AMCX, NWL Stocks Hit Fresh 52-Week Highs – Here’s What Wall Street Is Saying About ‘The Walking Dead’ Licensing Deal With Netflix

• Morgan Stanley said the licensing deal underscores the value of proven and lasting intellectual property.
• Newell Brands reported second-quarter earnings per share of $0.42, well above consensus estimates of $0.20. 
• The consumer firm also raised its full-year 2026 EPS outlook to $0.73 to $0.77, up from $0.56 to $0.60

Shares of AMC Global Media (AMCX) and Newell Brands (NWL) climbed to new 52-week highs on Friday, supported by Wall Street’s positive reaction to AMC Global Media’s $500 million Netflix (NFLX) licensing deal for ‘The Walking Dead’ franchise and Newell’s stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings results.

At the time of writing, AMCX stock was up more than 18%, posting its biggest single-day gains since February 2023, while NWL stock gained 14%.

Wells Fargo Says ‘The Walking Dead’ Licensing Deal Will Improve AMCX’s Balance Sheet

On Thursday, Netflix and AMC Networks signed a five-year, $500 million global licensing deal beginning in 2027, giving the two companies co-exclusive streaming rights to the original The Walking Dead series and its six spin-offs.

Following the announcement, Morgan Stanley raised its price target on AMC Global Media to $10 from $7 but kept an ‘Underweight’ rating, according to the Fly. The firm said the deal underscores the value of proven and lasting intellectual property, though it expressed concerns about AMC’s slow subscriber growth as well as long-term industry headwinds.

Wells Fargo also increased its target, lifting it to $11 from $10, while maintaining an ‘Equal’ Weight rating. The firm said the long-awaited agreement should provide additional cash flow and improve AMC’s balance-sheet stability.

Retail sentiment for AMCX on Stocktwits turned ‘bullish’ from ‘neutral’ over the past 24 hours, amid ‘high’ message volumes. AMCX shares have climbed more than 22% so far this year.

Newell Brands Raises FY2026 Outlook

On Friday, Newell Brands reported better-than-expected second-quarter results with revenue growing 3% to $1.99 billion, just ahead of Wall Street’s estimates of $1.98 billion, according to Fiscal.ai. Earnings per share (EPS) came in at $0.42, well above consensus estimates of $0.20.  

The firm raised its full-year 2026 EPS outlook to $0.73 to $0.77, up from $0.56 to $0.60 previously, and raised the floor of its net sales guidance 1% to 2%, from flat to 2%. For the third quarter, Newell Brands expects net sales to grow 2% to 3%, and EPS between $0.18 and $0.20.

Retail sentiment for NWL on Stocktwits flipped to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘neutral’ over the past 24 hours, amid ‘high’ message volumes. The stock has gained around 58% year-to-date.

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