The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Shares Sold by Hosking Partners LLP

Hosking Partners LLP lowered its stake in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 0.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 108,168 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 310 shares during the quarter. Hosking Partners LLP’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $12,045,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC bought a new position in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Walt Disney by 38.1% in the fourth quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 399 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on DIS shares. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $108.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Walt Disney from $128.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Finally, Prescient Securities reduced their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Walt Disney presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $125.44.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

NYSE DIS opened at $111.26 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $110.64 and a 200 day simple moving average of $103.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market capitalization of $201.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.24, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.42. The Walt Disney Company has a twelve month low of $83.91 and a twelve month high of $123.74.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.32. Walt Disney had a net margin of 6.07% and a return on equity of 9.95%. Sell-side analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Walt Disney’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.57%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.74, for a total transaction of $917,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 44,055 shares in the company, valued at $5,054,870.70. This trade represents a 15.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.16% 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.