The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-four ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $128.13.

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price 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. Loop Capital increased their price target on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Walt Disney from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 20th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th.

Walt Disney Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DIS traded down $0.51 during trading on Thursday, reaching $121.44. 5,587,104 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,479,350. The firm has a market capitalization of $218.32 billion, a PE ratio of 24.83, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.56. Walt Disney has a 52 week low of $80.10 and a 52 week high of $124.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company's 50 day moving average is $117.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.35.

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

Insider Transactions at Walt Disney

In other news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.84, for a total transaction of $110,840.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,831 shares in the company, valued at $5,190,748.04. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 38,482,309 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $4,272,590,000 after acquiring an additional 809,989 shares during the period. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,220,599,000. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 22,242,415 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $2,476,693,000 after acquiring an additional 2,096,431 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,415,427,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently 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.