Scharf Investments LLC Cuts Position in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Scharf Investments LLC lowered its stake in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 1.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 578,369 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after selling 10,603 shares during the period. Walt Disney comprises 1.7% of Scharf Investments LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Scharf Investments LLC's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $57,085,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Tacita Capital Inc grew its holdings in Walt Disney by 93.2% in the fourth quarter. Tacita Capital Inc now owns 257 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Midwest Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

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

Walt Disney Stock Down 0.2%

DIS opened at $117.61 on Monday. The Walt Disney Company has a 12 month low of $80.10 and a 12 month high of $120.50. The business has a 50-day moving average of $104.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $105.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $211.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.54.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

DIS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wolfe Research raised shares of Walt Disney from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $112.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Guggenheim lowered their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Rosenblatt Securities upped their target price on Walt Disney from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $123.96.

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.

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