Sound Shore Management Inc. CT Boosts Position in The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Sound Shore Management Inc. CT lifted its stake in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 1.2% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 970,436 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after buying an additional 11,725 shares during the period. Walt Disney accounts for about 3.1% of Sound Shore Management Inc. CT’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Sound Shore Management Inc. CT’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $93,531,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of DIS. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 29.2% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,522,860 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $969,646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,924,200 shares in the last quarter. Aviva PLC grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 1,516,177 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $172,495,000 after buying an additional 78,914 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors increased its position in Walt Disney by 18.8% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 96,476 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $10,976,000 after buying an additional 15,243 shares in the last quarter. Xponance LLC increased its position in Walt Disney by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Xponance LLC now owns 291,158 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $33,125,000 after buying an additional 20,266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd raised its stake in Walt Disney by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 329,997 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $37,544,000 after buying an additional 32,065 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Walt Disney

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

• Positive Sentiment: Disney is expanding its parks and experiences business, with multiple reports highlighting new and reimagined attractions at Hollywood Studios and an official opening date for the newest Disney World attraction, which could support long-term theme park revenue. Disney World’s newest attraction has an official opening date
• Positive Sentiment: Disney continues to lean into sports fandom through a new NFL partnership, reinforcing the value of its sports/ESPN strategy and helping offset concerns about streaming competition. Disney Continues To Bet On Sports Fandom With New NFL Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Recent reporting says Disney’s cruise business generated $3 billion last fiscal year and the company plans a major fleet expansion, pointing to another growth engine beyond streaming. Disney’s cruise ship fleet generated $3 billion…
• Neutral Sentiment: News that Disney is considering a free streaming option may be seen as a way to attract viewers, but it also suggests management is still searching for the right monetization model for streaming. Disney considers launching free streaming option for consumers
• Negative Sentiment: Investor debate over whether Disney should exit the streaming business highlights ongoing concerns about profitability and growth in Disney’s direct-to-consumer segment. SA Asks: Should Disney get out of the streaming business?
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny is a headwind after reports that the FCC is moving closer to rulings against Disney over “The View” and broadcast licenses, adding legal and reputational uncertainty. FCC Nearing Rulings Against Disney Over ‘The View,’ TV Licenses

Walt Disney Price Performance

DIS opened at $97.77 on Monday. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $92.18 and a 1 year high of $123.40. 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 company has a market capitalization of $169.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.39. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $100.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $103.47.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.57 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 company had revenue of $25.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.87 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.45 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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 anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Guggenheim increased their price target on Walt Disney from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Friday, June 12th. Citigroup upped their target price on Walt Disney from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Raymond James Financial cut their target price on Walt Disney from $119.00 to $111.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $126.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $129.31.

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.