Metis Global Partners LLC Increases Stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Metis Global Partners LLC increased its holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 16.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 103,480 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,256 shares during the quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $9,343,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Walt Disney by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,126 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $914,000 after buying an additional 446 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co raised its position in shares of Walt Disney by 20.3% in the 4th quarter. Avalon Trust Co now owns 111,698 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $10,085,000 after acquiring an additional 18,827 shares in the last quarter. Forte Capital LLC ADV lifted its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Forte Capital LLC ADV now owns 9,963 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $900,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Royal Fund Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Royal Fund Management LLC now owns 4,880 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $441,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AJOVista LLC bought a new position in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth $214,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walt Disney Price Performance

NYSE:DIS traded up $1.04 on Friday, reaching $113.66. 7,411,112 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,776,801. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $114.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $100.81. The Walt Disney Company has a 12 month low of $78.73 and a 12 month high of $123.74. The firm has a market cap of $208.49 billion, a PE ratio of 70.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.25. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 3.36%. The firm had revenue of $23.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.71 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.99 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 25th. Investors of record on Monday, July 8th will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.5%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio is 18.52%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 1st. Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $136.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. UBS Group increased their target price on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Rosenblatt Securities increased their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $129.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twenty-two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.08.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

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

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.