Walt Disney Co. ( DIS ) shares fell Thursday after the company released its fiscal fourth-quarter 2025 results.
While adjusted earnings per share (EPS) surpassed analyst expectations, the company’s total revenue fell slightly short of projections.
For the quarter, Disney ( DIS ) reported adjusted EPS of $1.11, beating the consensus estimate of $1.04.
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However, revenue remained flat year-over-year (Y/Y) to $22.5 billion, slightly missing the $22.7 billion analyst forecast.
The direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming businesses, including Disney+ and Hulu, reached a combined operating income of $352 million on revenue of $6.25 billion, an increase of 8% Y/Y.
Disney ( DIS ) added new streaming customers this quarter, helped by a fresh distribution deal with Charter Communications, Inc. ( CHTR ) , CFO Hugh Johnston told Reuters.
The company also saw strong engagement from the box office hit Lilo & Stitch, which drew 14.3 million Disney+ views within its first five days of release.
The quarter concluded with 196 million total Disney+ Core and Hulu subscriptions, a sequential increase of 12.4 million. Disney+ Core paid subscribers increased by 3.8 million to 132 million.
Revenue for the Entertainment segment, which encompasses traditional TV networks, DTC streaming, and films, saw a 6% Y/Y decrease to $10.21 billion.
In contrast, the Sports segment, primarily consisting of ESPN ( DIS ), saw revenue growth of 2% Y/Y to $3.98 billion.
Disney’s Experiences segment, which includes theme parks and consumer products, proved to be a strong performer, with revenue climbing 6% Y/Y to $8.77 billion.
The company’s traditional Linear Networks business declined, with revenue falling 16% Y/Y to $2.06 billion.
Consolidated operating income for the quarter declined 5% Y/Y to $3.48 billion. This was led by the Experiences segment’s $1.88 billion, followed by the Sports segment’s $911 million and the Entertainment segment’s $691 million.
Disney’s quarterly operating cash flow was down 19% Y/Y to $4.47 billion, and free cash flow fell 37% Y/Y to $2.56 billion.
Disney ( DIS ) doubled its share repurchases target to $7 billion compared to fiscal 2025.
The Board has declared a cash dividend of $1.50 per share, payable in two installments of $0.75 per share, payable on January 15, 2026 (record date December 15, 2025) and July 22, 2026 (record date June 30, 2026).
For first-quarter fiscal 2026, Disney ( DIS ) expects its Entertainment segment to deliver about $375 million in operating income from its direct-to-consumer streaming (DTC SVOD) business.
The company anticipates a $400 million decline in segment operating income due to tough comparisons with last year’s theatrical slate.
Disney ( DIS ) also projects $140 million less in political advertising revenue and an unfavorable comparison to $73 million in Star India operating income from the same quarter in fiscal 2025.
In the Experiences segment, Disney ( DIS ) plans to incur $90 million in pre-opening costs tied to the Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure cruise ships and another $60 million in dry dock expenses during the quarter.
For the full fiscal year 2026, Disney ( DIS ) targets double-digit operating income growth in its Entertainment division compared to fiscal 2025, with most of the gains expected in the second half of the year. It also projects a 10% operating margin for its DTC SVOD business.
The Sports segment is forecast to post low single-digit operating income growth, primarily driven by fourth-quarter performance due to the timing of rights expenses that will weigh on second-quarter and third-quarter results.
Disney ( DIS ) expects high single-digit operating income growth for its Experiences segment, again weighted toward the back half of the year. The company anticipates $160 million in pre-opening expenses and $120 million in dry dock costs for its cruise operations.
For fiscal 2026, Disney ( DIS ) plans to invest $24 billion in content across Entertainment and Sports, generate $19 billion in operating cash flow, and spend $9 billion on capital expenditures. It projects double-digit adjusted EPS growth versus fiscal 2025.
Looking ahead to fiscal 2027, Disney ( DIS ) also expects double-digit adjusted EPS growth compared to fiscal 2026.
Price Actions: DIS stock was trading lower by 4.41% to $111.50 premarket at last check Thursday.
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