Scharf Investments LLC Lowers Position in The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Scharf Investments LLC trimmed its position in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 4.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 802,514 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 41,352 shares during the quarter. Walt Disney makes up about 2.5% of Scharf Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Scharf Investments LLC’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $91,303,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the 2nd quarter worth about $725,219,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 231.4% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 4,711,353 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $539,450,000 after buying an additional 3,289,707 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Walt Disney by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 82,019,749 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $9,391,261,000 after acquiring an additional 2,376,706 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in Walt Disney by 16.6% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 12,134,487 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,504,798,000 after acquiring an additional 1,727,251 shares during the period. Finally, Maverick Capital Ltd. purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the 2nd quarter worth $187,067,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walt Disney Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of DIS stock opened at $96.31 on Wednesday. The Walt Disney Company has a twelve month low of $80.10 and a twelve month high of $124.69. The stock has a market cap of $170.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.16, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.42. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $103.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $108.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.06. Walt Disney had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 8.90%. The company had revenue of $25.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.54 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.40 earnings per share. Walt Disney’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on DIS. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Walt Disney from $150.00 to $148.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Walt Disney in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $135.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a “mixed” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $134.00.

More Walt Disney News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walt Disney this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Disney opened its new World of Frozen land at Disneyland Paris and rebranded the resort’s second park as “Disney Adventure World” — described as one of the largest park investments in Europe. This is a direct earnings-driver for the Experiences segment (attendance, F&B, merchandise, and pricing power) and supports longer-term park revenue growth. Disney’s World Of Frozen Puts Experiences Division In European Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Disney reported streaming operating income of roughly $450M in Q1, up about 72% year-over-year, and beat revenue/earnings estimates for the quarter — evidence the company’s streaming business is moving toward sustainable profitability, which is central to any valuation rerating. Streaming Profits Are Up 72% Yet Disney Shares Are Down 17% This Year
• Positive Sentiment: Needham reiterated a Buy rating and a $125 price target — a sign some sell-side analysts see meaningful upside if Disney can convince the market it remains a major media/streaming competitor while scaling parks growth. Reasserting Disney’s Media Identity
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports say Disney is eyeing a major buyout of Epic Games (creator of Fortnite). If true, this could be transformational for interactive/gaming strategy — but it’s speculative, would be capital intensive, and faces regulatory/valuation hurdles. Disney Eyes Major Buyout Deal for Fortnite Creator Epic Games
• Negative Sentiment: An AI-powered, Nvidia-backed talking Olaf robot malfunctioned after debuting at Disneyland Paris — a minor operational/PR hit that highlights risks integrating advanced tech into guest experiences. An Nvidia AI-powered Olaf malfunctions at Disneyland Paris
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes recent setbacks around Disney’s tech partnerships (Epic layoffs, and criticism of the failed OpenAI/Sora deal), which could slow strategic tech initiatives and raise execution risk. These governance/partnership issues are potential negatives for the company’s long‑term tech/media positioning. Disney (DIS) Faces Setbacks in Epic Games and OpenAI Partnerships

Walt Disney Company Profile

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), commonly known as Disney, is a diversified global entertainment and media conglomerate headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy O. Disney, the company grew from an animation studio into a multi‑national entertainment enterprise known for iconic intellectual property and family‑oriented storytelling. Disney’s operations span film and television production, streaming services, theme parks and resorts, consumer products, and live entertainment.

On the content side, Disney produces and distributes feature films and television programming through a portfolio of studios and labels that includes Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Studios, along with broadcast and cable networks such as ABC, FX and National Geographic.