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Universal Orlando Resort Celebrates Grand Opening of Much-Anticipated Fourth Theme Park, Universal Epic Universe
Fireworks during the opening of Epic Universe in Orlando Florida, May 21, 2025 (Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)
Love Island USA

Comcast pops after strong Q2 fueled by Peacock and theme parks

The media giant’s quarter came down to three things: thrills, “Love Island,” and live events.

Nia Warfield

Comcast shares rose as much as 5% Thursday after the media and cable giant delivered above expectations in its Q2 results.

Adjusted earnings per share hit $1.25, beating Wall Street’s $1.16 estimate. Revenue clocked in at $30.3 billion, also topping forecasts. Comcast didn’t offer specific forward guidance.

The star of the quarter? Universal’s new Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, which officially opened its doors on May 22. It’s Comcast’s largest-ever park investment and biggest launch since The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The park helped drive a 6% jump in revenue for the company’s Content & Experiences segment and cast a halo on performance at its flagship Universal Orlando Resort.

“We are extremely proud of the successful opening of Epic Universe in May,” company execs said on the earnings call. “We’re pleased with the early results as Epic is already driving higher per cap spending and attendance across the entirety of Universal Orlando Resort.”

Peacock also pulled its weight, with revenue up over 20% year over year. The streamer held steady at 41 million paid subscribers, thanks in part to a buzzworthy new season of its US “Love Island.” Comcast called its latest ad upfront “our most successful ever,” citing record sales and major 2026 events on deck, including Super Bowl LX and the NBA All-Star Game.

The studio division got a shout-out, too: Universal’s live-action reboot of “How to Train Your Dragon” has pulled in over $600 million globally since its June 13 debut. As a result, the franchise is now officially past the $2 billion mark.

Comcast shares are down over 11% year to date.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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