Apriem Advisors Sells 4,683 Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Apriem Advisors lessened its holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 3.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 121,532 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 4,683 shares during the period. Walt Disney comprises 1.6% of Apriem Advisors’ holdings, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Apriem Advisors’ holdings in Walt Disney were worth $13,533,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 38.1% in the 4th quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 399 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

NYSE:DIS opened at $111.82 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $202.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.42. The Walt Disney Company has a twelve month low of $83.91 and a twelve month high of $123.74. The company has a fifty day moving average of $110.64 and a 200-day moving average of $103.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 earnings per share 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 anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. This represents a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Walt Disney’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45. Walt Disney’s dividend 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 stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at $5,054,870.70. This trade represents a 15.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on DIS. Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $108.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.