Van ECK Associates Corp Buys 220,128 Shares of The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Key Points

• Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in Walt Disney by 14.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 220,128 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 1,735,048 shares valued at about $197.4 million.
• Institutional ownership remains heavy, with several large investors adding to or initiating positions in DIS and institutions now holding about 65.71% of the stock.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive: Needham reiterated a Buy rating at $125, while the consensus rating is Moderate Buy with an average target price of $133.71. Disney also recently beat earnings expectations, reporting $1.57 EPS on $25.17 billion in revenue.

Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 14.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,735,048 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after acquiring an additional 220,128 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp owned approximately 0.10% of Walt Disney worth $197,396,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in DIS. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth $2,388,278,000. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the second quarter valued at about $725,219,000. State Street Corp raised its position in Walt Disney by 3.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 82,019,749 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $9,391,261,000 after purchasing an additional 2,376,706 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in Walt Disney by 29.2% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,522,860 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $969,646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,924,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at about $174,275,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DIS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays raised their price objective on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Friday. Citigroup raised their price objective on Walt Disney from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Walt Disney from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Walt Disney from $148.00 to $146.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $133.71.

Key Headlines Impacting Walt Disney

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

• Positive Sentiment: Needham & Company reaffirmed its Buy rating on Disney and set a $125 price target, implying meaningful upside from recent trading levels and reinforcing bullish sentiment around the stock. Benzinga report on Needham rating reaffirmation
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings estimates for Disney, signaling improving profit expectations and suggesting analysts see stronger fundamentals ahead.
• Positive Sentiment: Disney upgraded the My Disney Experience app to make vacation planning easier, a small but constructive sign that the company is improving the guest experience and supporting its parks business. AOL article on My Disney Experience app upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Several entertainment articles about Kevin Costner meeting Walt Disney, and other Disney-related lifestyle/travel pieces, are mostly brand awareness items and are unlikely to materially affect the stock price. Yahoo Entertainment article on Kevin Costner story
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary also noted Disney’s share price weakness and valuation debate, but that appears more reflective of the broader pullback than a new company-specific catalyst. Yahoo Finance article on DIS share price weakness

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Shares of DIS opened at $99.89 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.68 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The Walt Disney Company has a one year low of $92.18 and a one year high of $124.69. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $102.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $105.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $173.45 billion, a PE ratio of 15.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.39.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 last year, the business earned $1.45 earnings per share. The business's 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. On average, analysts anticipate 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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