Ritholtz Wealth Management Raises Position in The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Ritholtz Wealth Management increased its Walt Disney stake by 62.3% in Q1, buying 18,229 more shares and bringing its position to 47,484 shares worth about $4.6 million.
• Disney has a mixed near-term backdrop: some investors and analysts remain constructive on its valuation and earnings growth, but the stock is facing regulatory and legal pressure, including an FCC investigation and a $50 million settlement tied to live-TV streaming claims.
• Wall Street sentiment is still broadly positive, with several firms raising price targets and the company reporting stronger-than-expected Q2 results—EPS of $1.57 versus $1.49 expected, and revenue of $25.17 billion, up 6.5% year over year.

Ritholtz Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 62.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 47,484 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after buying an additional 18,229 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $4,576,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Curio Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Walt Disney by 110.4% in the fourth quarter. Curio Wealth LLC now owns 223 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Osbon Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Sfam LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Greenline Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Walt Disney

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

• Positive Sentiment: Antipodes Global Fund disclosed a new investment in Disney, calling it a valuation opportunity. That kind of institutional buying can support the stock by signaling confidence that DIS may be undervalued. Antipodes Global Fund Invests in The Walt Disney Company (DIS) for Valuation Opportunities
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to frame Disney as a possible value and earnings-growth name, with some coverage highlighting price strength and a positive outlook relative to recent weakness. Earnings Growth & Price Strength Make Walt Disney (DIS) a Stock to Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney continues to make normal park and consumer-brand news, including new seasonal offerings and merchandise at Walt Disney World. These stories support the brand but are unlikely to move the stock on their own.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage about Disney’s leadership structure and Bob Iger’s past deal-making, including discussion of a possible Apple merger, is more background than a near-term catalyst for DIS shares. Inside Disney's org chart: See the leaders who report to CEO Josh D'Amaro and creative chief Dana Walden
• Negative Sentiment: Disney faces fresh legal and regulatory pressure after reports that the FCC is investigating the company and after Disney agreed to a $50 million settlement tied to claims that it made live-TV streaming more expensive. Both headlines add potential costs and overhang to the stock. US media regulator Brendan Carr accuses Disney of ‘misinformation' on investigations Disney agreed to $50M settlement over claims it made live-TV streaming expensive
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary comparing Disney with other media names and noting slowing media-share trends suggests competitive pressure in streaming and advertising, which can weigh on investor sentiment toward DIS. Nielsen: YouTube Gains, Fox-Roku Would Be Third

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on DIS. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Walt Disney from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $115.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $148.00 to $146.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Walt Disney from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Walt Disney from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $133.71.

Walt Disney Stock Down 3.1%

Shares of NYSE DIS opened at $98.03 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $170.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.66, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.39. The Walt Disney Company has a one year low of $92.18 and a one year high of $124.69. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $102.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $105.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.68 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.08. Walt Disney had a net margin of 11.54% and a return on equity of 8.92%. The firm had revenue of $25.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.45 EPS. The business's quarterly 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, analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Company 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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