Shares of Walt Disney (DIS -2.06%) proved mortal last month, sliding 4% in July after hitting a new 52-week highs in each of the last three trading days in June. Can Disney get its groove back this summer?
There will be plenty of potentially stock-moving moments in August. From a telltale financial update to an annual fan event, there are a few dates that Disney investors will want to keep an eye on in the month ahead. Let's take a closer look.
Image source: Disney.
Aug. 6
Disney will announce its fiscal third-quarter results on Wednesday morning. There's a lot riding on the fresh numbers, even if Wall Street pros aren't holding out for much. Analysts see revenue clocking in at $23.76 billion for the three months ending in June, less than 3% higher than where Disney landed a year earlier.
The profit target is only marginally higher. The consensus estimate calls for Disney to earn $1.45 a share, a 4% increase. Now that Disney's streaming business has been profitable for more than a year, the year-over-year comparisons might not be as impressive. Thankfully, recent history is on the side of the bulls. Check out how Disney's bottom line has turned out over the past year relative to market expectations.
| Quarter | EPS (estimate) | EPS (actual) | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2024 | $1.19 | $1.39 | 16% |
| Q4 2024 | $1.11 | $1.14 | 3% |
| Q1 2025 | $1.43 | $1.76 | 23% |
| Q2 2025 | $1.21 | $1.45 | 20% |
Data source: Yahoo! Finance.
Disney has topped analyst projections every single time over the past year. The pixie dust on top is that three of those surprises have been double-digit percentage beats. The last two reports saw the House of Mouse exceeding forecasts by at least 20%.
There might be reasons to be concerned this time around, though. Comcast, Disney's biggest attractions rival opened a brand new theme park in May, minutes from Disney World. Meanwhile, Disney's Lilo & Stitch live-action reboot became the first U.S. film to top $1 billion in worldwide receipts this year during the quarter, but Inside Out 2 fared even better as last year's biggest fiscal third-quarter release. The impact of a softening economy and trade war implications can also eat into Disney's results. However, until Disney shows signs of softening, investors can look to the stock's recent performance: Its 25% jump over the past year is almost double the market average.
Aug. 8
Disney has been on top of the domestic box office the past two weekends with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It's hoping to stay there next weekend. But if the well-reviewed Marvel entry can't score a three-peat, there's a good chance the crown can go to another Disney franchise, as Freakier Friday opens on Friday.
The new films brings back Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan from the initial reboot that became a sleeper hit and cult classic 22 years ago. The new story goes one more notch up the family tree, and the same might happen for the film's chances as well. Freakier Friday should draw fans of the 2003 reboot as well as a potentially new younger audience. After a slow start at the local multiplex in 2025 with a few notable disappointments, Disney seems to be back in sync with moviegoers.
Aug. 29
The biennial Destination D23 event comes to Disney World in the final weekend of the month. The three-day event isn't as prolific as last year's D23 Expo that takes place every other year, but it's a place for Disney fans to gather and catch presentations about the past and present, and, more importantly, to get glimpses of the future of the entertainment giant.
This year's Destination D23 won't have the same fireworks that Disney fired off at last year's D23 Expo in Anaheim. Several new attractions and expansion plans were announced across its theme parks last summer. There could be some more details or fine tuning of timelines offered, but this will mostly serve as a way to get its fan base excited about the future of its content releases, theme park upgrades, and more.
If you want to quantify the fervor of the Disney community, keep in mind that tickets for this three-day event start at $299 a person, going all the way up to $799. Oh, and the event has been sold out for weeks now. If you won't be there, you can be sure that social media, popular blogs, and even financial journos like Yours Truly will be around to keep you updated on anything notable that takes place.
