Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) were down 0.1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $112.47 and last traded at $112.60. Approximately 1,186,298 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average daily volume of 11,652,560 shares. The stock had previously closed at $112.73.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Argus upped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $129.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Tigress Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $136.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Walt Disney from $110.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. One equities research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $125.08.

Walt Disney Stock Down 0.6 %

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $114.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $99.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a market capitalization of $205.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 69.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.42.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 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 firm’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.99 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Investors of record on Monday, July 8th will be paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.5%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio is presently 55.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walt Disney

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Trian Fund Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 411.6% in the third quarter. Trian Fund Management L.P. now owns 32,868,307 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $2,663,976,000 after acquiring an additional 26,443,257 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,938,647,000. ValueAct Holdings L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $459,245,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the third quarter valued at approximately $326,171,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its position in Walt Disney by 8,681.3% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,349,709 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $302,445,000 after buying an additional 3,311,563 shares in the last quarter. 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.