Short Interest in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Rises By 5.4%

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 19,660,000 shares, an increase of 5.4% from the March 15th total of 18,650,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 12,560,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.6 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on DIS shares. Argus increased their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. 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. Macquarie lifted their price objective on Walt Disney from $94.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, April 11th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and twenty-two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.54.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

DIS stock traded down $0.74 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $113.14. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,603,945 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,156,949. The stock has a market cap of $207.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.30, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $113.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $98.14. Walt Disney has a 1 year low of $78.73 and a 1 year high of $123.74.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $23.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.71 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.99 earnings per share. Walt Disney’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Walt Disney will post 4.66 EPS for the current year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 owns 4,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $536,448. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walt Disney

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mcdonald Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 0.5% in the first quarter. Mcdonald Partners LLC now owns 17,975 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $2,199,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Sendero Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walt Disney by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Sendero Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,649 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $569,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Pflug Koory LLC raised its position in shares of Walt Disney by 1.0% in the first quarter. Pflug Koory LLC now owns 8,993 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,100,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp boosted its stake in Walt Disney by 3.2% during the first quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 3,137 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $370,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Destiny Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Walt Disney by 2.9% during the first quarter. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,517 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $430,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the period. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.