The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-five research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twenty-two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $125.08.

DIS has been the subject of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Raymond James boosted their price target on Walt Disney from $112.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. Argus raised their price objective on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Rosenblatt Securities upped their target price on Walt Disney from $129.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 7th.

Walt Disney Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE DIS opened at $113.66 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $114.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $100.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $208.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.16, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.40. Walt Disney has a 52-week low of $78.73 and a 52-week high of $123.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.84.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $23.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.71 billion. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 3.36%. Walt Disney’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.99 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Walt Disney will post 4.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Investors of record on Monday, July 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.5%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio is presently 55.56%.

Insider Activity

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 shares were 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 in the company, valued at $536,448. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walt Disney

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Planned Solutions Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Gold Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walt Disney in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 355.3% during the 4th quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 346 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Partnership Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other 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.