The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Stake Boosted by Bridges Investment Management Inc.

Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 54.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,682 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after buying an additional 8,715 shares during the quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $2,748,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of DIS. Maia Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Walt Disney by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. Maia Wealth LLC now owns 18,468 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $2,093,000 after purchasing an additional 3,162 shares during the period. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 14,467 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,611,000 after purchasing an additional 2,272 shares in the last quarter. Hickory Point Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth $1,162,000. PCG Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at $751,000. Finally, Sherman Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at $249,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Walt Disney

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president now 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

NYSE:DIS opened at $113.82 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $205.77 billion, a PE ratio of 37.08, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.42. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $83.91 and a 1 year high of $123.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $110.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $103.35.

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

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DIS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Prescient Securities lowered their target price 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. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $108.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $131.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. They set a “hold” rating and a $120.00 target price for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $125.44.

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.