The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-five brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $124.79.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. 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. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Walt Disney from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Loop Capital lifted their price objective on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Walt Disney from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their target price on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

NYSE DIS opened at $122.39 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $220.02 billion, a PE ratio of 25.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.54. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $108.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $105.96. Walt Disney has a 1-year low of $80.10 and a 1-year high of $122.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 1,000 shares of the business'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 now owns 46,831 shares in the company, valued at $5,190,748.04. The trade was a 2.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Walt Disney by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 155,862,361 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $15,383,615,000 after purchasing an additional 2,446,087 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position 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 worth $4,272,590,000 after purchasing an additional 809,989 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in Walt Disney by 10.4% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 22,242,415 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $2,476,693,000 after purchasing an additional 2,096,431 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,415,427,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Walt Disney by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 18,509,924 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $1,826,930,000 after purchasing an additional 1,642,907 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company's stock.

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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