Powered by parks, Walt Disney Co. sets sales, profit records

Walt Disney Co. reported another quarter of double-digit profit growth Thursday, boosted by higher summer prices for tickets and hotel rooms at Walt Disney World and the company's other theme-park resorts.

The results capped a fiscal year in which Burbank, Calif.-based Disney turned a profit of $6.1 billion, an 8 percent jump from 2012. Sales across the media-and-entertainment giant rose 7 percent for the year to $45 billion, another company record.

  

"It was another great year for the company, both creatively and financially, and we remain confident that we are well positioned to continue our strong performance and drive long-term shareholder value," Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger said in a prepared statement. Disney's fiscal year ended. Read more.

Disney Stock Rebounds, Dow Surges 167 Points

It's official, folks. Wall Street is the master of mixed signals. Just yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) sold off in a hurry, tumbling 152 points on the heels of a strong GDP report. As absurd as that sounds, the slump was caused by the legitimate concern that the Federal Reserve would be more likely to taper its QE program after seeing proof of a solid recovery. Today, the stock market saw further proof of a solid recovery, as the U.S. economy added 204,000 jobs in October, blowing out the 125,000 figure some analysts expected. This time, the Dow responded to the good news by roaring 167 points, or 1.1%, higher, to end at 15,761.

Disney (NYSE: DIS  ) stock also experienced a reversal of fortune, jumping 2.1% after beating earnings and revenue estimates. Yesterday, the entertainment giant was the Dow's most pronounced decliner. Read more.

Disney 4Q profit rises but pay TV unit underwhelms

The Walt Disney Co.'s earnings rose 12 percent in the company's fiscal fourth quarter, beating analysts' forecasts on the surprising strength of its new video game "Disney Infinity" and upbeat movie studio results.

But a worse-than-expected performance from Disney's stalwart pay TV unit housing its ESPN network led to a stock drop in after-hours trading. Analyst Alan Gould of Evercore Partners said the market remained focused on the reliable profits of Disney's pay TV division, rather than the hit-and-miss results from the studio or its games division.

Net income in the three months that ended Sept. 28 came to $1.39 billion, or 77 cents per share. That's up from $1.24 billion, or 68 cents per share, in the same months a year ago. Revenue grew 7 percent to $11.57 billion. Read more.