Franklin Resources Inc. Acquires 1,924,200 Shares of The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Franklin Resources increased its Disney stake by 29.2% in the fourth quarter, buying an additional 1.92 million shares and lifting its holdings to 8.52 million shares worth about $969.6 million.
• Disney continues to attract strong institutional interest, with several large funds adding positions; overall, 65.71% of the stock is now owned by institutional investors.
• Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with multiple analysts raising price targets and ratings, while Disney also beat quarterly earnings expectations and reported 6.5% year-over-year revenue growth.

Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 29.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,522,860 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after acquiring an additional 1,924,200 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 0.48% of Walt Disney worth $969,646,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of DIS. Norges Bank bought a new position in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,388,278,000. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the second quarter valued at approximately $725,219,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 3.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 82,019,749 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $9,391,261,000 after purchasing an additional 2,376,706 shares during the period. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $174,275,000. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $156,904,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Walt Disney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rosenblatt Securities raised its price target on Disney to $126 from $121 and reiterated a buy rating, signaling confidence in further upside from current levels. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces highlighted Disney’s improving investment case, including a fresh look at its shifting analyst targets and a separate article arguing that advertising could be Disney’s next major growth engine beyond parks and movies. Why The Narrative Around Walt Disney (DIS) Is Shifting On Mixed Analyst Targets Disney's next growth story isn't parks or movies
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney remains part of broader media-sector debate, with a new article comparing it with Netflix as a long-term streaming holding; this is more about valuation and portfolio positioning than a fresh company-specific catalyst. Netflix vs. Disney: Which Streaming Stock Is the Better Long-Term Hold?
• Neutral Sentiment: Another note said Disney is still down significantly since its last earnings report, underscoring lingering post-earnings pressure even though analysts remain constructive. Disney (DIS) Down 8.6% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Rebound?
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney-related event and licensing headlines, including Papa John’s Toy Story 5 promotion and an upcoming industry event at Walt Disney World, add brand visibility but are unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. Is Papa John’s (PZZA) Toy Story 5 Tie-Up Reinforcing Its Brand Moat or Just Buzz? Imagination Meets Innovation at NCTC and ACA Connects' The Independent Show 2026 in Walt Disney World

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DIS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Walt Disney from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Raymond James Financial raised Walt Disney from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $115.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Barclays increased their price objective on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Phillip Securities raised Walt Disney from a "moderate buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities increased their price objective on Walt Disney from $121.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $133.47.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Shares of DIS stock opened at $99.83 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $101.82 and a 200 day moving average of $105.40. The Walt Disney Company has a 52 week low of $92.18 and a 52 week high of $124.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $173.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.95, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.08. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 8.92% and a net margin of 11.54%.The company had revenue of $25.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.45 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. Walt Disney has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.640-6.640 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney 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.

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