Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Stock Price Down 0.5%

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)’s share price was down 0.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $111.08 and last traded at $111.90. Approximately 2,492,254 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 12,010,584 shares. The stock had previously closed at $112.43.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on DIS shares. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $112.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twenty-two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.54.

Walt Disney Price Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average price is $113.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $98.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $204.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 69.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.42.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $23.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.71 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 7.88%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.99 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Walt Disney

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

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Planned Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Gold Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Fortis Group Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.