River Global Investors LLP Sells 5,633 Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

River Global Investors LLP decreased its position in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 4.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 108,782 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 5,633 shares during the quarter. Walt Disney accounts for about 1.9% of River Global Investors LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest position. River Global Investors LLP’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $9,822,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DIS. Evolution Advisers Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 38.2% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Advisers Inc. now owns 380 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Gradient Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Gradient Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,975 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Walt Disney by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. now owns 16,514 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,338,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Royal Fund Management LLC lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Royal Fund Management LLC now owns 4,880 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $441,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kelman Lazarov Inc. grew its holdings in Walt Disney by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Kelman Lazarov Inc. now owns 3,583 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $324,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of DIS stock traded up $1.04 on Friday, hitting $113.66. The stock had a trading volume of 7,411,112 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,776,801. The Walt Disney Company has a 52-week low of $78.73 and a 52-week high of $123.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $208.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.84. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $114.50 and its 200-day moving average is $100.60.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.25. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 3.36%. The company had revenue of $23.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.71 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.99 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 8th will be given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. Walt Disney’s payout ratio is 55.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, April 11th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 1st. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $129.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Raymond James raised their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $112.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twenty-two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walt Disney presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $125.08.

Insider Activity

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

Walt Disney Profile

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.