South Dakota Investment Council Has $26.61 Million Stake in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

South Dakota Investment Council lowered its position in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Free Report) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 238,999 shares of the entertainment giant's stock after selling 4,300 shares during the period. South Dakota Investment Council's holdings in Walt Disney were worth $26,613,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in Walt Disney during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC bought a new position in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC raised its stake in Walt Disney by 38.1% in the 4th quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 399 shares of the entertainment giant's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Friedenthal Financial bought a new stake in Walt Disney in the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. 65.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DIS has been the topic of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Walt Disney from $137.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Loop Capital raised their price target on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walt Disney has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $125.44.

Walt Disney Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:DIS traded up $1.29 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $111.82. 7,827,624 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,181,265. The business's 50-day moving average price is $110.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $102.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $202.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.42. The Walt Disney Company has a 12 month low of $83.91 and a 12 month high of $123.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.68.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.32. Walt Disney had a net margin of 6.07% and a return on equity of 9.95%. Analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 16th. This is an increase from Walt Disney's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45. This represents a yield of 0.6%. Walt Disney's payout ratio is presently 32.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walt Disney

In other news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.74, for a total transaction of $917,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,055 shares in the company, valued at $5,054,870.70. This trade represents a 15.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.16% 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.