The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Receives $123.58 Average PT from Brokerages

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-five brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nineteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $125.54.

DIS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Seaport Res Ptn raised Walt Disney from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Walt Disney from $108.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Piper Sandler started coverage on Walt Disney in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Walt Disney from $116.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th.

Walt Disney Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DIS opened at $111.39 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $201.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.43. The business’s 50 day moving average is $110.29 and its 200-day moving average is $99.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. 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 earnings results on Thursday, November 14th. The entertainment giant reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.05. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.21% and a net margin of 5.44%. The company had revenue of $22.57 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.49 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.82 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Walt Disney will post 5.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 16th. This is an increase from Walt Disney’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.90%.

Insider Transactions at Walt Disney

In other news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.62, for a total value of $568,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 44,055 shares in the company, valued at $5,005,529.10. This represents a 10.19 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Robert A. Iger sold 372,412 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 226,767 shares in the company, valued at $25,980,695.19. The trade was a 62.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 385,412 shares of company stock worth $44,153,263 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in DIS. William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Walt Disney during the second quarter valued at $32,000. First PREMIER Bank lifted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 98.1% during the 3rd quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 517 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 3rd quarter worth $51,000. Birch Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the 4th quarter worth about $56,000. Finally, Livelsberger Financial Advisory bought a new stake in Walt Disney in the 3rd quarter valued at about $57,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.