Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Stock Price Up 0.8%

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report)'s share price was up 0.8% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $114.50 and last traded at $113.88. Approximately 9,291,419 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 11% from the average daily volume of 10,451,374 shares. The stock had previously closed at $112.95.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on DIS shares. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 1st. Raymond James upped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $112.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $133.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, April 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twenty-two have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $124.54.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

The stock's fifty day moving average price is $113.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $98.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.84. The company has a market cap of $207.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 69.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.42.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $23.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.71 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 7.88%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.99 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 8th will be given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 8th. This represents a yield of 0.5%. Walt Disney's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.52%.

Insider Transactions at Walt Disney

In other news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.92, for a total transaction of $226,405.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,400 shares in the company, valued at $536,448. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Avitas Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Walt Disney by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Avitas Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,037 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $997,000 after buying an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. WNY Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Walt Disney by 32.8% during the third quarter. WNY Asset Management LLC now owns 9,321 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $756,000 after buying an additional 2,304 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Walt Disney by 4.9% during the third quarter. Pathway Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,024 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $245,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC raised its stake in Walt Disney by 4.5% during the third quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC now owns 12,722 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $1,031,000 after buying an additional 546 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stelac Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Walt Disney by 7.7% during the third quarter. Stelac Advisory Services LLC now owns 68,909 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $5,598,000 after buying an additional 4,915 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company's stock.

About Walt Disney

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.