Advisors Capital Management LLC Acquires 24,387 Shares of The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Advisors Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in The Walt Disney Company by 6.0%, acquiring an additional 24,387 shares during the 1st quarter, bringing their total to 432,848 shares valued at approximately $42.7 million.
• Walt Disney reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.61 for the recent quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations of $1.45, while revenue was slightly below expectations at $23.65 billion.
• Brokerages have revised their ratings for Disney shares, with some increasing price targets; JPMorgan raised its target from $130 to $138, reflecting a positive outlook for the company.

Advisors Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 6.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 432,848 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after purchasing an additional 24,387 shares during the quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $42,722,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG boosted its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 8.1% in the 1st quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 222,747 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $21,983,000 after purchasing an additional 16,781 shares during the last quarter. Planning Directions Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $326,000. WoodTrust Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Walt Disney by 6.7% in the 1st quarter. WoodTrust Financial Corp now owns 96,158 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $9,491,000 after acquiring an additional 6,047 shares during the period. Bank of Stockton raised its position in shares of Walt Disney by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Stockton now owns 9,091 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $897,000 after acquiring an additional 383 shares during the period. Finally, Lodge Hill Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $24,373,000. Institutional investors own 65.71% of the company's stock.

Walt Disney Trading Down 1.2%

DIS stock opened at $115.91 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $118.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $108.95. The Walt Disney Company has a one year low of $80.10 and a one year high of $124.69. The stock has a market cap of $208.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.55.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.16. Walt Disney had a net margin of 12.22% and a return on equity of 9.67%. The firm had revenue of $23.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.69 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.39 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on DIS. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Walt Disney from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, July 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $140.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Susquehanna reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walt Disney currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $131.18.

About Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company operates as an entertainment company worldwide. It operates through three segments: Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences. The company produces and distributes film and television video streaming content under the ABC Television Network, Disney, Freeform, FX, Fox, National Geographic, and Star brand television channels, as well as ABC television stations and A+E television networks; and produces original content under the ABC Signature, Disney Branded Television, FX Productions, Lucasfilm, Marvel, National Geographic Studios, Pixar, Searchlight Pictures, Twentieth Century Studios, 20th Television, and Walt Disney Pictures banners.

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