The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Shares Sold by Lafayette Investments Inc.

Lafayette Investments Inc. decreased its position in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 0.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 37,963 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 200 shares during the period. Lafayette Investments Inc.’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $3,428,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Avitas Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Avitas Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,037 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $997,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares during the period. WNY Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 32.8% during the 3rd quarter. WNY Asset Management LLC now owns 9,321 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $756,000 after purchasing an additional 2,304 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Pathway Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,024 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the period. Telos Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 74,767 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $6,751,000 after purchasing an additional 1,236 shares during the period. Finally, Tempus Wealth Planning LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC now owns 12,722 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,031,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America boosted their price target on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 1st. Barclays upgraded Walt Disney from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $95.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, March 25th. Rosenblatt Securities upped their price objective on Walt Disney from $129.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $136.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twenty-two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $124.54.

Walt Disney Stock Down 0.5 %

Walt Disney stock traded down $0.54 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $111.89. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,837,717 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,018,797. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $113.90 and its 200 day moving average is $98.35. The company has a market cap of $205.24 billion, a PE ratio of 69.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The Walt Disney Company has a 52-week low of $78.73 and a 52-week high of $123.74.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $23.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.99 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The company 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 yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. Walt Disney’s payout ratio is currently 18.52%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 4,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $536,448. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Company 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.