Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd Purchases 6,919 Shares of The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management boosted its Disney stake by 1.4% in Q4, buying 6,919 shares to hold 493,038 shares worth about $56.09 million.
• Disney recently beat Q4 estimates with EPS of $1.63 (vs. $1.57) and revenue of $25.98 billion (up 5.2% YoY); analysts rate the stock a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $133.53.
• Near-term catalysts and risks include upcoming Q2 results and product/partnership initiatives (e.g., a possible "super app"), offset by ~1,000 job cuts under new CEO Josh D'Amaro and cost pressures from sports rights and park operations.

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 1.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 493,038 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after buying an additional 6,919 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $56,093,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Falcon Wealth Planning grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 12.5% in the fourth quarter. Falcon Wealth Planning now owns 3,884 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $442,000 after buying an additional 432 shares in the last quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 25.5% in the fourth quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 3,083 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $351,000 after buying an additional 627 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,998,811 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $227,405,000 after buying an additional 47,642 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 155,280 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $17,666,000 after buying an additional 3,757 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 290,594 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $33,061,000 after buying an additional 5,700 shares in the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walt Disney Trading Down 0.9%

DIS stock opened at $100.41 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $100.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $106.65. The Walt Disney Company has a one year low of $91.00 and a one year high of $124.69. The stock has a market cap of $177.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.41.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The entertainment giant reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.06. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 8.90% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company had revenue of $25.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.40 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.61 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on DIS shares. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $140.00 to $130.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 16th. 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 research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $150.00 to $148.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $136.00 to $132.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Walt Disney presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.53.

Key Walt Disney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: High-profile bullish commentary from TV pundits and analysts has raised short-term optimism that Disney's consumer/park recovery will show through in the quarter. Jim Cramer on Walt Disney
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate partnerships tied to major releases (e.g., Papa John's collaboration for Toy Story 5) help drive marketing reach and ancillary revenue ahead of summer box office. Papa Johns Teams Up with Disney and Pixar
• Positive Sentiment: Product/tech initiatives such as exploration of a "super app" could improve cross-selling across tickets, cruises, streaming and experiences over time, supporting monetization. Walt Disney Explores Super App Future
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Q2 results (due before the bell May 6); multiple previews highlight expectations for a volatile post-earnings move — the report will likely be the main near-term catalyst. Can Disney Keep Treading Above $100 After Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes improving streaming profitability, but the headline risk is that results could swing either way depending on timing of sports costs and park expenses. Here's How Much Disney Stock Is Expected to Move After Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: New CEO Josh D'Amaro announced ~1,000 job cuts (mostly in marketing) to consolidate brand efforts — a cost-saving move that also raises short-term execution and reputational questions. Investors may see this as a near-term headwind to sentiment. Disney's New CEO Starts With Job Cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst notes point to a mixed Q2 outlook: streaming gains could be offset by rising sports rights costs and higher Experiences (parks/cruises) expenses, which pressures margins. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Disney
• Negative Sentiment: Minor operational hiccup: a popular Disney World ride briefly shut down after reopening — a localized operational note that could modestly influence park sentiment if repeated. Ride Reopens and Shuts Down

About Walt Disney

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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