The Walt Disney Company $DIS Shares Sold by Essex Financial Services Inc.

Key Points

• Essex Financial Services Inc. reduced its holdings in The Walt Disney Company by 14.7% during the second quarter, selling 4,051 shares for a total of 23,575 shares worth approximately $2.9 million.
• The company reported $1.61 EPS for the last quarter, surpassing analysts’ expectations of $1.45, with a revenue figure of $23.65 billion, slightly below expectations.
• Walt Disney stocks currently hold a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, with an average target price set at $131.18.

Essex Financial Services Inc. trimmed its position in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 14.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,575 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after selling 4,051 shares during the quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc.'s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $2,924,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC acquired a new stake in Walt Disney in the second quarter valued at $4,220,599,000. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the first quarter valued at $1,353,607,000. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 1,080.7% in the first quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,816,548 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $277,993,000 after buying an additional 2,578,004 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Walt Disney by 1.6% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 155,862,361 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $15,383,615,000 after purchasing an additional 2,446,087 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Walt Disney by 10,567.3% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,450,702 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $241,884,000 after buying an additional 2,427,728 shares during the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Walt Disney stock opened at $113.49 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The company's 50-day moving average is $117.30 and its 200 day moving average is $109.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $204.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.55. The Walt Disney Company has a 1-year low of $80.10 and a 1-year high of $124.69.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.16. Walt Disney had a net margin of 12.22% and a return on equity of 9.67%. The company had revenue of $23.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.69 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.39 EPS. Walt Disney's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on DIS shares. Loop Capital increased their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays raised their price objective on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Stephens reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Susquehanna reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, August 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.18.

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.

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