Merit Financial Group LLC Raises Stock Position in The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group LLC increased its stake in The Walt Disney Company by 20.9% in Q4, buying 11,828 shares to hold 68,389 shares worth about $7.78 million.
• About 65.71% of Disney is owned by institutional investors; several other funds made modest position changes and analysts' consensus remains a "Moderate Buy" with a $132.19 price target.
• Corporate developments include a stronger theatrical and parks pipeline and a planned 4,000‑home "Asteria" project, offset by roughly 1,000 job cuts that introduce near‑term operational and content risks.

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 20.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 68,389 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after buying an additional 11,828 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $7,781,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. increased its holdings in Walt Disney by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 5,876 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $669,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Jim Saulnier & Associates LLC increased its holdings in Walt Disney by 3.1% in the third quarter. Jim Saulnier & Associates LLC now owns 2,995 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $343,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. increased its holdings in Walt Disney by 0.5% in the third quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. now owns 20,202 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $2,313,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. CFO4Life Group LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 1.2% in the third quarter. CFO4Life Group LLC now owns 7,894 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $904,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stonebrook Private Inc. grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 4.1% in the third quarter. Stonebrook Private Inc. now owns 2,357 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $270,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Walt Disney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Disney used CinemaCon to outline upcoming theatrical slate and distribution plans, reinforcing the studio’s box‑office pipeline that can lift content revenue and theatrical margins. CinemaCon preview
• Positive Sentiment: Disney and DMB Development plan a 4,000‑home "Asteria" community in North Carolina, expanding Disney’s branded real‑estate/licensing footprint and creating long‑term recurring revenue opportunities. Asteria community
• Positive Sentiment: Parks investment continues: reports of major Animal Kingdom additions and 2027 vacation package rollouts support attendance and per‑cap spending trends. Animal Kingdom expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Value investors note Disney’s ~1.5% dividend and valuation discount versus history/market, arguing the stock is attractive on income + recovery upside. Dividend valuation note
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Josh D’Amaro’s recent public recognitions (Time100) may bolster investor confidence in leadership executing the turnaround and cost‑saving plans. CEO recognition
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts modestly trimmed Disney’s fair value (to ~$128.42), a very small adjustment that signals slight caution but not a major re‑rating. Fair value tweak
• Neutral Sentiment: Some outlets reiterate multi‑month price targets and bullish 2027 forecasts (e.g., 24/7 Wall St.), keeping a mixed analyst picture that leaves room for upside if execution improves. Price prediction
• Negative Sentiment: Disney announced roughly 1,000 job cuts across Marvel, ESPN, studios and corporate — a sign of aggressive cost‑cutting that could reduce near‑term SG&A but raises questions about creative capacity and PR risk. Job cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Analyses warn the layoffs and restructuring under new leadership could materially change Disney’s investment case depending on execution and content output, adding near‑term uncertainty. Investment case analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Internal memos (ESPN) highlight staff disruption and communications around cuts, a short‑term operational/headwind risk for the sports unit. ESPN memo

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on DIS shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Walt Disney from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $125.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $136.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $140.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $132.19.

Walt Disney Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE DIS opened at $106.25 on Friday. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $82.98 and a 1 year high of $124.69. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $101.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $107.28. The firm has a market cap of $188.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.44. 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 announced its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.06. Walt Disney had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 8.90%. The firm had revenue of $25.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.40 earnings per share. Walt Disney's revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 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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