The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Shares Purchased by Meritage Portfolio Management

Meritage Portfolio Management grew its stake in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 45.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,781 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,189 shares during the quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $341,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in 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 during the last quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Stock Down 0.0 %

Walt Disney stock opened at $112.73 on Friday. The Walt Disney Company has a fifty-two week low of $78.73 and a fifty-two week high of $123.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $206.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 69.59, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.42. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $114.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $99.66.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its quarterly 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 for 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%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.99 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.66 EPS for the current year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on DIS. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Macquarie upped their price objective on Walt Disney from $94.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on Walt Disney from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 1st. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twenty-two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $125.08.

Insider Activity at Walt Disney

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.92, for a total value of $226,405.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now 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 accessible through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.