Walt Disney Company Sees Significant Decrease in Short Interest in January

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS - Get Free Report) experienced a notable decline in short interest during January. As of January 31st, short interest amounted to 17,610,000 shares, reflecting an 8.9% reduction from the previous figure of 19,340,000 shares reported on January 15th. Presently, 1.0% of the company's outstanding shares are sold short. With an average trading volume of 9,640,000 shares, the short-interest ratio stands at 1.8 days.

Recent Changes in Analyst Ratings

Several financial analysts have recently provided insights about Disney's stock performance. On November 15th, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft elevated its price target for Disney shares from $115.00 to $131.00, assigning a "buy" rating. Additionally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target from $115.00 to $120.00 and also marked the stock as "outperform." Jefferies Financial Group began coverage with a "hold" rating and a $120.00 price target. Guggenheim issued a "buy" rating while raising the target from $110.00 to $130.00 on the same day. Lastly, Prescient Securities adjusted their target down from $130.00 to $115.00, noting a "neutral" position. Currently, six analysts rate the stock as "hold," nineteen as "buy," and two as "strong buy." According to MarketBeat.com, the average rating is categorized as "Moderate Buy" with a price target averaging $125.85.

Insider Selling Activities

In related developments, Brent Woodford, the Executive Vice President, sold 5,000 shares at an average price of $113.62 on November 20th, totaling $568,100. The sale reduced his holdings to 44,055 shares, worth approximately $5,005,529. On November 22nd, CEO Robert A. Iger sold 372,412 shares at an average price of $114.57, resulting in proceeds of $42,667,242.84. Post-sale, he retains 226,767 shares valued at around $25,980,695. In the last three months, insiders have offloaded a total of 385,412 shares, which equate to a value of $44,153,263. Currently, insiders hold about 0.16% of the company's shares.

Institutional Investor Activities

Several large institutional investors have recently adjusted their stakes in Disney. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC increased their holding by 8.4%, now owning 66,744 shares valued at $6,420,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. slightly boosted their shares by 1.1%, bringing their total to 10,411,205 shares, valued at $1,001,454,000. Brookstone Capital Management expanded their stake by 10.5% in the fourth quarter, owning 140,883 shares worth $15,687,000. Summit Global Investments dramatically raised its stake by 476.0%, now holding 12,379 shares valued at $1,191,000. Moreover, Avanza Fonder AB entered a new position in the last quarter, acquiring shares valued at about $15,125,000. Currently, 65.71% of Disney's stock is held by various institutional investors.

Performance of Disney Stock

In midday trading, shares of Disney rose by $0.72, reaching $110.31. A total of 5,961,562 shares were traded, compared to an average volume of 8,609,331. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $111.14, while the 200-day moving average is $101.90. Disney's market capitalization is approximately $199.42 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.93 and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95. The company’s one-year stock price range has been between $83.91 (low) and $123.74 (high). Current ratios indicate 0.68 for the current ratio, 0.67 for the quick ratio, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36.

Recent Dividend Announcement

Disney has also announced a semi-annual dividend, which was distributed on January 16th. Shareholders recorded as of December 16th received a dividend of $0.50 per share, an increase from the previous $0.45 dividend. This indicates a dividend yield of 0.6%, with a payout ratio standing at 32.57%.

About The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment enterprise functioning through three segments: Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences. It develops and distributes film and television content across various brands, such as Disney, Freeform, FX, Fox, National Geographic, ABC, and others. The company produces original content through its several studios, including Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and many more.

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