Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Shares Up 1%

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)’s stock price shot up 1% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $114.06 and last traded at $114.03. 1,174,852 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average session volume of 12,049,179 shares. The stock had previously closed at $112.94.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on DIS shares. Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $136.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st. Barclays raised Walt Disney from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $95.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, March 25th. Bank of America upped their target price on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 1st. Macquarie lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $94.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and twenty-two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $124.54.

Walt Disney Stock Up 0.2 %

The company has a market capitalization of $206.58 billion, a PE ratio of 69.52, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.42. 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 company’s 50 day moving average is $113.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $98.56.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued 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 business had revenue of $23.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.99 EPS. The company’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 business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Investors of record on Monday, July 8th will be given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. This represents a yield of 0.5%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

In related news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.92, for a total transaction of $226,405.44. Following the completion of the sale, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walt Disney

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Gold Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, SkyView Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 172.6% during the second quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 319 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. 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.