The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Position Cut by Lincoln National Corp

Lincoln National Corp decreased its holdings in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 15.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 58,115 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after selling 10,323 shares during the quarter. Lincoln National Corp’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $5,247,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of DIS. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Walt Disney in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Walt Disney by 355.3% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Evolution Advisers Inc. increased its position in Walt Disney by 38.2% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Advisers Inc. now owns 380 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walt Disney during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Shares of Walt Disney stock traded up $2.81 on Monday, hitting $116.47. The stock had a trading volume of 16,255,996 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,571,038. The Walt Disney Company has a twelve month low of $78.73 and a twelve month high of $123.74. The business’s 50 day moving average is $114.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $101.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market cap of $213.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 71.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.40.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The entertainment giant reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.25. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 3.36%. The company had revenue of $23.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.71 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.99 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that The Walt Disney Company will post 4.7 EPS for the current 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 paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 8th. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DIS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Walt Disney from $110.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 4th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Walt Disney from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Walt Disney in a report on Thursday, April 11th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Barclays upgraded Walt Disney from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $95.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, March 25th. Finally, Raymond James boosted their price target on Walt Disney from $112.00 to $128.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twenty-three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Sonia L. Coleman sold 1,857 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.92, for a total transaction of $226,405.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $536,448. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% 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.