Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Has $16.78 Million Holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC lowered its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 3.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 150,715 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 6,168 shares during the period. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $16,782,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in DIS. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 38.1% in the fourth quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 399 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walt Disney Stock Up 2.3 %

Shares of DIS opened at $113.82 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $110.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $103.35. The company has a market capitalization of $205.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.08, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.42. The Walt Disney Company has a one year low of $83.91 and a one year high of $123.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.68 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Walt Disney’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.6%. Walt Disney’s payout ratio is presently 32.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.74, for a total value of $917,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 44,055 shares in the company, valued at $5,054,870.70. This represents a 15.37 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Prescient Securities dropped their price objective on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group started 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. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Walt Disney from $116.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.44.

Walt Disney 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.