The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Shares Sold by Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. decreased its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 5.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 58,885 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 3,101 shares during the period. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $6,557,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Objectivity Squared LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at $206,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 318,128 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $35,424,000 after buying an additional 12,068 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Research LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at $205,000. Hoya Capital Real Estate LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at $223,000. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 459,737 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $51,192,000 after buying an additional 26,678 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on DIS. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Walt Disney from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $100.00 to $147.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Six 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $125.64.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.74, for a total value of $917,920.00. Following the sale, 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Shares of DIS opened at $103.14 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $110.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $104.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market capitalization of $186.46 billion, a PE ratio of 33.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.41. The Walt Disney Company has a 52-week low of $83.91 and a 52-week high of $123.74.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.32. Walt Disney had a net margin of 6.07% and a return on equity of 9.95%. Equities research analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.