Lazard Asset Management LLC Raises Stock Position in The Walt Disney Company $DIS

Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 154.1% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 898,506 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 544,916 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $111,422,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 82.5% during the 2nd quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. now owns 208 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Asset Planning Inc. purchased a new position in Walt Disney during the 2nd quarter worth $37,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new position in Walt Disney during the 2nd quarter valued at about $48,000. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Walt Disney during the 2nd quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the second quarter valued at about $53,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

DIS opened at $111.52 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The Walt Disney Company has a 12-month low of $80.10 and a 12-month high of $124.69. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $109.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $114.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $199.10 billion, a PE ratio of 16.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.49.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 13th. The entertainment giant reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.08. Walt Disney had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 9.37%. The firm had revenue of $22.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.14 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Walt Disney Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 139.0%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.87%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DIS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup restated a “positive” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $140.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Walt Disney from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $141.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Friday, October 17th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $138.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $134.41.

About Walt Disney

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.