The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Short Interest Update

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) was the target of a large drop in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 17,610,000 shares, a drop of 8.9% from the January 15th total of 19,340,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 9,640,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.8 days. Currently, 1.0% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Walt Disney stock opened at $109.48 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Walt Disney has a twelve month low of $83.91 and a twelve month high of $123.74. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $111.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $102.02. The company has a market cap of $197.91 billion, a PE ratio of 35.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.42.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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, equities research analysts forecast that Walt Disney will post 5.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on DIS shares. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. TD Cowen raised their target price 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. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walt Disney currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.85.

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 that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.74, for a total value of $917,920.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,055 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,054,870.70. This represents a 15.37 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Robert A. Iger sold 372,412 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.57, for a total value of $42,667,242.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 226,767 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,980,695.19. The trade was a 62.15 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Walt Disney by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 66,744 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $6,420,000 after purchasing an additional 5,184 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 valued at $1,001,454,000 after buying an additional 114,701 shares during the period. 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 in the last quarter. Summit Global Investments raised its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Avanza Fonder AB purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter worth approximately $15,125,000. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.