Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Shares Up 0.6%

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)’s share price shot up 0.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $112.13 and last traded at $111.15. 2,060,167 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 11,505,949 shares. The stock had previously closed at $110.48.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on DIS. Daiwa Capital Markets restated a “buy” rating and set a $133.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, April 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Rosenblatt Securities raised their target price on Walt Disney from $129.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Argus raised their target price on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their target price on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twenty-two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.08.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $114.28 and a 200-day moving average of $100.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $206.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 68.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.40.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.25. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 3.36%. The business had revenue of $23.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.71 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.99 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 8th. This represents a yield of 0.5%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

In other news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.92, for a total value of $226,405.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $536,448. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walt Disney

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Trian Fund Management L.P. boosted its position in Walt Disney by 411.6% during the third quarter. Trian Fund Management L.P. now owns 32,868,307 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $2,663,976,000 after buying an additional 26,443,257 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,938,647,000. ValueAct Holdings L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth $459,245,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 3rd quarter worth $326,171,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walt Disney by 8,681.3% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,349,709 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $302,445,000 after purchasing an additional 3,311,563 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

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.