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Disney beats earnings forecast as shares surge

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Walt Disney exceeded Wall Street’s earnings projections, propelled by robust performances at its theme parks and ongoing cost-cutting measures, despite falling short of revenue estimates.

In addition to surpassing earnings expectations, Disney’s board of directors approved a $3 billion share repurchase program for the current fiscal year and announced a dividend of 45 cents per share, payable on July 25 to shareholders of record on July 8.

This represents a 50% increase from the previous dividend paid in January.

The company reported earnings of $1.22 per share, excluding certain items, surpassing analysts’ consensus forecast of 99 cents per share for the October to December period.

Following the earnings report, shares surged more than 7% after hours to $106.70.

Relatively flat

Although quarterly revenue remained relatively flat compared to the previous year, at $23.5 billion, it fell short of projections of $23.6 billion.

Disney disclosed that it had slashed $500 million in costs across its business during the quarter and remains on track to achieve or exceed $7.5 billion in savings by the end of the fiscal year.

The conglomerate faces pressure from activist investor Nelson Peltz, who is advocating for increased profitability in its streaming business, enhanced box office performance for its movies, and greater transparency regarding plans to bolster ESPN as a dominant digital platform.

CEO Bob Iger expressed confidence in Disney’s trajectory, stating, “Just one year ago, we outlined an ambitious plan to return the Walt Disney Company to a period of sustained growth and shareholder value creation. Our strong performance this past quarter demonstrates we have turned the corner and entered a new era of growth for our company.”

Record revenue

Disney’s Experiences unit, encompassing theme parks and consumer products, achieved record revenue, operating income, and operating margins.

The company reaffirmed guidance that its streaming business would reach profitability by September, with streaming operating losses reduced to $138 million in the quarter, a significant improvement from the previous year’s nearly $1 billion loss.

Despite shedding 1.3 million Disney+ subscribers, double analysts’ forecasted losses, following an October price increase, Disney remains optimistic about subscriber growth, projecting an increase of 5.5 million to 6 million subscribers in the second quarter.

The Entertainment unit’s streaming business, inclusive of Hulu and Disney+ Hotstar in India, reported revenue of $5.5 billion, slightly exceeding forecasts and marking a 15% improvement from a year ago.

7% decline

However, overall revenue for the Entertainment segment, covering Disney’s traditional TV business, streaming, and film, declined by 7% from a year earlier to $9.98 billion, impacted by lower ad revenue at ABC and decreased fees from cable subscriber losses.

Disney’s sports division saw a 4% revenue gain from a year ago, driven by ESPN, the ESPN+ streaming service, and Star in India, although operating losses deepened at Star in India.

Notwithstanding challenges, Disney’s theme parks unit reported robust revenue of $9.1 billion and operating income of $3.1 billion, buoyed by successful openings at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort.

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Trump named Time’s 2024 Person of the Year

Trump named Time’s 2024 Person of the Year, following election win, assassination attempt survival, and felony conviction.

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Donald Trump has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2024.

This designation follows Trump’s win in the US presidential election and his survival of an assassination attempt, as well as his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

He is set to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025.

Time’s editor-in-chief, Sam Jacobs, noted that selecting Trump was straightforward, given his significant impact over the past year.

 

Trump expressed gratitude for the honor during a Wall Street event, marking his second selection as Person of the Year, the first being in 2016.

Throughout 2024, Trump experienced notable events, such as the attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania rally, which garnered global media attention.

Additionally, his conviction in May made him the first American president to be labeled a convicted felon, although he has yet to be sentenced.

Upcoming term

After a successful campaign, Trump celebrated his presidential election victory in November, promising to enhance the country during his upcoming term.

With this latest recognition, Trump, who has been featured on Time covers numerous times since his first in 1989, reaffirms his relationship with the publication despite past controversies, including displaying fake covers at his golf clubs.

Trump remains a prominent figure in American politics with his upcoming return to the Oval Office.

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Coalition’s nuclear plan cheaper than Labor’s renewable rollout

Coalition’s nuclear plan to save $263 billion compared to Labor’s renewables, promising cheaper electricity and lower emissions by 2050.

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The Coalition claims its nuclear power plan will save $263 billion compared to Labor’s renewable energy strategy by 2050, resulting in lower electricity costs.

Economic modelling conducted by Frontier Economics estimates the Coalition’s plan, which aims for net zero emissions by 2050, will cost $331 billion.

In contrast, Labor’s renewable energy plan is projected to cost $594 billion according to the modelling.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton plans to share these findings, stating that the analysis supports their position that Australians will benefit from the Coalition’s approach.

Dutton claims that fewer hidden costs and reduced infrastructure expenses will lead to lower energy prices.

He noted that many advanced economies are increasing their nuclear capabilities and urged Australia to do the same.

Seven plants

The Coalition’s model includes seven nuclear power plants, with renewable energy still providing 54% of the National Electricity Market by 2050 and nuclear contributing 38%.

Labor’s strategy anticipates that 94% of power generation will come from renewable energy by the same year, with 90% of coal-fired power exiting the system by 2034.

However, coal may need to operate longer in the Coalition’s scenario until nuclear power is online.

The Coalition’s plan also suggests a reduced reliance on gas due to a lower number of renewables needing stabilisation.

Dutton committed to constructing and operating seven nuclear plants, with the first expected to be operational as early as 2036.

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Tech giants face new Australian news payment policy

ByteDance joins Meta, Google in Australia’s new news payment policy; potential charges for social media platforms begin January 1.

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TikTok’s parent company ByteDance will join Meta and Alphabet in paying new levies for Australian news unless they reach agreements with publishers.

Apple and Microsoft may also be affected if their revenues in Australia exceed $250 million annually.

Labor’s policy seeks to compel Meta to negotiate after it previously refused to pay for news.

Under the proposed legislation, the Australian Taxation Office will impose an annual levy on social media and search companies, exceeding the current news media bargaining code’s value of about $200 million annually.

Companies that negotiate payments to news publishers can offset these payments against their levy.

For example, if a platform faces an $11 million levy with a 10% uplift, it must secure at least $10 million in deals to avoid paying the ATO.

News Distribution

Any shortfall between deals and the annual charge will be collected by the ATO and distributed to publishers.

Final policy details will emerge after consultations early next year.

The law takes effect on January 1, emphasizing quick negotiations with tech companies.

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones clarified that the policy aims to facilitate negotiations, not increase government revenue, stating that digital platforms benefit financially from Australia and should support quality journalism.

Labor’s decision follows Meta’s refusal to renegotiate under the existing bargaining code, which could lead to significant job losses in journalism.

The Labor-controlled committee has deemed the current code “broken” and called for an alternative.

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