The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seventeen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $118.05.

DIS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Moffett Nathanson cut their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. UBS Group cut their price target on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Raymond James restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Walt Disney from $135.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Walt Disney from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Walt Disney stock opened at $95.03 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.72. Walt Disney has a fifty-two week low of $79.23 and a fifty-two week high of $123.74. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $92.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.12. The company has a market capitalization of $173.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 103.29, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.40.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The entertainment giant reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $23.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.08 billion. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 8.64% and a net margin of 5.30%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.03 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Walt Disney will post 4.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Walt Disney

In related news, Director Calvin Mcdonald acquired 11,756 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were bought at an average price of $85.06 per share, for a total transaction of $999,965.36. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 22,313 shares in the company, valued at $1,897,943.78. This trade represents a 100.00 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. ESL Trust Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Walt Disney during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Walt Disney by 38.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 443 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. Red Tortoise LLC increased its stake in Walt Disney by 141.4% during the 1st quarter. Red Tortoise LLC now owns 367 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the period. Finally, First PREMIER Bank lifted its holdings in Walt Disney by 98.1% in the 3rd quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 517 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.