Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) saw some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock investors purchased 187,122 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 100% compared to the typical daily volume of 93,440 call options.

Walt Disney Trading Down 1.4 %

NYSE DIS opened at $113.32 on Friday. Walt Disney has a 52 week low of $83.91 and a 52 week high of $123.74. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $104.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $98.04. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The company has a market cap of $205.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.42.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 14th. The entertainment giant reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.05. Walt Disney had a net margin of 5.44% and a return on equity of 9.21%. The firm had revenue of $22.57 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.49 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.82 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Walt Disney will post 5.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walt Disney Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Walt Disney’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 16th. Walt Disney’s payout ratio is currently 36.90%.

Insider Activity

In other Walt Disney news, EVP Brent Woodford sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.62, for a total value of $568,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 44,055 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,005,529.10. This represents a 10.19 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Robert A. Iger sold 372,412 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The stock was 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 approximately $25,980,695.19. This trade represents a 62.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 385,412 shares of company stock worth $44,153,263. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walt Disney by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 66,744 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $6,420,000 after purchasing an additional 5,184 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Walt Disney by 1.1% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,411,205 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $1,001,454,000 after purchasing an additional 114,701 shares during the period. Summit Global Investments increased its position in Walt Disney by 476.0% in the third quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 12,379 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $1,191,000 after buying an additional 10,230 shares during the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG bought a new stake in shares of Walt Disney in the third quarter valued at $14,079,000. Finally, Lmcg Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Walt Disney by 18.6% during the 3rd quarter. Lmcg Investments LLC now owns 147,353 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $14,174,000 after buying an additional 23,116 shares during the last quarter. 65.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DIS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Walt Disney from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on Walt Disney from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Macquarie upped their target price on Walt Disney from $91.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $128.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 18th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.67.

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.