Retirement Systems of Alabama Decreases Stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Retirement Systems of Alabama cut its holdings in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 981,867 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 10,464 shares during the quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned 0.05% of Walt Disney worth $88,653,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of DIS. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 355.3% during the 4th quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 346 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Evolution Advisers Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 38.2% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Advisers Inc. now owns 380 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DIS has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $110.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Argus lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twenty-two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.08.

Insider Activity at Walt Disney

In related news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.92, for a total value of $226,405.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $536,448. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Walt Disney Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of DIS stock traded down $0.04 on Friday, hitting $112.73. 6,304,843 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,049,604. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $114.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $99.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $206.78 billion, a PE ratio of 69.59, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.42. The Walt Disney Company has a twelve month low of $78.73 and a twelve month high of $123.74.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $23.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.71 billion. Walt Disney had a net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 7.88%. The company’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.99 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.66 EPS for the current year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Investors of record on Monday, July 8th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 8th. This represents a yield of 0.5%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.52%.

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.