The Walt Disney Company $DIS Shares Sold by Scharf Investments LLC

Scharf Investments LLC lowered its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 4.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 802,514 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 41,352 shares during the quarter. Walt Disney comprises 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 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Copeland Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 48.5% in the third quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 291 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DIS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Phillip Securities upgraded Walt Disney to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Walt Disney from $150.00 to $148.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 27th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $151.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Guggenheim cut their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $140.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $134.00.

Walt Disney News Roundup

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 Stock Performance

Shares of DIS opened at $96.31 on Wednesday. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $80.10 and a 1 year high of $124.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $170.61 billion, a PE ratio of 14.16, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.67. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $103.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $108.55.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $25.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.54 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.40 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Walt Disney

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.