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Disney posts better-than-expected sales and earnings

Disney, the Stitch merch company that also operates a streaming service and several global theme parks, reported its fiscal first-quarter earnings on Monday. Its shares initially climbed in premarket trading before turning negative.

The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.63 per share in its first quarter, down 7% from last year but above Wall Street’s estimate of $1.57 per share. Its total revenue of $25.98 billion was ahead of the $25.7 billion consensus estimate, driven by a 7% rise in overall entertainment segment revenue.

Management reaffirmed its full-year guidance for double-digit adjusted EPS growth, and said the company is on track for its $7 billion stock buyback. Disney warned of “international visitation headwinds” at its US theme parks for the current quarter.

Disney posted an 11% hike in streaming revenue, while operating income for the division surged 72% from last year to $450 million, ahead of Wall Street estimates. The entertainment juggernaut forecast $500 million in Q2 streaming profit. The ad-free tier price hike on Disney+ last year was its fourth in four years.

Disney’s board is reportedly closing in on promoting the head of its theme park division, Josh D’Amaro, to CEO — with a vote coming this week. On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that current CEO Bob Iger had told associates he will step down before the end of 2026.

In December, Disney became the first major content licensing partner with OpenAI, granting more than 200 of its licensed characters to the tech giant’s generative-AI tools. Last month, the company said it would introduce TikTok-esque vertical video to Disney+ this year — a move seen across the streaming industry as competition for attention grows beyond traditional content forms.

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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.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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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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