Tufton Capital Management Trims Stock Position in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Tufton Capital Management lowered its stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 5.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 70,351 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 4,322 shares during the period. Tufton Capital Management’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $6,352,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of DIS. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Walt Disney in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Walt Disney during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC raised its position in Walt Disney by 355.3% during the fourth quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 346 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on DIS shares. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $112.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Daiwa Capital Markets reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $133.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, April 1st. Macquarie lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $94.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities upped their price objective on Walt Disney from $129.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and twenty-two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $124.54.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.92, for a total value of $226,405.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,400 shares in the company, valued at $536,448. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Walt Disney Price Performance

DIS stock traded up $0.66 on Thursday, hitting $113.60. 1,798,125 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,057,273. The stock has a market cap of $208.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.42. The Walt Disney Company has a 1-year low of $78.73 and a 1-year high of $123.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $113.86 and a 200-day moving average of $98.25.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $23.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.71 billion. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 3.36%. The firm’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.99 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Cuts Dividend

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

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.