The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-five ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation and twenty-two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $126.50.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on Walt Disney from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Argus raised their target price on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on Walt Disney from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th.

Walt Disney Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSE:DIS opened at $102.19 on Wednesday. Walt Disney has a 52 week low of $78.73 and a 52 week high of $123.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $105.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $104.55. The firm has a market cap of $186.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 111.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.75.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The entertainment giant reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $22.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.12 billion. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 8.37% and a net margin of 1.90%. Walt Disney’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.93 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Walt Disney will post 4.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director James P. Gorman bought 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 8th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $106.03 per share, with a total value of $2,120,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 20,467 shares in the company, valued at $2,170,116.01. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director James P. Gorman acquired 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 8th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $106.03 per share, for a total transaction of $2,120,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 20,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,170,116.01. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.92, for a total transaction of $226,405.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $536,448. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in DIS. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Gold Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Walt Disney in the third quarter worth $30,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 355.3% in the fourth quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 346 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ESL Trust Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the first quarter valued at $31,000. 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.