The Walt Disney Company $DIS Shares Sold by Gamco Investors INC. ET AL

Key Points

• Gamco Investors reduced its Disney stake by 15.1% in the first quarter, selling 44,436 shares and leaving it with 249,026 shares valued at about $24 million.
• Disney recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.57 versus $1.49 expected and revenue of $25.17 billion, up 6.5% year over year.
• Despite some recent stock weakness and restructuring pressure, Wall Street remains mostly constructive, with analysts maintaining a Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $129.

Gamco Investors INC. ET AL trimmed its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 15.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 249,026 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after selling 44,436 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $24,001,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its holdings in Walt Disney by 9,060.1% in the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 38,135,363 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $4,338,660,000 after purchasing an additional 37,719,041 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,388,278,000. Viking Global Investors LP acquired a new position in Walt Disney during the second quarter worth $725,219,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 62.5% during the fourth 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 purchasing an additional 5,334,866 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 37.8% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 12,569,185 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $1,429,996,000 after buying an additional 3,450,198 shares during the period. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Walt Disney News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Disney shares are rising on expectations that another round of layoffs could support margins by lowering expenses across Pixar, ESPN, and National Geographic, reinforcing management’s cost-cutting narrative ahead of earnings. Disney Shares Rise as Investors Weigh Fresh Cost Cuts and Upcoming Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment is also being supported by confidence in Disney’s streaming turnaround, strong parks and experiences performance, and optimism around the long-term ESPN direct-to-consumer opportunity. Disney Shares Rise as Investors Weigh Fresh Cost Cuts and Upcoming Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual call-option buying suggests traders are positioning for additional upside, with bullish flow potentially reflecting expectations for a favorable earnings update on August 5. Disney Shares Rise as Investors Weigh Fresh Cost Cuts and Upcoming Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street coverage remains generally constructive, with recent analyst commentary and price targets implying the stock could have room to recover if execution improves. Is Disney (DIS) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Negative Sentiment: Recent layoffs at Pixar, ESPN, and National Geographic also highlight ongoing restructuring pressure and underscore that Disney is still working through a broader efficiency reset. Pixar and National Geographic hit in latest round of Disney layoffs
• Negative Sentiment: The stock has also faced recent weakness after a sharp selloff, leaving DIS close to its 52-week low and reminding investors that sentiment can remain fragile despite the positive catalyst. Walt Disney (DIS) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note

Walt Disney Trading Up 2.1%

NYSE:DIS opened at $94.78 on Friday. The Walt Disney Company has a 12-month low of $92.18 and a 12-month high of $122.45. The firm has a market cap of $164.58 billion, a PE ratio of 15.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.39. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $99.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $102.90.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $25.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.87 billion. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 8.92% and a net margin of 11.54%.Walt Disney's revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.45 EPS. Walt Disney has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.640-6.640 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on DIS shares. Phillip Securities raised Walt Disney from a "moderate buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, 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 Friday, June 12th. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $138.00 to $133.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $129.00.

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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