WASHINGTON TRUST Co Buys 2,238 Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

WASHINGTON TRUST Co grew its stake in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 2.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 98,518 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,238 shares during the quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $8,895,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of DIS. Planned Solutions Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new position in Walt Disney in the first quarter worth $28,000. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Walt Disney during the first quarter valued at $29,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, MBM Wealth Consultants LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 197.6% in the 4th quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC now owns 366 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 243 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

NYSE:DIS traded up $0.39 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $120.32. 6,225,240 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,451,475. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $106.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $94.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The Walt Disney Company has a one year low of $78.73 and a one year high of $122.03. The firm has a market cap of $220.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 74.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.41.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its earnings results 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 net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 7.88%. The company had revenue of $23.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.99 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 8th will be issued 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 is presently 18.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on DIS shares. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Macquarie upped their price target on Walt Disney from $94.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Rosenblatt Securities reduced their price objective on Walt Disney from $114.00 to $112.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 22nd. Raymond James boosted their target price on Walt Disney from $112.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays upgraded Walt Disney from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $95.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $116.64.

Insider Transactions at Walt Disney

In related news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 898 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total transaction of $80,918.78. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,861 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $167,694.71. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate 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.