Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) had its target price lifted by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $125.00 to $130.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the entertainment giant’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target indicates a potential upside of 18.75% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on DIS. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $137.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $134.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 18th. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $95.00 target price on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price target on Walt Disney from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $125.85.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

NYSE:DIS traded down $1.07 on Thursday, reaching $109.47. 1,928,599 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,082,548. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market cap of $197.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.42. Walt Disney has a 52 week low of $83.91 and a 52 week high of $123.74. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $112.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $100.99.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.32. Walt Disney had a net margin of 5.44% and a return on equity of 9.21%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Walt Disney will post 5.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Walt Disney

In other Walt Disney news, CEO Robert A. Iger sold 372,412 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.57, for a total value of $42,667,242.84. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 226,767 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,980,695.19. This trade represents a 62.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Brent Woodford sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.62, for a total value of $568,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,055 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,005,529.10. The trade was a 10.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 385,412 shares of company stock valued at $44,153,263 over the last quarter. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 38.1% during the 4th quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 399 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

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.