Disney Earnings: $1.55 per Share vs Expected EPS of $1.49
Disney reported quarterly earnings that beat analysts' expectations on Tuesday, but revenue fell short of Wall Street estimates.
The company posted fiscal first-quarter earnings per share of $1.55 on $14.78 billion in revenue. The results represent a 3 percent year-over-year decline in revenue and a 10 percent drop in profit per share.
Analysts expected Disney to post earnings of $1.49 per share on $15.26 billion in revenue, according to Thomson Reuters consensus estimates.
The stock initially dropped 2 percent in after-hours trading, but was last seen about 1.4 percent lower.
The media giant also reported revenue that missed expectations in most of its segments.
Disney's consumer products and interactive media brought in about $1.48 billion in revenue, missing Street expectations for $1.75 billion, according to StreetAccount. The company said the segment faced tough comparisons to the success of its merchandise for "Frozen" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in the year-earlier period.
Revenue from the company's media networks segment came in at $6.23 billion. That was below analyst projections for $6.42 billion, according to StreetAccount.
Disney also said operating income for the segment declined 4 percent from a year earlier, citing higher programming costs and lower advertising revenue at ESPN. That decrease, however, was partially offset by affiliate revenue growth, the company said.
The company's parks and resorts segment reported revenue that missed the mark, but operating income topped analyst estimates. The group said it saw $4.56 billion in revenue and $1.11 billion in operating income. Analysts were expecting $4.59 billion in revenue and $1.04 billion in operating income, according to StreetAccount consensus estimates. Both those metrics were up year over year: revenue swelled 6 percent, while operating income grew 11 percent.
The company's studio segment brought in $2.52 billion in revenue and $842 million in operating income. Revenue was in line with analyst expectations, but operating income beat analyst expectations for $832.5 million in operating income, according to StreetAccount consensus estimates.
Disney CEO and Chairman Bob Iger said "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" was the company's first billion-dollar film of fiscal 2017.
"With our proven strategy and unparalleled collection of brands and franchises, we are extremely confident in our ability to continue to drive significant value over the long term," Iger said Tuesday in a statement.
In January, Disney said it had more than $7.6 billion in global box-office gross, buoyed by lucrative franchise films like "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," "Captain America: Civil War" and "Finding Dory." The company had box-office gross revenue of $3 billion domestically and $4.6 billion overseas.
Despite stellar performances at the box office, some investors have lingering concerns about ESPN's declining subscribers.
During a Tuesday conference call, Iger repeated previous comments about ESPN, saying the company is "well-aware of the attention paid to" the sports network. He said the company is pleased with ESPN's "strengthening position" and expanding growth opportunities.
Iger said that great content is what will continue to drive opportunities in the changing media environment and that he believes Disney is "extremely well-positioned to strategically and successfully navigate the dynamic marketplace and generate value" over the long term.
While there is currently no succession plan for Iger — who has less than two years left until his planned retirement — he said he will do what's best for the company. There had been speculation that Iger may extend his term until the board can find a successor, but the longtime CEO said nothing had been decided yet.
"While I'm confident that my successor is going to be chosen on a timely basis and chosen well, if it's in the best interest of the company for me to extend my term, I'm open to that. But there's nothing specific to announce at this point," Iger said.
Robert Luna, CEO of Surevest Wealth Management, told CNBC's "Closing Bell" that the after-hours move probably has more to do with its run than the specifics of the earnings release. Luna, a shareholder in Disney, said his firm had trimmed its position ahead of the earnings report following the runup.
The stock set a new 52-week intraday high of $111.99 on Feb. 1. The Dow component has surged about 16 percent in the past 12 months.
"It seems like, at least, the tide has stemmed quite a bit," said Luna.
Courtesy of CNBC