The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) Shares Acquired by Baird Financial Group Inc.

Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 3,345,892 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock after buying an additional 81,754 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Walt Disney were worth $372,565,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Walt Disney by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 38,482,309 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $4,272,590,000 after purchasing an additional 809,989 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Walt Disney by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 22,242,415 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $2,476,693,000 after buying an additional 2,096,431 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,415,427,000. Jennison Associates LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 23.4% during the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 19,197,463 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $2,137,637,000 after buying an additional 3,636,742 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in Walt Disney by 15.5% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 17,104,295 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,904,563,000 after acquiring an additional 2,300,912 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

DIS stock opened at $92.52 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $95.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $167.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.14, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.68. The Walt Disney Company has a 1 year low of $80.10 and a 1 year high of $118.63.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The entertainment giant reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.32. Walt Disney had a net margin of 6.07% and a return on equity of 9.95%. On average, research analysts predict that The Walt Disney Company will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Loop Capital lifted their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Walt Disney from $125.00 to $115.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wolfe Research raised Walt Disney from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $112.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of Walt Disney in a report on Monday, February 10th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.75.

Walt Disney Company 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.