Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) EVP Horacio Gutierrez Sells 20,552 Shares of Company Stock

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) EVP Horacio Gutierrez sold 20,552 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $2,466,240.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 37,765 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,531,800. This represents a 35.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Walt Disney stock opened at $116.72 on Friday. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $92.18 and a 1 year high of $120.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $201.53 billion, a PE ratio of 24.07, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.44. The company’s 50-day moving average is $108.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $103.68.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The entertainment giant reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $25.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.39 billion. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.90% and a net margin of 8.70%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.61 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,386,720,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in Walt Disney by 13.6% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 14,272,449 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,375,579,000 after buying an additional 1,703,264 shares in the last quarter. Amundi grew its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 2.5% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 11,349,651 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,093,878,000 after buying an additional 273,128 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 2.1% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 7,416,858 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $714,736,000 after buying an additional 149,384 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 6,703,179 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $646,047,000 after acquiring an additional 480,104 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on DIS. Argus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $134.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Walt Disney from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Friday, October 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.16.

Key Stories Impacting Walt Disney

Here are the key news stories impacting Walt Disney this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Disney’s animated film Hexed is projected to generate $40 million–$50 million over the Thanksgiving box-office stretch. That forecast offers a possible theatrical boost, though it is an estimate rather than a result. Thanksgiving box-office projections
• Positive Sentiment: Walt Disney World is extending park hours for Thanksgiving week, a seasonal move that may help accommodate visitor demand and support park spending. Thanksgiving park hours
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and still held 62,995 shares afterward, making the sale a limited signal about his outlook. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Reports say Disney is seeking savings of up to 20% and considering thousands of job cuts. Lower expenses could improve profitability if savings are achieved, but the scale of the reductions and employee uncertainty raise concerns about execution and possible effects on operations. Reports on planned cost savings and layoffs
• Negative Sentiment: A recent analysis says Netflix is pulling ahead of Disney, reinforcing concerns about competition in streaming. The article’s headline frames the issue as a potential buying opportunity, but the competitive gap remains a risk for Disney’s growth outlook. Analysis of Disney and Netflix competition

About Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment and media company whose businesses include film and television production, streaming, sports programming, and theme parks and resorts. Its brands and properties include Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ABC, and ESPN.

Disney produces and distributes films and television programs, operates streaming services including Disney+ and Hulu, and provides sports content through ESPN. Its Experiences business operates theme parks and resorts, cruise ships, and other travel and consumer experiences based on the company’s characters and stories.

Founded in 1923 by Walt Disney and Roy O.