Insider Selling: Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) EVP Sells $724,958.52 in Stock

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) EVP Brent Woodford sold 6,474 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.98, for a total transaction of $724,958.52. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 62,995 shares in the company, valued at $7,054,180.10. This trade represents a 9.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Brent Woodford also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, November 4th, Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares of Walt Disney stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.00, for a total value of $423,306.00.
• On Friday, October 16th, Brent Woodford sold 2,856 shares of Walt Disney stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.68, for a total value of $318,958.08.
• On Thursday, October 8th, Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares of Walt Disney stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.31, for a total transaction of $381,011.58.
• On Tuesday, September 1st, Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares of Walt Disney stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.13, for a total transaction of $387,596.34.
• On Friday, August 14th, Brent Woodford sold 7,238 shares of Walt Disney stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.31, for a total transaction of $762,233.78.

Walt Disney Stock Down 1.3%

DIS opened at $117.40 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $107.86 and a 200 day moving average of $103.64. The company has a market cap of $202.71 billion, a PE ratio of 24.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.44. The Walt Disney Company has a 12 month low of $92.18 and a 12 month high of $120.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The entertainment giant reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.20. Walt Disney had a net margin of 8.70% and a return on equity of 9.90%. The business had revenue of $25.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DIS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 31st. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $126.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $134.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.16.

Key Headlines Impacting Walt Disney

Here are the key news stories impacting Walt Disney this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Disney is reportedly considering thousands of job cuts as managers seek savings of up to 20%. If the company achieves those efficiencies while preserving its businesses, lower costs—and planned reinvestment in areas such as parks, cruises and programming—could support profitability. Disney Is Planning Thousands of Layoffs in Search of 20% Cost Savings
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan and retained 62,995 shares. The planned sale may be a limited signal of his view of the stock. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Disney employees pressed management for details at a town hall about when another round of cuts might happen. The reported scale of the reductions and uncertainty about timing could unsettle staff and raise investor concerns about execution and potential effects on content or guest experience. Disney employees press management for details on possible layoffs

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walt Disney

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisors Management Group Inc. ADV grew its holdings in Walt Disney by 4.6% in the first quarter. Advisors Management Group Inc. ADV now owns 2,266 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $218,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Walt Disney by 1.1% in the first quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,192 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $888,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Guardian Partners Inc. lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Guardian Partners Inc. now owns 32,991 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $3,188,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. boosted its stake in Walt Disney by 0.3% during the second quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 32,101 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $3,090,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co grew its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 1.6% in the third quarter. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co now owns 6,435 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $675,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Company Profile

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is a global entertainment and media company that develops, produces and distributes branded content through film studios, television networks and streaming services. Its portfolio includes Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and other entertainment brands, with distribution through services such as Disney+ and Hulu.

Disney also operates ESPN and related sports media businesses, as well as theme parks, resorts, cruise lines and vacation experiences.