Principal Financial Group Inc. Buys 8,253 Shares of The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its Walt Disney stake by 0.4% in the first quarter, buying 8,253 more shares and bringing its total holdings to 2,007,064 shares valued at about $193.4 million.
• Disney’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $1.57 on revenue of $25.17 billion, while the company also maintained FY 2026 guidance and saw revenue rise 6.5% year over year.
• Wall Street remains mostly positive on DIS, with multiple analysts keeping buy-equivalent ratings and an average target price of $129.31, though some recent coverage has raised concerns about streaming strategy, ESPN, and weaker-than-expected film performance.

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 0.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,007,064 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after purchasing an additional 8,253 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.11% of Walt Disney worth $193,441,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 9,060.1% in the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 38,135,363 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $4,338,660,000 after buying an additional 37,719,041 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter valued at $2,388,278,000. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the 2nd quarter valued at $725,219,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in Walt Disney by 62.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,876,878 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $1,578,773,000 after acquiring an additional 5,334,866 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in Walt Disney by 37.8% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 12,569,185 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $1,429,996,000 after acquiring an additional 3,450,198 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.71% of the company's stock.

More Walt Disney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark initiated coverage on Disney (DIS) with a Buy rating and a $115 price target, arguing that Disney’s parks, streaming, and sports assets support a new growth phase. Disney initiated at Buy as analyst sees parks, streaming fueling next growth phase
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo said Disney (DIS) could unlock as much as 40% upside by exiting direct streaming and focusing more on licensing and content creation, which some investors may see as a value-unlocking path. Wells Fargo Says Disney Could Gain 40% by Exiting Streaming
• Positive Sentiment: Disney also announced it will host a webcast to discuss fiscal third-quarter 2026 results, keeping investors focused on upcoming earnings and guidance. The Walt Disney Company Executives to Discuss Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results via Webcast
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney is using promotional events like the upcoming “Created in L.A.” creator gathering and D23 programming announcements to support brand engagement and park/media buzz, but these items are unlikely to move the stock on their own. Disney Set to Launch Inaugural ‘Created in L.A.’ Event, Hosted by Jon Youshaei
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary and analyst pieces continue to debate whether Disney’s streaming and ESPN model needs a major rethink; while not a formal company action, this keeps strategic pressure on DIS. Disney (DIS) Faces Fresh Calls To Rethink Streaming And ESPN
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports said Disney’s live-action Moana opened below expectations and could lose heavily in theaters, reinforcing worries that Disney’s remake strategy may be losing momentum and hurting near-term earnings. 'Moana' Could Lose at Least $100 Million USD in Theaters as Disney's Remake Strategy Falters
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage questioning Disney’s core business model and citing heightened scrutiny from regulators adds uncertainty, which may be weighing on sentiment around DIS. FCC's Brendan Carr Reportedly Questions Antitrust Basis For Paramount, Says Disney Under Heightened Scrutiny

Walt Disney Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE DIS opened at $95.90 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The Walt Disney Company has a 12 month low of $92.18 and a 12 month high of $123.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $166.53 billion, a PE ratio of 15.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.39. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $101.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.81.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $25.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $24.87 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 8.92%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.45 EPS. Walt Disney has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.640-6.640 EPS. Equities analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DIS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Walt Disney from $146.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Barclays reduced their price target on Walt Disney from $135.00 to $110.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup upped their price target on Walt Disney from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial dropped their price objective on Walt Disney from $119.00 to $111.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $129.31.

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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