The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Receives $125.44 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-six research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $125.44.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on DIS. Prescient Securities cut their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, January 6th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.74, for a total transaction of $917,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 44,055 shares in the company, valued at $5,054,870.70. This trade represents a 15.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 4.7% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 107,880 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $10,377,000 after buying an additional 4,878 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in Walt Disney by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 66,531 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $6,400,000 after purchasing an additional 1,782 shares during the period. Modera Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 105,663 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $10,164,000 after purchasing an additional 2,657 shares in the last quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale lifted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 1,416,537 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $135,398,000 after purchasing an additional 71,908 shares during the period. Finally, Bristlecone Advisors LLC boosted its position in Walt Disney by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bristlecone Advisors LLC now owns 42,462 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $4,084,000 after acquiring an additional 1,233 shares in the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walt Disney Price Performance

Shares of DIS opened at $111.82 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $110.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.10. The firm has a market cap of $202.14 billion, a PE ratio of 36.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Walt Disney has a 1-year low of $83.91 and a 1-year high of $123.74.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.32. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.95% and a net margin of 6.07%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Walt Disney will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Walt Disney’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.6%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.57%.

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.