Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Purchases 169,463 Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 3.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,633,639 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 169,463 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $515,956,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in DIS. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC boosted its position in Walt Disney by 6,063.0% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 130,655 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $14,548,000 after acquiring an additional 128,535 shares in the last quarter. Encompass Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 31.5% during the 4th quarter. Encompass Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,584 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares during the last quarter. Investments & Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in Walt Disney during the fourth quarter valued at about $222,000. Glassy Mountain Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Walt Disney by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Glassy Mountain Advisors Inc. now owns 33,657 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $3,748,000 after purchasing an additional 870 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Telos Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Walt Disney by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 72,643 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $8,089,000 after purchasing an additional 538 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DIS opened at $112.15 on Friday. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $83.91 and a 1 year high of $123.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.73. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $112.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $100.99. The company has a market capitalization of $202.82 billion, a PE ratio of 41.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.42.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.32. Walt Disney had a return on equity of 9.21% and a net margin of 5.44%. On average, research analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a positive change from Walt Disney’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.6%. Walt Disney’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.90%.

Insider Activity at Walt Disney

In other news, CEO Robert A. Iger sold 372,412 shares of Walt Disney stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.57, for a total value of $42,667,242.84. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 226,767 shares in the company, valued at $25,980,695.19. This trade represents a 62.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares of the company’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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 44,055 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,054,870.70. This trade represents a 15.37 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 385,412 shares of company stock valued at $44,153,263. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on DIS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $115.00 to $131.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Loop Capital upped 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. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 price objective on shares of Walt Disney in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Walt Disney from $137.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.85.

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.