John G Ullman & Associates Inc. Decreases Position in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

John G Ullman & Associates Inc. lessened its holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 5.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 87,041 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 5,048 shares during the quarter. Walt Disney accounts for 1.4% of John G Ullman & Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. John G Ullman & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $9,692,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, Providence First Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Trading Up 2.3 %

Shares of NYSE DIS opened at $113.82 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $110.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $103.35. The company has a market cap of $205.77 billion, a PE ratio of 37.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.42. The Walt Disney Company has a 52-week low of $83.91 and a 52-week high of $123.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.68.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Walt Disney

In other news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,055 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,054,870.70. The trade was a 15.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on DIS shares. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $131.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Loop Capital boosted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company 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.