DIS Shareholders and Stock Info ONLY

[OKW Lover]

It would be completely new to the many that visit WDW but have never been to Tokyo.

Kind of like Tron.

 

[hertamaniac]

One thing a 5th gate, at WDW would be able to do is start with a new, modern infrastructure and guest flow model that isn't locked down by the blueprints of the current parks. I look at EU's layout and, in concept, appears to be designed for better optimizing the center spline concept in my opinion.

Disney might even be able to create a new rail system for that park or perhaps even tie into the Skyliner. And the thought of in-park resorts would be a fundamental change that EU already honed in on. I often thought that if the master plan of EPCOT had room for each land to have a corresponding themed resort connected and behind each pavilion, it would have been a success.

 

[Cfabar1]

EPCOT does resort hotels better than any other WDW property. Walkable to the theme park you have Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve. And they are all easily walkable to the park too.

 

[mdmost]

EPCOT does resort hotels better than any other WDW property. Walkable to the theme park you have Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve. And they are all easily walkable to the park too.

Agreed. I think those are the best bang for your buck. Two walkable parks and shuttles to the other 2 parks and waterparks. Boat options for your return trip. Swan was really enjoyable the last time we went.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

One thing a 5th gate, at WDW would be able to do is start with a new, modern infrastructure and guest flow model that isn't locked down by the blueprints of the current parks. I look at EU's layout and, in concept, appears to be designed for better optimizing the center spline concept in my opinion.

Disney might even be able to create a new rail system for that park or perhaps even tie into the Skyliner. And the thought of in-park resorts would be a fundamental change that EU already honed in on. I often thought that if the master plan of EPCOT had room for each land to have a corresponding themed resort connected and behind each pavilion, it would have been a success.

Another problem with building a fifth gate at WDW is how many suitable land does the resort have left to use?

 

[afan]

Another problem with building a fifth gate at WDW is how many suitable land does the resort have left to use?

More than enough for a 5th gate. If you search around it's out there on these boards ans elsewhere.

 

[wabbott]

https://deadline.com/2024/02/paramo...lling-kind-burning-girls-1235812357/#comments

Paramount+ Culls Raft Of International Drama Originals Including ‘The Burning Girls’, ‘One Night’, ‘The Killing Kind’ & ‘The Serial Killer’s Wife’
By Stewart Clarke
February 5, 2024 - 12:53am PST

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount+ has yanked a raft of international originals from its service along with several big-ticket acquired series.

Numerous English-language originals disappeared overnight last week. The U.S. conglom’s strategy shift to favoring its Hollywood-style content, and wider cost-savings efforts, effectively played out in real time. Other series that had been tipped for second seasons will not return.

Subscribers were left perplexed as shows vanished, and voiced bewilderment and frustration on X and elsewhere online. The removed shows have been taken off the streaming service in all territories.

Samantha Morton-starrer The Burning Girls and One Night, the Australia-set drama with Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, have disappeared from the streamer. Likewise, Eleventh Hour Films-produced The Killing Kind, based on the book of the same name, and thriller The Serial Killer’s Wife, have been pulled.

The Doll Factory, the adaptation of the bestselling novel from Marcella producer Buccaneer, has also come down.

Elsewhere, a second season of The Flatshare, from production and management outfit 42, and Chemistry of Death, based on Simon Beckett’s crime novel, are not now expected to materialize.

Acquired shows have also been culled. Shows dropped from the UK service include Accused, the U.S. remake of the gritty Jimmy McGovern UK series, and new seasons of Quantum Leap.

The changes follow a strategy shift at Paramount. Maria Kyriacou, Paramount Global President, Broadcast & Studios, is exiting as the business cuts its international offering.

The international focus has shifted to “Hollywood franchises, films and series, which have mass global appeal,” international bosses Pam Kaufman and CBS CEO George Cheeks told staff in an internal memo last week. CBS Studios President David Stapf will take on Kyriacou’s Paramount Television International Studios (PTIS) remit.

The broader context is Bob Bakish’s plan to “operate as a leaner company and spend less.” Driving profitability at the streaming operation is a key pillar of the Paramount Global CEO’s strategy, detailed to staff in a town hall in late-Jan.

The likes of Disney+ and HBO Max have previously employed similar strategies and pulled content in bids to lower programming costs.

For international drama producers, Paramount+’s pullback is a tough break and represents the real-world impact of a change in direction at the streamer. Many of the English-language originals hailed from producers already buffeted by commissioning slowdowns in many territories and re-orgs at key platforms and broadcasters.

Other international projects that have gone dark include New Pictures and Viacom International Studios’ No Escape, the movie At Midnight and Brazilian drama Marcelo, Marmelo, Martelo. These were first reported in THR.

Paramount+ is not, however, exiting the international drama business wholesale. High-profile original Sexy Beast has just launched and some English-language international fare is still moving ahead. The second season of Australia’s Last King of the Cross is happening, with Deadline breaking the news last Friday that Naveen Andrews has joined the cast of the gangland drama.

Insomnia, starring Vicky McClure and adapted from Sarah Pinborough’s novel of the same name and from The Crown producer Left Bank, will also go ahead.

Paramount declined to comment.

 

[DisneyMike2019]

How many shares do I need to buy to vote this year? I'd like to put my money where my mouth is.

 

[wabbott]

How many shares do I need to buy to vote this year? I'd like to put my money where my mouth is.

One share will do it, but I think you are too late. Today (2/5/24) is the "record date" deadline for ownership. A trade placed today won't settle for another day or two.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-shareholders/

The 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on April 3, 2024, and all shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 5, 2024 are entitled to vote at the meeting.

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/06/settlementtradedate.asp

Do I Own a Stock on the Trade Date or Settlement Date?

When purchasing shares of a security, there are two key dates involved in the transaction. The first is the trade date, which marks the day an investor places the buy order in the market or on an exchange. The second is the settlement date, which marks the date and time the legal transfer of shares is actually executed between the buyer and seller. The time frame between the trade date and settlement date differs from one security to another, due to varying settlement rules attached to different types of investments.

For foreign exchange spot transactions, U.S. equities, and municipal bonds, the settlement date occurs two days after the trade date, commonly referred to as "T+2"

 

[DisneyMike2019]

One share will do it, but I think you are too late. Today (2/5/24) is the "record date" deadline for ownership. A trade placed today won't settle for another day or two.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-shareholders/

The 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on April 3, 2024, and all shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 5, 2024 are entitled to vote at the meeting.

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/06/settlementtradedate.asp

Do I Own a Stock on the Trade Date or Settlement Date?

When purchasing shares of a security, there are two key dates involved in the transaction. The first is the trade date, which marks the day an investor places the buy order in the market or on an exchange. The second is the settlement date, which marks the date and time the legal transfer of shares is actually executed between the buyer and seller. The time frame between the trade date and settlement date differs from one security to another, due to varying settlement rules attached to different types of investments.

For foreign exchange spot transactions, U.S. equities, and municipal bonds, the settlement date occurs two days after the trade date, commonly referred to as "T+2"

Dang, just a few day late. I will just vote next year then. Thank you for this.

 

[wabbott]

Dang, just a few day late. I will just vote next year then. Thank you for this.

The more shares you buy, the more votes you have. At today's market cap ($177.763B), only $88.815 billion will get you control of the company and you can name yourself CEO. Of course if you place an order that large, likely the price might go up a smidge.

 

[DisneyMike2019]

The more shares you buy, the more votes you have. At today's market cap ($177.763B), only $88.815 billion will get you control of the company and you can name yourself CEO. Of course if you place an order that large, likely the price might go up a smidge.

I think there is a guy out there who is looking to take that job, so I think I may have been beat out on that idea.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/b...-help-fend-off-activist-investors-1235816220/

Disney Enlists Prof. Ludwig Von Drake to Help Fend Off Activist Investors

The Mouse House is fending off a proxy fight from Nelson Peltz and his Trian Partners, as well as Blackwells Capital — and using the animated character to tell shareholders how to vote.

by Caitlin Huston
February 5, 2024 - 11:07am PST

Ludwig Von Drake Walt Disney Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Disney is calling on Professor Ludwig Von Drake as its reinforcement in its board battle against Nelson Peltz and his Trian Partners.

The media and entertainment giant released an animated video Monday urging shareholders to vote, but only for the company’s preferred board members. The Austrian duck, who is uncle to Donald and an expert on many subjects in the Disney universe, guides the shareholders through the voting process that kicks off ahead of the April 3 shareholder meeting.

In the video, which also pulls in other classic Disney animation and the muses from Hercules, the voice over repeatedly emphasizes the company’s preferred method of voting, which involves selecting its 12 nominees who appear on a white proxy card, while suggesting that voting any other way is incorrect.

“Remember, it’s important you vote only for Disney’s 12 nominees using the white proxy card. Do not vote for the Trian Group or Blackwells’ nominees,” the video states. “Voting this year is critical, no matter how many or how few shares you may own.”

Asked about what to do with the blue or green cards, the video states that “Shareholders may simply discard them.”

“Remember it’s important you vote only for Disney’s 12 nominees using the white proxy card. Do not vote for the Trian Group or Blackwell’s nominees,” the video again repeats.

Voting for most shareholders must be submitted before 11:59 pm on April 2, 2024, but Disney urged voters to do so “as soon as possible.”

Peltz, an activist investor, is staging a proxy fight against Disney due to what he says is Disney’s lagging stock performance, as well as a lack of ownership of Disney shares from the company’s board. Peltz has also been pushing for Disney to “target and achieve Netflix-like margins of 15-20% by FY 2027” in its streaming business and “finally complete a successful CEO succession,” among other measures. Disney has pushed back saying “in a two year quest for a seat on the Disney Board, Mr. Peltz had not actually presented a single strategic idea for Disney; that his assessment of Disney seemed oblivious to the ongoing secular change in the media industry.”

In a preliminary proxy statement, Peltz’s Trian Partners said it would ask shareholders to withhold their votes for current Disney board members Michael B.G. Froman and Maria Elena Lagomasino, and instead vote for Peltz and former Disney CFO Jay Rasulo to join the board.

Blackwells Capital has also nominated its own board slate of Craig Hatkoff, Jessica Schell and Leah Solivan and in turn is asking shareholders to withhold votes for all Disney and Trian nominees, and to only vote for its own nominees.

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Ludwig_Von_Drake#History

 

[irlandaise]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/b...-help-fend-off-activist-investors-1235816220/

Disney Enlists Prof. Ludwig Von Drake to Help Fend Off Activist Investors

The Mouse House is fending off a proxy fight from Nelson Peltz and his Trian Partners, as well as Blackwells Capital — and using the animated character to tell shareholders how to vote.

by Caitlin Huston
February 5, 2024 - 11:07am PST

Ludwig Von Drake Walt Disney Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Disney is calling on Professor Ludwig Von Drake as its reinforcement in its board battle against Nelson Peltz and his Trian Partners.

The media and entertainment giant released an animated video Monday urging shareholders to vote, but only for the company’s preferred board members. The Austrian duck, who is uncle to Donald and an expert on many subjects in the Disney universe, guides the shareholders through the voting process that kicks off ahead of the April 3 shareholder meeting.

Well....that was different. Certainly more entertaining than any other proxy instructions I've ever seen! I guess Disney isn't bound by law to stay neutral on proxy recommendations. I mean, I've seen statements in the formal proxy materials where the company suggests that you vote for their slate, but this video certainly took the proselytizing up several notches.

Will folks be offering their opinions on how to vote in this thread, or do we need a new thread for that?

 

[Cfabar1]

Maybe Disney should offer an explanation as to why we should vote for them....

If they explain they are investing in a big way in parks that might sway me to invest in them for example....

 

[OKW Lover]

I guess Disney isn't bound by law to stay neutral on proxy recommendations

I don't believe there is any such law.

 

[wabbott]

Here's the company website.
https://votedisney.com/

 

[wabbott]

https://deadline.com/2024/02/disney...ells-proxy-battle-directors-board-1235816079/

Disney Activist Investor Blackwells Floats Idea Of Splitting Up Company As It Officially Launches Proxy Fight, Nominates Three To Board
By Jill Goldsmith - Co-Business Editor
February 6, 2024 - 7:27am PST

Blackwells Capital today made its fight with Disney official, urging shareholders in a definitive proxy statement to elect its three nominees to the board of directors “as the company navigates through a vast and novel opportunity set offering a near limitless potential.”

“The purpose of our campaign is simple: we want to ensure that Disney has the right collection of minds around the boardroom table, working constructively together to make decisions that will benefit ALL shareholders for decades to come,” Blackwells said. The firm is opposed to Nelson Peltz, whose Trian Partners is also taking on the Disney board in what is officially now a three-way fight. Both claim the company hasn’t delivered for stockholders recently.

Blackwells’ founder and chief investment officer Jason Aintabi said nominees, Jessica Schell, Craig Hatkoff and Leah Solivan, would support the company in, respectively, media and content; real estate and strategic asset review; and physical, spatial computing and AI-driven experiences.

The expertise of Hatkoff, a New York real estate executive, “extends to exploring all strategic possibilities with cold eyes, including the potential separation of Disney into three entities, beginning with a management reorganization and leadership selection for each business and resulting in standalone public companies,” Blackwells said.

“Disney may simply be too complex for any one successor to Mr. Iger to manage holistically, and Blackwells believes that it is the responsibility of the Board to oversee these types of analyses in the ordinary course.

It also floated the idea of Disney separating its owned real estate, which it says represent about 44% of its market cap, at cost, “into an independent publicly listed REIT or a series of investment vehicles in which the shares, cash and/or interests could be distributed to shareholders.”

Peltz is fielding himself and former top Disney executive Jay Rasulo as board nominees in an aggressive push. Disney has urged shareholders, including in an explainer video posted yesterday, to vote only for its candidates and not for the Trian or Blackwell nominees. The company has defended board and strategy since CEO Bob Iger returned to lead in late 2022.

The showdown will come at Disney’s annual meeting scheduled to be held virtually on April 3.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1720183/000121390024010239/defc14a0224_blackwells.htm

BLACKWELLS ONSHORE I LLC

February 6, 2024

Dear Fellow Shareholder:

Blackwells Onshore I LLC (“Blackwells Onshore”), Blackwells Capital LLC (“Blackwells Capital”) and Jason Aintabi (collectively with Blackwells Onshore and Blackwells Capital, “Blackwells” or “we”), together with the other participants in this solicitation, own an aggregate of 157,131 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of The Walt Disney Company, a Delaware corporation (“Disney” or the “Company”). For the reasons set forth in the accompanying Proxy Statement, we believe of the election of our three highly qualified director nominees to the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) to serve alongside Disney’s incumbent directors will ensure that the Company continues its ongoing strategic transformation in a manner consistent with the best interests of all shareholders. The attached Proxy Statement and the enclosed GREEN Universal Proxy Card are first being made available to shareholders on February 6, 2024.

We are seeking your support at the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which is scheduled to be held virtually at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/DIS2024 on April 3, 2024 at 10:00 A.M. Pacific Time (including any other meeting of shareholders held in lieu thereof, and adjournments, postponements, reschedulings or continuations thereof, the “Annual Meeting”). We are soliciting proxies from the Company’s shareholders on the following matters:

• The election of each of our director nominees — Craig Hatkoff, Jessica Schell and Leah Solivan (collectively, the “Blackwells Nominees”) — to the Board, each to serve as a director on the Board for a one-year term or until his or her respective successor is duly elected and qualified;

• Blackwells’ proposal to adopt a non-binding, advisory resolution requesting that, in the event any candidate of the Company fails to be elected at the 2024 Annual Meeting for failure to receive more votes than a non-Company nominee, the Board shall take all necessary actions to increase the size of the Board by the number of Company nominees so failing to be elected and appoint any and all such Company nominees to fill the newly created corresponding vacancies (the “Blackwells Proposal”);

• The Company’s proposal to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accountants for fiscal year 2024 (Proposal 2);

• The Company’s proposal to approve executive compensation (Proposal 3);

• The Company’s proposal to approve an amendment and restatement of the Company’s Amended and Restated 2011 Stock Incentive Plan (Proposal 4);

• A shareholder proposal regarding shareholder ratification of excessive golden parachutes (Proposal 5);

• A shareholder proposal regarding reports on political expenditures (Proposal 6);

• A shareholder proposal regarding a report on gender transitioning compensation and benefits (Proposal 7);

• A shareholder proposal regarding the publication of charitable contributions (Proposal 8); and

• The proposal submitted by Trian Partners L.P. and Trian Partners Parallel Fund I, L.P., wholly owned subsidiaries of Trian Fund Management, L.P., along with other entities affiliated with Nelson Peltz and Isaac Perlmutter (collectively, the “Trian Group”), to repeal each provision or amendment of the Company’s Bylaws that has been adopted by the Board (and not the shareholders of the Company) since November 30, 2023 (Proposal 9).

In addition, shareholders may consider such other matters as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any postponement or adjournment thereof.

We further believe that the Blackwells Proposal will contribute to the Company’s continued growth and transformation efforts under existing leadership, ensuring the future success of the Company. We urge you to carefully consider the information contained in the attached Proxy Statement and then support our efforts by signing, dating and returning the enclosed GREEN Universal Proxy Card today.

Under new rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the enclosed GREEN Universal Proxy Card also includes the names of the Company’s nominees and the Trian Group’s nominees. As Blackwells is using a “universal” proxy card, there is no need to use the Company’s white proxy card or voting instruction form or the Trian Group’s blue proxy card or voting instruction form, regardless of how you wish to vote. We ask that you only cast your votes “FOR” Mr. Hatkoff, Ms. Schell and Ms. Solivan and “WITHHOLD” your votes for each of the Company’s nominees and the Trian Group’s nominees. We also ask you to vote “FOR” the non-binding Blackwells Proposal, which would allow the Board to increase its size and reappoint any Company nominee who fails to win re-election at the Annual Meeting.

Shareholders should refer to the Company’s proxy statement and the Trian Group’s proxy statement for the names, backgrounds, qualifications and other information concerning the Company’s nominees and the Trian Group’s nominees, respectively. You may access the Company’s proxy statement and the Trian Group’s proxy statement and any other relevant documents, without cost on the SEC’s website. There is no assurance that any of the Company’s nominees or the Trian Group’s nominees will serve as directors if one or more of the Blackwells Nominees are elected.

If you have any questions or require any assistance with voting your shares, please contact our proxy solicitor, Morrow Sodali LLC, at its address and toll-free numbers listed below.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/wall-street-focused-disney-streaming-141500151.html

Wall Street Is Focused on Disney Streaming Profits, Cost Cutting Ahead of Q1 Earnings
Lucas Manfredi
Tue, February 6, 2024 at 8:15 AM CST

Disney CEO Bob Iger will offer a long-awaited update to Wall Street this week on the entertainment giant’s turnaround efforts, as the company looks to boost its stock price and fend off a proxy battle from activist investor Nelson Peltz.
The Trian Fund Management founder is looking to secure two seats on the board for himself and former Disney chief financial officer Jay Rasulo at the annual shareholder meeting on April 3.

Disney is now in a “put up or shut up” situation,” Heritage Capital founder Paul Schatz told TheWrap. “Another bad report and Nelson Peltz may get some hedge funds on his side.”

Since Iger returned to the helm in 2022, the entertainment giant has faced an anemic stock price, creative doldrums and the worsening pressure to be successful with streaming.

Strong earnings and progress on its turnaround efforts could “quell some of the activity and talk around how merited the activist push is,” Third Bridge senior analyst Jamie Lumley added. But a weaker earnings report could add fuel to Peltz’s call for Disney to make faster changes, Lumley said.

Analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research are expecting the company to report earnings of 97 cents per share on revenue of $23.74 billion. As of Monday’s close, Disney shares are trading at $96.65 apiece, up 6.5% year to date but down 12% in the past year.

Streaming Profitability and Subscriber Growth

While Disney faces a multitude of challenges, addressing the company’s uncertain direct-to-consumer future is the most important task on Iger’s priority list, analysts said. In a recent research note, MoffettNathanson questioned whether the Disney+ and Hulu combo app will be enough to catch up to Netflix’s scale, and whether more price increases could lead to churn or improved profits.

Disney has previously said that it expects to reach streaming profitability by the end of fiscal year 2024. But it’s unclear if this target will be derailed by a failure to add more subscribers, TD Cowen analyst Doug Creutz pointed out.

Creutz called the 2024 content slate “underwhelming” in a recent note, noting there are no shows that feature high-profile characters from Disney’s respective franchises.

He added that the strikes have resulted in a light film slate with no “Star Wars” installments and Marvel’s “Deadpool 3” as the studio’s only release this year. While Creutz expects “Inside Out 2” to perform well, he pointed out that it likely won’t come to streaming until very late fiscal year 2024 at the earliest.

“Given continued price raises, we are concerned that Disney+ could see a spike in churn this year,” Creutz added.

Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Geetha Ranganathan expects pressure on Disney’s linear networks due to higher sports costs and noted that the studio’s underperforming titles, including “Wish” and “The Marvels,” will weigh on the quarter’s results.

Performance of the parks division will likely continue to be strong, driven mainly by the Disney’s international properties after the company raised prices, Ranganathan said. But she noted that parks will face tough comparisons in the first half of the year due to Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration and wage inflation.

During the earnings call, analysts will be looking for any additional color on the company’s planned $60 billion investment in parks over the next decade.

Wall Street also will listen for updates on the progress of Disney+’s ad tier and plans for a password sharing crackdown this year, as well as for more clarification on ESPN’s DTC strategy and what Disney hopes to achieve in India as it sells a majority stake in its Star business to Reliance Industries.

Clarity on cost cutting

Investors will also seek more clarity on the company’s ongoing cost cuts, which Lumley said is “hugely important to getting the entire company firing on all cylinders again.”

During its fourth quarter 2023 earnings call, Iger revealed that Disney was on track to generate $7.5 billion in cost savings, up $2 billion from its previous target. Disney raised its annualized content spend reduction target to $4.5 billion from $3 billion, excluding strike impacts and sports rights, which account for over 40%. In fiscal 2024, the company expects capital expenditures to hit $6 billion and content spend to reach $25 billion.

With the recent hiring of new CFO Hugh Johnston, MoffettNathanson hopes that fiscal year 2024 will be a “pivotal year in right-sizing Disney’s DTC vision.” The firm’s focus on cost management is driven by the view that Disney has “hit a wall on subscriber growth.”

By the end of 2024, analysts estimate that Disney will report 121.6 million core Disney+ subscribers, compared to 112.6 million at the end of 2023, and 44.6 million Hulu SVOD-only subscribers, compared to 43.9 million, with Hotstar subscribers remaining flat at 37.6 million. MoffettNathanson also expects Disney to report around $800 million in losses on their entertainment DTC segment. However, it believes Disney’s DTC division has the potential to post earnings before interest and taxes of $1.3 billion and margins of 5% in fiscal year 2025.

“The key is to give investors and analysts confidence that the company is taking aggressive action to close the roughly $4 billion in operating profit gap vs. Netflix at a similar point in time,” MoffettNathanson added. “If so, Disney’s multiple should improve as confidence grows about forward earnings power.”

Peltz proxy battle

The earnings call will also be an opportunity for Iger to weigh in on the goals that Peltz and Trian Fund Management have outlined before the annual meeting, including targeting Netflix-like profit margins of 15-20% by fiscal year 2027 and completing a successful CEO succession.

Peltz and Trian argue that Disney’s operating income, free cash flow and earnings per share have declined by 18%, 50% and 85%, respectively, since 2018 — which it blames on Disney’s board for showing a lack of focus, alignment and accountability.

“We do not believe the current Board can solve Disney’s problems. To Restore the Magic, we need new perspectives, fresh thinking and tangible goals,” Trian said.

In its own notification, Disney asserted it has the right strategy in place, touting its “substantial progress” in making the business more efficient and effective, including a sharpened focus on its brand and franchises, a commitment to cutting costs and a reinstatement of the company’s dividend.

Peltz and former Disney chief financial officer Jay Rasulo, the company added, “do not possess the appropriate range of talent, skill, perspective and/or expertise to effectively support the Board’s ongoing efforts to drive profitable growth and shareholder value creation in the face of continuing, industry-wide challenges.”

The Disney board has recommended its own slate, which includes Iger, Mary Barra, Safra Catz, Amy Chang, Carolyn Everson, Michael Froman, Maria Elena Lagomasino, Calvin McDonald, Mark Parker and Derica Rice, as well as recent appointees James Gorman and Jeremy Darroch.

Given the breadth of the issues facing Disney, Barclays Capital analyst Kannan Venkateshwar argued that “the typical activist playbook of cost cuts, asset sales and capital returns is unlikely to be useful to change the narrative in any material way.” He noted that costs cuts and a higher dividend beyond the previously announced goals might not be feasible.

Over the long-term, Barclays expects Disney to be one of the only legacy media companies with a “revenue growth story,” but added that it’s “tough to see how multiples or estimates go up materially” in the interim given the company’s challenges.

The post Wall Street Is Focused on Disney Streaming Profits, Cost Cutting Ahead of Q1 Earnings appeared first on TheWrap.