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

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-six analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eighteen have issued a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $125.64.

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Walt Disney from $137.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. They set a “hold” rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Walt Disney by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 77,596,191 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $7,463,978,000 after buying an additional 490,681 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 38,482,309 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $4,272,590,000 after acquiring an additional 809,989 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 8.7% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 34,416,668 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $3,310,539,000 after acquiring an additional 2,765,389 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in Walt Disney by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 22,242,415 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $2,476,693,000 after acquiring an additional 2,096,431 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter valued at $2,415,427,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walt Disney Price Performance

DIS stock opened at $101.61 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $107.76 and a 200-day moving average of $104.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $183.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.41. Walt Disney has a 12 month low of $83.91 and a 12 month high of $123.74. 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 (NYSE:DIS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.32. Walt Disney had a net margin of 6.07% and a return on equity of 9.95%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Walt Disney will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Walt Disney

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.