Traders Buy High Volume of Walt Disney Call Options (NYSE:DIS)

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Stock traders bought 220,269 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 132% compared to the typical volume of 94,757 call options.

Walt Disney Trading Up 2.7 %

Shares of Walt Disney stock traded up $2.99 on Friday, hitting $112.11. The stock had a trading volume of 3,743,105 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,877,873. The stock has a market cap of $203.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.12, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.40. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $95.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $96.77. Walt Disney has a one year low of $83.91 and a one year high of $123.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walt Disney

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in Walt Disney by 3,332.4% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 6,267,593 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock worth $766,903,000 after acquiring an additional 6,084,993 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB purchased a new position in Walt Disney in the first quarter valued at about $493,715,000. Farallon Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the second quarter worth about $355,673,000. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board acquired a new stake in shares of Walt Disney during the first quarter worth about $425,567,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walt Disney by 12,574.4% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,426,393 shares of the entertainment giant’s stock valued at $329,585,000 after acquiring an additional 3,399,359 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on DIS. Barclays lowered their price objective on Walt Disney from $130.00 to $105.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Seaport Res Ptn raised Walt Disney from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on Walt Disney from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Macquarie boosted their price objective on Walt Disney from $91.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on Walt Disney from $115.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $122.68.

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.