The Walt Disney Company $DIS Shares Purchased by Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 43.6% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 21,211 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,445 shares during the period. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $2,044,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of DIS. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in 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 raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 78,914 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors raised 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 purchasing an additional 15,243 shares in the last quarter. Xponance LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 during the period. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 23.1% in the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 61,677 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $7,016,000 after buying an additional 11,570 shares during the period. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Walt Disney

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

• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark initiated coverage on Disney (DIS) with a Buy rating and a $115 price target, arguing that Disney’s parks, streaming, and sports assets support a new growth phase. Disney initiated at Buy as analyst sees parks, streaming fueling next growth phase
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo said Disney (DIS) could unlock as much as 40% upside by exiting direct streaming and focusing more on licensing and content creation, which some investors may see as a value-unlocking path. Wells Fargo Says Disney Could Gain 40% by Exiting Streaming
• Positive Sentiment: Disney also announced it will host a webcast to discuss fiscal third-quarter 2026 results, keeping investors focused on upcoming earnings and guidance. The Walt Disney Company Executives to Discuss Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results via Webcast
• Neutral Sentiment: Disney is using promotional events like the upcoming “Created in L.A.” creator gathering and D23 programming announcements to support brand engagement and park/media buzz, but these items are unlikely to move the stock on their own. Disney Set to Launch Inaugural ‘Created in L.A.’ Event, Hosted by Jon Youshaei
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary and analyst pieces continue to debate whether Disney’s streaming and ESPN model needs a major rethink; while not a formal company action, this keeps strategic pressure on DIS. Disney (DIS) Faces Fresh Calls To Rethink Streaming And ESPN
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports said Disney’s live-action Moana opened below expectations and could lose heavily in theaters, reinforcing worries that Disney’s remake strategy may be losing momentum and hurting near-term earnings. ‘Moana’ Could Lose at Least $100 Million USD in Theaters as Disney’s Remake Strategy Falters
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage questioning Disney’s core business model and citing heightened scrutiny from regulators adds uncertainty, which may be weighing on sentiment around DIS. FCC’s Brendan Carr Reportedly Questions Antitrust Basis For Paramount, Says Disney Under Heightened Scrutiny

Walt Disney Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE:DIS opened at $95.90 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $166.53 billion, a PE ratio of 15.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.39. The Walt Disney Company has a 52-week low of $92.18 and a 52-week high of $123.40. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $101.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $103.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $25.17 billion during 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%.The company’s revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.45 earnings per share. Walt Disney has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.640-6.640 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on DIS shares. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and set a $126.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Walt Disney from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Walt Disney from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Benchmark initiated coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $115.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $129.31.

Walt Disney 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.