Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Raised to Overweight at Barclays

Barclays upgraded shares of Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have $135.00 price objective on the entertainment giant’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $95.00.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on DIS. Rosenblatt Securities reduced their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $114.00 to $112.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Tigress Financial restated a buy rating and issued a $136.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $116.64.

Walt Disney Price Performance

NYSE:DIS opened at $120.98 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $221.91 billion, a PE ratio of 74.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.41. Walt Disney has a 12 month low of $78.73 and a 12 month high of $122.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $106.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $94.34.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.25. Walt Disney had a net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 7.88%. The firm had revenue of $23.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.71 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.99 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Walt Disney will post 4.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Walt Disney

In related news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 898 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.11, for a total value of $80,918.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,861 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $167,694.71. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. WNY Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 32.8% in the 3rd quarter. WNY Asset Management LLC now owns 9,321 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $756,000 after acquiring an additional 2,304 shares during the period. Silvia Mccoll Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Silvia Mccoll Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,040 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $361,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. Pathway Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,024 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $245,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the period. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC now owns 12,722 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,031,000 after acquiring an additional 546 shares during the period. Finally, DCM Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. DCM Advisors LLC now owns 73,970 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $6,604,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the period. Institutional investors 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.