The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Shares Bought by Howard Capital Management Inc.

Howard Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,479 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 681 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $1,278,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of DIS. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC acquired a new stake in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at $43,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Walt Disney by 38.1% during 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. Finally, Friedenthal Financial acquired a new position in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Price Performance

Shares of DIS opened at $108.62 on Monday. The Walt Disney Company has a one year low of $83.91 and a one year high of $123.74. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $110.70 and its 200-day moving average is $102.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $196.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.42.

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

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

In other news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 44,055 shares in the company, valued at $5,054,870.70. This represents a 15.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Prescient Securities cut their price objective on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Walt Disney from $115.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Walt Disney from $137.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.44.

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.