Graham Capital Management L.P. Acquires 71,853 Shares of The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Graham Capital Management L.P. significantly increased its stake in The Walt Disney Company by 466.3% in the first quarter, now holding 87,262 shares valued at approximately $8.6 million.
• Major hedge funds, including J. Safra Sarasin and Rheos Capital Works Inc., have also increased their holdings in Disney, indicating strong institutional interest in the stock.
• Walt Disney reported earnings of $1.61 per share, exceeding estimates, and has a consensus target price of $131.18 with a rating of "Moderate Buy" from analysts.

Graham Capital Management L.P. raised its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 466.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 87,262 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after acquiring an additional 71,853 shares during the quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P.'s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $8,613,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of DIS. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Walt Disney by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 26,767 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $2,980,000 after acquiring an additional 1,904 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC bought a new position in Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at about $253,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at about $190,000. Asset Management Group Inc. increased its holdings in Walt Disney by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Asset Management Group Inc. now owns 54,418 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $6,059,000 after buying an additional 3,347 shares during the period. Finally, Aspire Growth Partners LLC bought a new position in Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at about $385,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DIS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Chardan Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 11th. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price target 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. Stephens reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 11th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, August 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.18.

Walt Disney Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:DIS traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $118.26. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,012,545 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,982,320. The Walt Disney Company has a fifty-two week low of $80.10 and a fifty-two week high of $124.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.72. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $119.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $108.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $212.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.54, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.55.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.16. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.67% and a net margin of 12.22%.The business had revenue of $23.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.69 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business 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 forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Profile

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.