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

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-four brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eighteen have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $123.83.

Several research firms recently issued reports on DIS. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on Walt Disney from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 18th. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Walt Disney from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 30th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on Walt Disney from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th.

Walt Disney Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of Walt Disney stock opened at $115.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $98.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.84. Walt Disney has a fifty-two week low of $83.91 and a fifty-two week high of $123.74. The firm has a market cap of $209.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

In related news, CEO Robert A. Iger sold 372,412 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.57, for a total transaction of $42,667,242.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 226,767 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,980,695.19. This represents a 62.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Brent Woodford sold 5,000 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.62, for a total transaction of $568,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 44,055 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,005,529.10. This trade represents a 10.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Boyar Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 1.7% during the third quarter. Boyar Asset Management Inc. now owns 33,280 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $3,201,000 after purchasing an additional 551 shares during the last quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the third quarter valued at about $660,000. Saratoga Research & Investment Management boosted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 18.8% in the third quarter. Saratoga Research & Investment Management now owns 1,536,008 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $147,749,000 after buying an additional 242,675 shares during the period. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd increased its position in shares of Walt Disney by 28.3% in the third quarter. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd now owns 37,123 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $3,551,000 after acquiring an additional 8,180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Second Line Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the third quarter valued at approximately $244,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.