Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Upgraded to Buy at Jefferies Financial Group

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has a $144.00 price target on the entertainment giant's stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target points to a potential upside of 17.66% from the company's previous close.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on DIS. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Walt Disney from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $112.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Rosenblatt Securities raised their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Barclays boosted their price objective on Walt Disney from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Loop Capital increased their target price on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $125.79.

Walt Disney Trading Up 0.8%

Walt Disney stock opened at $122.39 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $108.25 and a 200 day simple moving average of $105.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $220.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.03, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.67. Walt Disney has a 52 week low of $80.10 and a 52 week high of $124.93.

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

Insider Transactions at Walt Disney

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 1,000 shares of the company'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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 46,831 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,190,748.04. The trade was a 2.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MJT & Associates Financial Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Kessler Investment Group LLC increased its stake in Walt Disney by 274.0% in the first quarter. Kessler Investment Group LLC now owns 273 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Tacita Capital Inc increased its stake in Walt Disney by 93.2% in the fourth quarter. Tacita Capital Inc now owns 257 shares of the entertainment giant's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.