Needham & Company LLC Reaffirms “Buy” Rating for Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $125.00 price objective on the entertainment giant’s stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 22.52% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $125.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Loop Capital lifted their target price on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 10th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $105.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Prescient Securities decreased their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $130.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.75.

Walt Disney Price Performance

NYSE DIS opened at $102.02 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.68 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Walt Disney has a 1-year low of $80.10 and a 1-year high of $118.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $184.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.23, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.49. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $94.07 and its 200-day moving average price is $104.04.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The entertainment giant reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.24. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.95% and a net margin of 6.07%. The business had revenue of $23.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.15 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.21 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Walt Disney will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MJT & Associates Financial Advisory Group Inc. bought a new stake in Walt Disney during the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kessler Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 274.0% in the first quarter. Kessler Investment Group LLC now owns 273 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in Walt Disney in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Tacita Capital Inc increased its holdings in Walt Disney by 93.2% during the 4th quarter. Tacita Capital Inc now owns 257 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

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.