Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) EVP Horacio Gutierrez Sells 20,552 Shares of Company Stock

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) EVP Horacio Gutierrez sold 20,552 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $2,466,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 37,765 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,531,800. This represents a 35.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Walt Disney Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:DIS traded down $0.50 during trading on Friday, reaching $116.72. 8,572,786 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,020,988. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $107.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $103.64. The firm has a market cap of $201.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.44. The Walt Disney Company has a 1-year low of $92.18 and a 1-year high of $120.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The entertainment giant reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.20. Walt Disney had a net margin of 8.70% and a return on equity of 9.90%. The business had revenue of $25.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. Walt Disney’s revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that The Walt Disney Company will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on DIS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Raymond James Financial reduced their price target on Walt Disney from $120.00 to $119.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Walt Disney in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Truist Financial set a $115.00 price objective on Walt Disney in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Walt Disney from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.16.

Key Headlines Impacting Walt Disney

Here are the key news stories impacting Walt Disney this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Disney’s animated film Hexed is projected to generate $40 million–$50 million over the Thanksgiving box-office stretch. That forecast offers a possible theatrical boost, though it is an estimate rather than a result. Thanksgiving box-office projections
• Positive Sentiment: Walt Disney World is extending park hours for Thanksgiving week, a seasonal move that may help accommodate visitor demand and support park spending. Thanksgiving park hours
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Brent Woodford sold 3,618 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and still held 62,995 shares afterward, making the sale a limited signal about his outlook. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Reports say Disney is seeking savings of up to 20% and considering thousands of job cuts. Lower expenses could improve profitability if savings are achieved, but the scale of the reductions and employee uncertainty raise concerns about execution and possible effects on operations. Reports on planned cost savings and layoffs
• Negative Sentiment: A recent analysis says Netflix is pulling ahead of Disney, reinforcing concerns about competition in streaming. The article’s headline frames the issue as a potential buying opportunity, but the competitive gap remains a risk for Disney’s growth outlook. Analysis of Disney and Netflix competition

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DIS. Advisors Management Group Inc. ADV increased its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Advisors Management Group Inc. ADV now owns 2,266 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $218,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Walt Disney by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,192 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $888,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Guardian Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in Walt Disney by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Guardian Partners Inc. now owns 32,991 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $3,188,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. boosted its position in Walt Disney by 0.3% during the second quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 32,101 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $3,090,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. Finally, TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co boosted its position in Walt Disney by 1.6% during the third quarter. TOWER TRUST & INVESTMENT Co now owns 6,435 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $675,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the period. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walt Disney Company Profile

The Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment and media company whose businesses include film and television production, streaming, sports programming, and theme parks and resorts. Its brands and properties include Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ABC, and ESPN.

Disney produces and distributes films and television programs, operates streaming services including Disney+ and Hulu, and provides sports content through ESPN. Its Experiences business operates theme parks and resorts, cruise ships, and other travel and consumer experiences based on the company’s characters and stories.

Founded in 1923 by Walt Disney and Roy O.