Ceredex Value Advisors LLC Decreases Holdings in The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Ceredex Value Advisors LLC reduced its stake in The Walt Disney Company by 25.1%, now owning 242,688 shares worth approximately $23.95 million.
• Several institutional investors, including Nuveen LLC and Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc., significantly increased their holdings in Walt Disney, showcasing shifting investor confidence in the company.
• Walt Disney recently reported earnings per share of $1.61, exceeding analysts' estimates, indicating a positive trend in profitability despite slight revenue shortfalls against expectations.

Ceredex Value Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 25.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 242,688 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after selling 81,172 shares during the quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $23,953,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of DIS. Nuveen LLC bought a new position in Walt Disney during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,353,607,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main grew its position in Walt Disney by 1,900.0% during the 4th quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 5,735,961 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $638,699,000 after acquiring an additional 5,449,158 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in Walt Disney by 21.8% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 16,867,017 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $1,878,142,000 after acquiring an additional 3,016,339 shares during the last quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Walt Disney by 1,080.7% during the 1st quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,816,548 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $277,993,000 after acquiring an additional 2,578,004 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Walt Disney by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 155,862,361 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $15,383,615,000 after acquiring an additional 2,446,087 shares during the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on DIS. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Stephens reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 11th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $125.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Guggenheim increased their target price on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.18.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Walt Disney stock opened at $117.80 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market capitalization of $211.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.46, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.56. The stock's 50 day moving average is $119.18 and its 200 day moving average is $108.26. The Walt Disney Company has a twelve month low of $80.10 and a twelve month high of $124.69.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $23.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.69 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 12.22% and a return on equity of 9.67%. Walt Disney's revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.39 EPS. On average, equities research 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 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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