Leuthold Group LLC Sells 1,993 Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Leuthold Group LLC lessened its holdings in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 3.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 56,155 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 1,993 shares during the period. Leuthold Group LLC’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $6,253,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of DIS. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 66,744 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $6,420,000 after purchasing an additional 5,184 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Walt Disney by 1.1% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,411,205 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,001,454,000 after acquiring an additional 114,701 shares in the last quarter. Brookstone Capital Management raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 10.5% in the 4th quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 140,883 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $15,687,000 after purchasing an additional 13,339 shares during the period. Summit Global Investments lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 476.0% in the 3rd quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 12,379 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,191,000 after purchasing an additional 10,230 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Avanza Fonder AB bought a new position in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth about $15,125,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on DIS. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Walt Disney in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $125.44.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.74, for a total transaction of $917,920.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,055 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,054,870.70. The trade was a 15.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Trading Down 1.7 %

Shares of Walt Disney stock opened at $108.62 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The Walt Disney Company has a 12-month low of $83.91 and a 12-month high of $123.74. The company has a market capitalization of $196.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.38, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.42. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $110.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $102.39.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.32. Walt Disney had a net margin of 6.07% and a return on equity of 9.95%. On average, analysts forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This is a positive change from Walt Disney’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.6%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.57%.

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.