Earnings Preview: Walt Disney Co.

Walt Disney Co (DIS) is expected to report Q2 earnings after market close today, May 6, with a conference call scheduled for 4:30 pm ET.

Guidance

Analysts are looking for a profit of 51c on revenue of $8.47B. The consensus range is 44c to 55c for EPS, and revenue of $7.85B to $9.01B, according to First Call.

Analyst Views

According to a UBS analyst, after beating Q1 earnings estimates, Disney was able to effectively weather a slowdown in the U.S. economy through strong box office and DVD performance, as well as increased theme-park attendance.

A Cowen analyst noted that Disney has said that weakening consumer confidence has not yet hurt advance theme park and resort bookings. The analyst forecast a drop of 2.7% for Disney park sales and a 10% drop in operating profits based on a similar reaction in consumer confidence in 1990 to 1991 and 2001 to 2002.

While Disney could see declines in advance vacation bookings, an analyst at Lehman noted a weaker dollar is likely to encourage international visitors. The analyst believes Disney is less dependent than other media companies on advertising revenue.