Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Trading Up 0.6%

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)’s share price was up 0.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $99.08 and last traded at $98.61. Approximately 5,029,969 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 49% from the average daily volume of 9,798,412 shares. The stock had previously closed at $97.99.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on DIS. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $129.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $128.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twenty-three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $126.44.

Walt Disney Stock Up 0.6 %

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $103.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $104.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market cap of $179.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 107.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.40.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The entertainment giant reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.09. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 8.37% and a net margin of 1.90%. The business had revenue of $22.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.93 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

In other Walt Disney news, Director James P. Gorman acquired 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 8th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $106.03 per share, for a total transaction of $2,120,600.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 20,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,170,116.01. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director James P. Gorman bought 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 8th. The stock was bought at an average price of $106.03 per share, with a total value of $2,120,600.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 20,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,170,116.01. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 4,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.00, for a total value of $466,400.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 84.6% in the first quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 2,000,267 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $244,754,000 after purchasing an additional 916,772 shares during the last quarter. Avitas Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Avitas Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,037 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $997,000 after buying an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. WNY Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 32.8% during the third quarter. WNY Asset Management LLC now owns 9,321 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $756,000 after buying an additional 2,304 shares during the period. Telos Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 74,767 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $6,751,000 after acquiring an additional 1,236 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Howard Capital Management Group LLC lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 213,601 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $19,286,000 after acquiring an additional 3,716 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% 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.