Merit Financial Group LLC Sells 1,110 Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Merit Financial Group LLC trimmed its holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 5.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,055 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 1,110 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $1,811,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Planned Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 3rd quarter worth 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. Evolution Advisers Inc. increased its position in shares of Walt Disney by 38.2% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Advisers Inc. now owns 380 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the third quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DIS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target 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. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 1st. Daiwa Capital Markets restated a “buy” rating and set a $133.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, April 1st. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Walt Disney from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twenty-two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $125.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.92, for a total transaction of $226,405.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $536,448. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Price Performance

Shares of DIS stock opened at $113.66 on Friday. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $78.73 and a 1 year high of $123.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $114.50 and its 200-day moving average is $100.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $208.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.16, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.40.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $23.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.71 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 7.88%. Walt Disney’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.99 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Investors of record on Monday, July 8th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio is 18.52%.

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.