LJI Wealth Management Reduces Walt Disney Holdings

LJI Wealth Management LLC has reduced its stake in shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) by 48.5% during the fourth quarter, as reported in its latest 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After selling 4,817 shares during this period, LJI Wealth Management now holds 5,109 shares, valued at approximately $569,000.

Other Institutional Movements

Several other institutional investors have also made adjustments to their positions in Walt Disney. For instance, Farmers Trust Co. increased its holdings by 1.1%, now owning 8,483 shares worth $945,000 after adding 92 shares. Similarly, Saxon Interests Inc. boosted its stake by 2.8%, resulting in ownership of 3,412 shares valued at $380,000 after a purchase of 93 shares. Abundance Wealth Counselors also increased its position by 1.0%, holding 9,662 shares worth $1,076,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares. Bank Hapoalim BM raised its stake by 2.2%, now owning 4,539 shares valued at $505,000 from 96 additional shares. Lastly, Great Diamond Partners LLC increased its position by 1.6%, owning 6,105 shares worth $680,000 after purchasing 98 shares. Currently, institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.71% of Disney's stock.

Stock Ratings and Analyst Insights

Recently, several equity research analysts have shared their views on The Walt Disney Company. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Disney, offering a "hold" rating along with a price target of $120.00. In a more bullish stance, Redburn Atlantic upgraded Disney from "neutral" to "buy," increasing its price target significantly from $100.00 to $147.00. Deutsche Bank raised its target price from $115.00 to $131.00 while maintaining a "buy" rating. Bank of America also lifted its target price from $120.00 to $140.00, endorsing a "buy" rating. Prescient Securities, however, reduced its price target from $130.00 to $115.00, labeling it a "neutral" investment. Altogether, the consensus shows six analysts rating the stock as a hold, nineteen assigning it a buy rating, and two granting a strong buy rating. The average price target for the company stands at $125.85, indicating a "Moderate Buy" consensus.

Walt Disney Stock Performance

On the market, shares of Walt Disney began trading at $110.83. The company maintains a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.68, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. With a market capitalization of $200.36 billion, the company's price-to-earnings ratio is 36.10, and the price/earnings to growth ratio stands at 1.95, accompanied by a beta of 1.42. The stocks have a 50-day moving average of $111.87 and a 200-day moving average of $101.14. Within the last year, the shares reached a low of $83.91 and a high of $123.74.

Latest Earnings Report and Dividend Update

The most recent earnings report indicated that Walt Disney achieved earnings per share of $1.76, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.32. The company enjoyed a return on equity of 9.95%, alongside a net margin of 6.07%. Analysts are forecasting that Walt Disney will report earnings per share of 5.43 for the current fiscal year. In terms of dividends, Walt Disney recently announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.50, which was paid on January 16. This reflects a 0.6% yield, an increase from the previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45.

Insider Transactions

In insider news, CEO Robert A. Iger sold 372,412 shares on November 22 at an average price of $114.57, totaling approximately $42.67 million. Following this transaction, Iger retains 226,767 shares valued at around $25.98 million, marking a 62.15% decrease in his ownership. Additionally, EVP Brent Woodford sold 8,000 shares on December 11 at an average price of $114.74, totaling about $917,920, resulting in 44,055 shares left in his possession worth roughly $5.05 million, a 15.37% decrease. Overall, in the past three months, insiders have sold 385,412 shares totaling approximately $44.15 million, with insiders holding 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Overview of Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company operates on a global scale as an entertainment entity, with three main segments: Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences. Its diverse operations include producing and distributing film and television content via prominent platforms such as Disney, ABC, and others, along with original content creation spanning multiple acclaimed brands.

Walt, Disney, Investment