Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) EVP Sells 20,552 Shares of Company Stock

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) EVP Horacio Gutierrez sold 20,552 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $2,466,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 37,765 shares in the company, valued at $4,531,800. This trade represents a 35.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Walt Disney Trading Down 0.4%

DIS stock traded down $0.50 during trading on Friday, reaching $116.72. 8,572,786 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,020,988. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $107.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $103.64. The Walt Disney Company has a 52-week low of $92.18 and a 52-week high of $120.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $201.53 billion, a PE ratio of 24.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.44.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The entertainment giant reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $25.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.39 billion. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.90% and a net margin of 8.70%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.61 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Walt Disney

Here are the key news stories impacting Walt Disney this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Disney’s animated film Hexed is projected to generate $40 million–$50 million over the Thanksgiving box-office stretch. That forecast offers a possible theatrical boost, though it is an estimate rather than a result. Thanksgiving box-office projections
• Positive Sentiment: Walt Disney World is extending park hours for Thanksgiving week, a seasonal move that may help accommodate visitor demand and support park spending. Thanksgiving park hours
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and still held 62,995 shares afterward, making the sale a limited signal about his outlook. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Reports say Disney is seeking savings of up to 20% and considering thousands of job cuts. Lower expenses could improve profitability if savings are achieved, but the scale of the reductions and employee uncertainty raise concerns about execution and possible effects on operations. Reports on planned cost savings and layoffs
• Negative Sentiment: A recent analysis says Netflix is pulling ahead of Disney, reinforcing concerns about competition in streaming. The article’s headline frames the issue as a potential buying opportunity, but the competitive gap remains a risk for Disney’s growth outlook. Analysis of Disney and Netflix competition

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cim Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 66.2% in the second quarter. Cim Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,883 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,336,000 after purchasing an additional 5,530 shares in the last quarter. Cullen Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the 2nd quarter worth about $4,092,000. Windsor Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in Walt Disney by 297.9% during the 1st quarter. Windsor Advisory Group LLC now owns 10,082 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $972,000 after acquiring an additional 7,548 shares during the period. Weiss Asset Management LP acquired a new stake in Walt Disney during the 1st quarter worth about $694,000. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC grew its stake in Walt Disney by 8.9% during the 2nd quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 352,069 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $33,887,000 after acquiring an additional 28,777 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DIS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James Financial reduced their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $119.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and set a $126.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Truist Financial set a $115.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Walt Disney from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, September 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.16.

About Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment and media company whose businesses include film and television production, streaming, sports programming, and theme parks and resorts. Its brands and properties include Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ABC, and ESPN.

Disney produces and distributes films and television programs, operates streaming services including Disney+ and Hulu, and provides sports content through ESPN. Its Experiences business operates theme parks and resorts, cruise ships, and other travel and consumer experiences based on the company’s characters and stories.

Founded in 1923 by Walt Disney and Roy O.