May 8, 2012 The Walt Disney Company - Investor Relations News

As Bob Iger concluded the call that day: "We are in a creative golden age. The combination of our brands—Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm (not yet acquired), and Disney Animation—gives us an unrivaled arsenal of storytelling for the next decade."

CFO Jay Rasulo emphasized the company's commitment to capital returns, noting that Disney had already repurchased $1.6 billion of its own stock in the first half of the fiscal year. Disney shares (DIS) rose 2.3% in after-hours trading following the release, pushing the stock toward a 52-week high. Analysts at Goldman Sachs and Barclays immediately upgraded their price targets, arguing that the studio's volatility had been mitigated by the Marvel acquisition. Looking Back: The Significance of May 8, 2012 In retrospect, the May 8, 2012 investor call was a watershed moment. It marked the exact moment Wall Street realized that Disney’s $4 billion purchase of Marvel in 2009 was not merely a toy deal—it was a cinematic goldmine. may 8, 2012 the walt disney company investor relations news

It was a prescient statement. Just six months later, Disney would announce the acquisition of Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, bringing Star Wars into the fold. The seeds for the modern Disney empire were sown in the fertile ground of that record-breaking spring. Disclaimer: This article is a retrospective analysis based on historical financial disclosures and press releases from The Walt Disney Company dated May 8, 2012. As Bob Iger concluded the call that day:

Domestic attendance at Disney World and Disneyland was flat, but guest spending (per capita ticket and food/merchandise) increased. The segment’s growth was hampered by the ongoing construction of New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom and the early stages of Shanghai Disneyland , which Iger called "the most ambitious international project we have ever undertaken." The Consumer Products division (now Disney Experiences) saw a 7% rise in operating income to $187 million, driven by Avengers merchandise and the evergreen success of Cars and Disney Princess lines. Analysts at Goldman Sachs and Barclays immediately upgraded