for talent and intellectual property. Media fragmentation makes it difficult to build sustainable audience scale, while AI-generated content threatens to commoditize production and disrupt established business models.

The 7 consumer discretionary - media stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q2. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.8%.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Disney (NYSE: DIS)

Founded by brothers Walt and Roy, Disney (NYSE: DIS) is a multinational entertainment conglomerate, renowned for its theme parks, movies, television networks, and merchandise.

Disney reported revenues of $25.25 billion, up 6.8% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 0.6%, but it was still a satisfactory quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 8.8% since reporting and currently trades at $106.81.

Is now the time to buy Disney? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: News Corp (NASDAQ: NWSA)

Established in 2013 after a restructuring, News Corp (NASDAQ: NWSA) is a multinational conglomerate known for its news publishing, broadcasting, digital media, and book publishing.

News Corp reported revenues of $2.34 billion, up 10.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.1%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

News Corp scored the biggest analyst estimate beat of the whole group. However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $29.17.

Is now the time to buy News Corp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q2: Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL)

Creator of the legendary Scholastic Book Fair, Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL) is an international company specializing in children's publishing, education, and media services.

Scholastic reported revenues of $476.1 million, down 6.3% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 7.9%. It was a softer quarter as it posted full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly.

Scholastic delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 10.8% since the results and currently trades at $41.42.

Read our full analysis of Scholastic’s results here.

Warner Music Group (NASDAQ: WMG)

Launching the careers of legendary artists like Frank Sinatra, Warner Music Group (NASDAQ: WMG) is a music company managing a diverse portfolio of artists, recordings, and music publishing services worldwide.

Warner Music Group reported revenues of $1.86 billion, up 10.4% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. It was a very strong quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

The stock is down 1.4% since reporting and currently trades at $25.64.

Read our full, actionable report on Warner Music Group here, it’s free.

The New York Times (NYSE: NYT)

Founded in 1851, The New York Times (NYSE: NYT) is an American media organization known for its influential newspaper and expansive digital journalism platforms.

The New York Times reported revenues of $762.5 million, up 11.2% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 13.9% since reporting and currently trades at $65.13.

Read our full, actionable report on The New York Times here, it’s free.

Market Update

Over the past year, investors have been forced to repeatedly answer the same question: what is the market’s biggest risk? The answer has changed several times, and each shift has reshaped market leadership.

Late in 2025 and early 2026, artificial intelligence became the market’s primary uncertainty. Investors questioned whether AI would erode software pricing power and weaken competitive moats as AI made it easier to replicate once-differentiated products.

By the spring, technology took a back seat to geopolitics. The U.S. conflict with Iran briefly became the market’s dominant narrative, raising concerns about oil prices, inflation, and global growth. But as energy markets remained orderly and fears of a prolonged supply disruption faded, investors quickly turned their focus back to fundamentals.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Hidden Gem Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.