Merit Financial Group LLC Buys 18,272 Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Merit Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 47.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 57,172 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after buying an additional 18,272 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $5,643,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Walt Disney by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 26,767 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $2,980,000 after acquiring an additional 1,904 shares in the last quarter. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter valued at $239,000. Chicago Capital LLC increased its stake in Walt Disney by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Chicago Capital LLC now owns 11,793 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $1,313,000 after buying an additional 239 shares during the period. One Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walt Disney in the 4th quarter worth $239,000. Finally, Optas LLC boosted its position in Walt Disney by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Optas LLC now owns 7,613 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $848,000 after buying an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Walt Disney

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.84, for a total transaction of $110,840.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 46,831 shares in the company, valued at $5,190,748.04. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:DIS traded down $1.00 during trading on Thursday, hitting $112.49. 8,536,105 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,036,991. The company has a market capitalization of $202.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.68. The Walt Disney Company has a 1-year low of $80.10 and a 1-year high of $118.63. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $97.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $105.75.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The entertainment giant reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.24. Walt Disney had a net margin of 6.07% and a return on equity of 9.95%. The firm had revenue of $23.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.21 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DIS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $125.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities upped their price target on Walt Disney from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $123.75.

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.