Van ECK Associates Corp Buys 2,298,921 Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 114.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,307,794 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after buying an additional 2,298,921 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp owned approximately 0.24% of Walt Disney worth $414,582,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of DIS. ESL Trust Services LLC acquired a new stake in Walt Disney during the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. William B. Walkup & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Walt Disney during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Walt Disney by 38.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 443 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. First PREMIER Bank boosted its position in Walt Disney by 98.1% during the 3rd quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 517 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the period. Finally, Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Walt Disney by 148.7% during the 2nd quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 557 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 333 shares during the period. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walt Disney news, Director Calvin Mcdonald purchased 11,756 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was bought at an average price of $85.06 per share, with a total value of $999,965.36. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 22,313 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,897,943.78. The trade was a 100.00 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:DIS traded down $0.39 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $95.81. The company had a trading volume of 7,944,869 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,666,039. The company's 50 day moving average price is $93.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $97.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market cap of $173.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.40. The Walt Disney Company has a 52-week low of $81.82 and a 52-week high of $123.74.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The entertainment giant reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.19. Walt Disney had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 8.64%. The company had revenue of $23.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.03 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on DIS shares. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $105.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Macquarie lowered their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $136.00 to $116.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $135.00 to $125.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Walt Disney from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, September 30th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walt Disney has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $118.05.

Walt Disney 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.