Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in The Walt Disney Company by 101.5% during the first quarter, bringing its total holdings to 45,204 shares worth approximately $4.46 million.
• Walt Disney reported a first-quarter EPS of $1.45, exceeding expectations of $1.21, with revenues of $23.62 billion, surpassing estimates of $23.15 billion.
• Several analysts have upgraded their target prices for Walt Disney, with UBS Group raising it from $120 to $138, reflecting a positive outlook for the stock.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 101.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 45,204 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after buying an additional 22,773 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $4,462,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Alberta Investment Management Corp bought a new position in Walt Disney in the first quarter worth $7,841,000. BCGM Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Walt Disney by 6.8% in the first quarter. BCGM Wealth Management LLC now owns 23,583 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $2,328,000 after purchasing an additional 1,503 shares in the last quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Walt Disney by 11.1% in the first quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,116 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $1,689,000 after purchasing an additional 1,710 shares in the last quarter. Invictus Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Walt Disney by 2,899.0% in the first quarter. Invictus Private Wealth LLC now owns 72,606 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $7,166,000 after purchasing an additional 70,185 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lyell Wealth Management LP raised its holdings in Walt Disney by 2.2% in the first quarter. Lyell Wealth Management LP now owns 38,717 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $3,821,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.71% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DIS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Walt Disney from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $100.00 to $144.00 in a report on Monday, June 30th. Citigroup raised their price target on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Rosenblatt Securities raised their price target on Walt Disney from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Walt Disney from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.70.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Shares of Walt Disney stock traded down $2.54 during trading on Friday, hitting $116.57. 8,509,376 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,590,457. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $80.10 and a 1 year high of $124.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $209.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.84, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.56. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $118.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $107.72.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The entertainment giant reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.24. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.99% and a net margin of 9.47%. The company had revenue of $23.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.15 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.21 earnings per share. Walt Disney's revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Walt Disney

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.84, for a total value of $110,840.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,831 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,190,748.04. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Walt Disney 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.