The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Shares Sold by Pacer Advisors Inc.

Key Points

• Pacer Advisors Inc. has reduced its holdings in The Walt Disney Company by 35.7%, ending up with 92,514 shares valued at approximately $9.13 million after selling over 51,000 shares in the first quarter.
• Several institutional investors, including DZ BANK AG and Arrowstreet Capital, significantly increased their stakes in Walt Disney, with DZ BANK AG boosting its position by 1,900%.
• Walt Disney reported earnings of $1.45 per share for the recent quarter, surpassing analysts’ expectations, and its revenue increased by 7% year-over-year to reach $23.62 billion.

Pacer Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 35.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 92,514 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after selling 51,337 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $9,131,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of DIS. Planning Directions Inc. purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the 1st quarter valued at about $326,000. Trek Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Walt Disney by 479.9% in the 4th quarter. Trek Financial LLC now owns 36,320 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $4,044,000 after purchasing an additional 30,057 shares during the last quarter. WoodTrust Financial Corp boosted its holdings in Walt Disney by 6.7% in the 1st quarter. WoodTrust Financial Corp now owns 96,158 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $9,491,000 after purchasing an additional 6,047 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Stockton boosted its holdings in Walt Disney by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Stockton now owns 9,091 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $897,000 after purchasing an additional 383 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rheos Capital Works Inc. boosted its holdings in Walt Disney by 164.7% in the 1st quarter. Rheos Capital Works Inc. now owns 395,400 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $39,026,000 after purchasing an additional 246,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on DIS shares. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Walt Disney from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $112.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, April 21st. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Walt Disney from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $100.00 to $144.00 in a report on Monday, June 30th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.70.

Walt Disney Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:DIS traded down $0.50 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $119.04. The stock had a trading volume of 1,650,392 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,707,471. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $80.10 and a 1 year high of $124.69. The firm's 50 day moving average is $118.46 and its 200-day moving average is $107.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $214.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.56.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The entertainment giant reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $23.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.15 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 9.47% and a return on equity of 9.99%. The company's revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.21 EPS. Research analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walt Disney

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.84, for a total value of $110,840.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,831 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,190,748.04. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walt Disney Company 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.