Disney Appoints Josh D'Amaro as New CEO
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1h ago
0mins
Should l Buy DIS?
Source: Fool
- Leadership Transition: Disney officially announces Josh D'Amaro will succeed Bob Iger as CEO on March 18, bringing extensive brand knowledge and operational experience from overseeing 12 theme parks and 57 resorts since joining in 1998, which is expected to provide stable leadership.
- Performance Highlights: Under D'Amaro's leadership, Disney's Experiences division reported record revenue of $10 billion in Q1 2026, reflecting an 8% year-over-year growth, showcasing strong recovery momentum despite declines in overall revenue and earnings per share.
- Strategic Expansion: D'Amaro is set to continue the global expansion of the parks and experiences division while likely increasing investments in content and streaming, with a potential sale of ABC to adapt to declining traditional television viewership, thereby optimizing the company's business structure.
- Acquisition Potential: Following significant adjustments under Iger, D'Amaro may consider acquisitions, such as Epic Games, to enhance market competitiveness and drive further growth of the Disney brand, aiming for a drama-free chapter focused on expansion.
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Analyst Views on DIS
Wall Street analysts forecast DIS stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for DIS is 137.29 USD with a low forecast of 123.00 USD and a high forecast of 152.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
19 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 104.450
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
Current: 104.450
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
About DIS
The Walt Disney Company is a diversified worldwide entertainment company. The Company's segments include Entertainment, Sports and Experiences. The Entertainment segment generally encompasses its non-sports focused global film and episodic content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Entertainment segment along with their business activities include Linear Networks, Direct-to-Consumer, and Content Sales/Licensing. The Sports segment encompasses its sports-focused global television and direct-to-consumer (DTC) video streaming content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Sports segment include ESPN and Star. The Experiences segment includes Parks and Experiences and Consumer Products. Parks and Experiences consists of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Resort in California, Disney Cruise Line, and others. Consumer Products includes licensing of its trade names, characters, visual, literary and other IP.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Performance Highlights: Under D'Amaro's leadership, Disney's Experiences division reported record revenue of $10 billion in Q1 2026, reflecting an 8% year-over-year growth, showcasing strong recovery momentum despite declines in overall revenue and earnings per share.
- Strategic Expansion: D'Amaro is set to continue the global expansion of the parks and experiences division while likely increasing investments in content and streaming, with a potential sale of ABC to adapt to declining traditional television viewership, thereby optimizing the company's business structure.
- Acquisition Potential: Following significant adjustments under Iger, D'Amaro may consider acquisitions, such as Epic Games, to enhance market competitiveness and drive further growth of the Disney brand, aiming for a drama-free chapter focused on expansion.
See More
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- Revenue Highlights: The Disney Experiences division reported record revenue of $10 billion in Q1 2026, with an 8% year-over-year growth, showcasing strong growth potential that could support the company's overall performance.
- Leadership Transition: Bob Iger will officially step down as CEO on March 18, with Josh D'Amaro taking over; D'Amaro, who has over 25 years at Disney and oversees 12 theme parks and 57 resorts, is expected to continue driving investments in experiences and content.
- Future Strategic Direction: Under the new leadership, Disney may increase investments in theme parks and streaming content while considering the sale of ABC to address declining traditional TV viewership, a strategic shift that could impact the company's long-term growth outlook.
See More
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Segment Performance: All segments showed sequential improvement, with Entertainment leading at 7% growth, while the Sports segment faced challenges due to one-off issues that have since been resolved.
Financial Outlook: Despite a 9% decline in operating income and a significant drop in adjusted earnings, Disney's guidance for full-year growth remains positive, with expectations of strength in the second half of 2026.
Stock Market Reaction: Following the report, Disney's stock price fell over 6%, but early trading suggests some support may be present, indicating potential for a rebound in the market.
See More
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- Record Revenue: Disney's Experiences division achieved over $10 billion in revenue for the first fiscal quarter of 2023, representing 38% of total company revenue and contributing 71% of operating income, highlighting its critical role in overall profitability.
- Operating Income Growth: The division's operating income reached $3.3 billion, a 6% increase from the previous year, reflecting a robust recovery in consumer demand post-pandemic, with expectations for continued high-single-digit growth in the coming years.
- Expansion Investment Plan: Disney is undertaking a $60 billion, 10-year investment initiative that includes theme park expansions, additional cruise ships, and digital gaming development, aimed at leveraging its extensive intellectual property to enhance visitor experiences and drive revenue growth.
- International Market Opportunities: Despite challenges from declining domestic visitors, international theme park revenue grew 7% to $1.75 billion in the first quarter, indicating Disney's potential in global markets, particularly with the upcoming Abu Dhabi park and the launch of a cruise ship servicing Asia.
See More
Disney Earnings Preview: Streaming and Traditional TV Challenges
- Streaming Profitability: Disney's streaming segment, led by Disney+, has recently turned profitable, although the decline in traditional TV subscribers has weighed on overall performance, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in the company's transformation.
- Earnings Expectations: Wall Street anticipates Disney's first fiscal quarter earnings per share to be $1.57 adjusted, with revenue expected to reach $25.74 billion, reflecting investor focus on its streaming and theme park businesses.
- Theme Park Investment: Disney has committed to investing $60 billion in its theme parks over the next decade; despite potential economic pressures on consumer spending, its cruise business remains strong, demonstrating resilience in its experiences segment.
- CEO Succession Race: Amid Bob Iger's impending retirement, Disney is facing a competitive race for CEO succession, expected to select a new chief in early 2026, likely either Josh D'Amaro or Dana Walden, which will have significant implications for the company's strategic direction.
See More
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- Significant Profit Growth: UBS reported a 56% year-on-year profit increase in Q4 2026, reaching $1.2 billion, surpassing market expectations and demonstrating its strong financial performance and competitive position.
- Share Buyback Plan: UBS announced a $3 billion share buyback plan for 2026, with intentions to exceed this target, aiming to enhance shareholder value and boost market confidence.
- Market Reaction: Despite UBS's strong performance, major U.S. indexes fell on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 down 0.84%, indicating market concerns particularly regarding the underperformance of technology stocks, especially in the software sector.
- Industry Outlook: As oil and gas giants face profit pressures, Shell and TotalEnergies are expected to report their lowest fourth-quarter profits in nearly five years in upcoming earnings, reflecting the broader challenges faced by the industry.
See More
Disney Appoints Josh D'Amaro as New CEO
- Leadership Transition: Disney officially announces Josh D'Amaro will succeed Bob Iger as CEO on March 18, bringing extensive brand knowledge and operational experience from overseeing 12 theme parks and 57 resorts since joining in 1998, which is expected to provide stable leadership.
- Performance Highlights: Under D'Amaro's leadership, Disney's Experiences division reported record revenue of $10 billion in Q1 2026, reflecting an 8% year-over-year growth, showcasing strong recovery momentum despite declines in overall revenue and earnings per share.
- Strategic Expansion: D'Amaro is set to continue the global expansion of the parks and experiences division while likely increasing investments in content and streaming, with a potential sale of ABC to adapt to declining traditional television viewership, thereby optimizing the company's business structure.
- Acquisition Potential: Following significant adjustments under Iger, D'Amaro may consider acquisitions, such as Epic Games, to enhance market competitiveness and drive further growth of the Disney brand, aiming for a drama-free chapter focused on expansion.
See More
Disney's New CEO Transition and Future Outlook
- Stock Performance Issues: Disney's stock has declined by 40% over the past five years, indicating a decrease in market competitiveness, although the leadership of new CEO D'Amaro may signal a potential turnaround.
- Revenue Highlights: The Disney Experiences division reported record revenue of $10 billion in Q1 2026, with an 8% year-over-year growth, showcasing strong growth potential that could support the company's overall performance.
- Leadership Transition: Bob Iger will officially step down as CEO on March 18, with Josh D'Amaro taking over; D'Amaro, who has over 25 years at Disney and oversees 12 theme parks and 57 resorts, is expected to continue driving investments in experiences and content.
- Future Strategic Direction: Under the new leadership, Disney may increase investments in theme parks and streaming content while considering the sale of ABC to address declining traditional TV viewership, a strategic shift that could impact the company's long-term growth outlook.
See More
