Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 68.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,038,345 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 829,260 shares during the quarter. Walt Disney comprises approximately 1.5% of Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 11th largest position. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned 0.11% of Walt Disney worth $201,185,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in DIS. MJT & Associates Financial Advisory Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kessler Investment Group LLC increased its position in shares of Walt Disney by 274.0% during the first quarter. Kessler Investment Group LLC now owns 273 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Copia Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walt Disney Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of DIS stock opened at $116.34 on Friday. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $80.10 and a 1 year high of $124.69. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $119.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $108.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The company has a market cap of $209.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.24, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.56.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.16. Walt Disney had a net margin of 12.22% and a return on equity of 9.67%. The firm had revenue of $23.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.69 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.39 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DIS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Susquehanna reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.18.

About Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company operates as an entertainment company worldwide. It operates through three segments: Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences. The company produces and distributes film and television video streaming content under the ABC Television Network, Disney, Freeform, FX, Fox, National Geographic, and Star brand television channels, as well as ABC television stations and A+E television networks; and produces original content under the ABC Signature, Disney Branded Television, FX Productions, Lucasfilm, Marvel, National Geographic Studios, Pixar, Searchlight Pictures, Twentieth Century Studios, 20th Television, and Walt Disney Pictures banners.