February is the shortest month of the year, but that doesn't mean Walt Disney (DIS -1.05%) won't be making waves. With a lot of ground to make up as the worst performer in the Dow 30 -- and following up last year's 15% drop with an 8% decline in January of this year -- it's probably a good thing that the House of Mouse is on the go.
From an earnings report next week to new releases coming later this month, there's going to be a lot to watch when it comes to Disney. Let's take a closer look to see what February brings to the table.
Image source: Disney.
Feb. 2
You'd think Disney would never be the home to an eight-part series about the Pamela Anderson-Tommy Lee sex tape scandal of 1997, but here we are with Pam & Tommy premiering on Disney's majority-owned Hulu on Wednesday. Streaming platforms including Hulu and Disney+ have deep catalogs, but the real draw over the past few years are new shows and original films. It's the lifeblood of streaming services, and for now there's enough growth to go around for all of the leading platforms.
Feb. 9
It's earnings season, and that means Disney gets to show the world how its holiday quarter played out. Analysts see revenue climbing 16% to $18.9 billion for the fiscal first quarter of 2022. They're also holding out for a profit of $0.62 a share. It barely broke even a year earlier.
The year-over-year gains will be impressive but expected. The real driver could be the same thing that's been moving the stock during earnings season lately, and that is how well it held up in terms of Disney+ subscribers. Growth has slowed over the past year after a hot rookie season for the premium streaming service, but 118 million accounts isn't too shabby for a service that just started its third year of streaming availability.
Feb. 11
There aren't a lot of major Disney films hitting the silver screen this month, but one of its biggest releases should be Death on the Nile. Based on the 1937 Agatha Christie mystery novel and already with a couple of film adaptations under its belt, this time it will be Kenneth Branagh hoping to breathe new life to the classic as director, as well as playing the lead as detective Hercule Poirot.
The flick was supposed to hit theaters during the 2020 holiday season, but like many films it was bumped over concerns that COVID-19 fears were keeping consumers away from the local multiplex. Death on the Nile is another project Disney picked up from its 20th Century Fox content purchase, so don't look for it on Disney+ anytime soon.
Feb. 22
In theme park news, the 2022 Epcot International Festival of the Arts wraps up at Disney World's Epcot on Feb. 21. Festivals have become a big moneymaker at Epcot, as Disney ramps up per capita guest spending by sprinkling food and beverage kiosks with unique offerings throughout the park.
Festival fans won't have to hold out for long until the next fete, as the 2020 Epcot Flower and Garden festival kicks off less than two weeks later. The media stock bellwether knows how to throw a party, and, more importantly, how to monetize said party.
