The Walt Disney Company $DIS Shares Bought by Ascent Group LLC

Key Points

• Ascent Group LLC increased its stake in The Walt Disney Company by **111.5%**, purchasing an additional **34,310 shares**, now owning **65,076 shares** valued at approximately **$6.42 million**.
• Multiple hedge funds are actively adjusting their positions in Disney, with Nuveen LLC acquiring a new stake valued at around **$1.35 billion**, while Vanguard Group's holdings reached **155.86 million shares** worth **$15.38 billion**.
• The Walt Disney Company reported **$1.61 earnings per share** for the last quarter, exceeding estimates, with a consensus price target of **$131.18** and an average rating of **"Moderate Buy"** from analysts.

Ascent Group LLC grew its holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 111.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 65,076 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after purchasing an additional 34,310 shares during the quarter. Ascent Group LLC's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $6,423,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 16,509 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $1,629,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 5,628 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $555,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC now owns 4,994 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $493,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 26,119 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $2,578,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RD Lewis Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in Walt Disney by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. RD Lewis Holdings Inc. now owns 15,899 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $1,470,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on DIS. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, August 4th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 11th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 11th. Susquehanna reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities boosted their target price 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. One 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.18.

Walt Disney Trading Down 1.2%

Walt Disney stock traded down $1.41 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $117.43. The company had a trading volume of 5,441,597 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,049,631. The Walt Disney Company has a 1-year low of $80.10 and a 1-year high of $124.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $118.78 and its 200-day simple moving average is $108.90. The stock has a market cap of $211.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.55.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $23.69 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.39 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.