Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. Boosts Stock Holdings in The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management raised its stake in The Walt Disney Company by 78.1% in Q3, ending the quarter with 769,140 shares valued at about $88.07 million.
• Disney reported a quarterly earnings beat (EPS $1.63 vs. $1.57 expected; revenue $25.98B vs. $25.54B expected) and analysts rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” on average with a mean target of $135.80.
• Key risks include secular ad-pressure (YouTube ad revenue now outpacing major media peers) and heavy short interest, which market watchers say could amplify downside volatility despite operational positives at Parks & Experiences.

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 78.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 769,140 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after purchasing an additional 337,261 shares during the quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd.'s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $88,067,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 26,767 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $2,980,000 after purchasing an additional 1,904 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Walt Disney by 31.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,470 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $678,000 after purchasing an additional 1,322 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in Walt Disney by 16.2% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 17,955 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $2,227,000 after buying an additional 2,503 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Walt Disney by 34.5% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 137,178 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $17,004,000 after buying an additional 35,150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, VeraBank N.A. acquired a new position in Walt Disney during the second quarter valued at approximately $260,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walt Disney Price Performance

DIS opened at $100.87 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $108.29 and a 200-day moving average of $110.60. The company has a market capitalization of $178.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.83, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.42. The Walt Disney Company has a 1-year low of $80.10 and a 1-year high of $124.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.67.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $25.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $25.54 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 8.90%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.40 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DIS has been the subject of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $151.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. UBS Group restated a "mixed" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Phillip Securities raised shares of Walt Disney to a "moderate buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $125.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Walt Disney from $136.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $135.80.

Walt Disney News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: New NFL rights and sports positioning could lift advertising and subscriber engagement for Disney’s linear and streaming sports offerings, strengthening a high-margin segment of the business. Walt Disney Stock Looks Cheap. But Is It a Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Leadership clarity at the Parks & Experiences unit — Thomas Mazloum named Chairman of Disney Experiences — reduces near-term execution risk as Josh D’Amaro moves to CEO, supporting park expansion projects and operations. Disney Names Thomas Mazloum As New Head Of Experiences
• Neutral Sentiment: The company scheduled its annual shareholders’ meeting webcast for March 18 — a routine governance event that may include forward-looking commentary but is unlikely to move the stock materially by itself. The Walt Disney Company to Webcast Its Annual Meeting of Shareholders
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and park-product news (Winnie the Pooh 100th anniversary merchandise, new 2026 rides and retail items) support guest spending and brand engagement, but these are incremental and more relevant to operations than to near-term stock moves. Disney Teases Winnie the Pooh 100th Anniversary Merchandise With a Look at the Past
• Negative Sentiment: Industry disruption: YouTube’s ad revenue now exceeds Disney’s major media peers (and in some reports surpasses them combined), signaling secular pressure on Disney’s ad business and pricing power. That competitive shift is a key investor concern. YouTube now generates more ad revenue than Disney, NBC, Paramount, and WBD — combined
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment remains stressed: Disney is among the most-shorted Dow stocks and faces an articulated contrarian bear case focused on ad headwinds, valuation risks and execution challenges, which can amplify downside volatility. Disney (DIS) Is One of the Most Shorted Dow Stocks: The Contrarian Bear Case

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DIS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.