Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Trading 1.1% Higher on Analyst Upgrade

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)’s share price was up 1.1% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on the stock from $128.00 to $141.00. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Walt Disney traded as high as $113.49 and last traded at $113.23. Approximately 1,423,950 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 11,904,283 shares. The stock had previously closed at $111.99.

DIS has been the topic of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Walt Disney in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $136.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twenty-two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walt Disney presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $125.08.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the business’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 value of $226,405.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $536,448. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Gold Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Walt Disney by 355.3% during the fourth 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 during the period. Finally, Partnership Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walt Disney Price Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average of $114.10 and a 200-day moving average of $99.27. The firm has a market cap of $208.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 70.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.71 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.99 earnings per share. Walt Disney’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.66 EPS for the current fiscal 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 issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. This represents a yield of 0.5%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.52%.

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.