Disney Q1 Earnings Beat Expectations, Josh D'Amaro Elected CEO
"Now Streaming" is The Fly's weekly recap of the stories surrounding the biggest content streamers.PLAYING THIS WEEKEND:Among this weekend's new streaming content is romantic comedy film "Relationship Goals," which is available on Amazon Prime Video. Meanwhile, Peacocksubscribers on Sunday can catch the first episode of black comedy series "The 'Burbs," starring Keke Palmer. Addititonally, Netflixusers can stream the fourth season of legal drama series "The Lincoln Lawyer."DISNEY RESULTS:Earlier this week, Disneyreported better-than-expected Q1 earnings per share and revenue. Streaming and video on demand, or SVOD, revenue rose 11% year-over-year in the quarter, with SVOD operating income rising to $450M from $189M, resulting in SVOD operating margin of 8.4%. Looking ahead, the company sees Q2 SVOD operating income of roughly $500M, an increase of roughly $200M compared to 2Q25.A day later, Disney announced that, in a unanimous vote held on Monday, it elected Disney Experiences chairman Josh D'Amaro to become CEO, effective at the upcoming annual meeting on March 18, when he will succeed Disney CEO Robert Iger. The board also intends to appoint D'Amaro as a director immediately following that meeting. Concurrent with D'Amaro's appointment, Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, has been named president and chief creative officer of Disney, also effective March 18. Bob Iger upon transition will continue to serve as senior advisor and a member of the Disney Board until his retirement from the company on December 31.TRUMP/WARNER BROS.:President Donald Trump said in a new interview on Wednesday did an about-face and said that he will not be involved in the fight between streaming giant Netflix and Paramount Skydanceto buy some or all of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to CNBC's Dan Mangan. "I haven't been involved," Trump told "NBC Nightly News." "I've been called by both sides," Trump said. "It's the two sides, but I've decided I shouldn't be involved. The Justice Department will handle it."NETFLIX/HOLLYWOOD:Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday that its proposed $83B acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery would strengthen Hollywood by expanding domestic production, preserving jobs, and investing in assets Netflix lacks, David McCabe of The New York Times reported. Executives pushed back on antitrust concerns that the deal could lead to higher prices or harm talent, as senators pressed the company on market power and consumer impact. "We're buying a company that has assets that we do not, and we will keep investing in Warner Bros.," Sarandos said. "And we'll keep growing the American entertainment industry."'BALDUR'S GATE':Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO is developing a TV series based on video game franchise "Baldur's Gate," which is based in Hasbro's"Dungeons & Dragons" universe, with "The Last of Us" series co-creator Craig Mazin set to create, write, executive produce, and showrun the adaptation, Deadline's Nellie Andreeva reported Thursday. Also set to serve as executive producer on the project are Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O'Connor and Hasbro Entertainment's Gabriel Marano. Unlike HBO's "The Last of Us" series, which retells the stories from the PlayStationvideo games, the "Baldur's Gate" TV show will be a continuation of the games, the author noted.ROKU UPGRADE:Oppenheimer analyst Jason Helfstein upgraded Rokuto Outperform from Perform with a $105 price target. The firm cites valuation for the upgrade following the stock's 25% pullback from the 52-week high. It sees "numerous catalysts" for Roku, including the Amazon partnership that just went live, elevated interest in the Winter Olympics, and the mid-term political ads.STOCK PLAYS:Other publicly traded companies in the space include FuboTV, Fox, Apple, and AMC Networks.
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AMAZON STOCK FALLS 10% IN FRANKFURT FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL EXPENDITURE IN EARNINGS REPORT
Amazon Shares Drop: Amazon's shares fell by 10% in Frankfurt following the announcement of significant capital expenditures.
Impact of Results: The decline in stock price is attributed to investor reactions to the company's financial results and spending plans.
AMAZON: Q4 OPERATING INCOME REFLECTS $730 MILLION IN ESTIMATED SEVERANCE EXPENSES AND $610 MILLION IN ASSET IMPAIRMENTS FROM PHYSICAL STORES - PRESENTATION
- Q4 Operating Income: Amazon's Q4 operating income includes an estimated $730 million in severance costs.
- Asset Impairments: The company reported $610 million in asset impairments related to physical stores.
US Job Market Remains Stagnant Amid Layoffs
- Surge in Layoff Plans: January 2026 saw the highest layoff plans since 2009, indicating a severe job market situation that could lead to further economic deterioration, impacting consumer confidence and spending.
- Weak Job Additions: The private sector added only 22,000 jobs, significantly lower than the 140,000 added during the same period last year, suggesting a sluggish economic recovery that may lead to decreased household income and consumer spending.
- Increase in Unemployment Claims: Initial claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose to 231,000 in the last week of January, reflecting the impact of severe winter weather on the job market, potentially exacerbating economic uncertainty.
- Disconnection Between Growth and Employment: Despite GDP growth reaching an annual rate of 4.4% in Q3 last year, challenges remain for low-income households, highlighting a “K-shaped” recovery that may exacerbate social inequality.
Investment Prospects for Amazon and Booking Holdings
- Amazon's Innovation Edge: Amazon's online retail business maintains a durable competitive advantage through its extensive infrastructure and same-day delivery services, with its Rufus AI shopping assistant reaching 250 million active users in Q3 and projected to generate $10 billion in incremental annual sales by 2025.
- Advertising Revenue Surge: Amazon's advertising services have achieved an annual revenue run rate of $85 billion, with Q4 ad revenue increasing by 22% year-over-year, positioning the company to benefit as brands shift ad spending to digital platforms.
- Cloud Service Profitability: Amazon Web Services (AWS) saw a 24% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4, contributing roughly half of the company's profits, with investments in custom chips and data center capacity keeping it at the forefront of AI services, and analysts expect earnings per share to grow at an annualized rate of 17% in the coming years.
- Booking Holdings' Market Position: Booking Holdings attracts users through loyalty rewards and its Connected Trips initiative, achieving 323 million room nights in Q3, an 8% year-over-year increase, driving a 13% rise in revenue, with management targeting an 8% annual growth rate moving forward.
Investment Potential of Amazon and Booking Holdings
- Amazon's Market Advantage: Amazon's competitive edge in e-commerce stems from its extensive infrastructure and same-day delivery services, with its Rufus AI shopping assistant reaching 250 million active users in Q3, projected to generate $10 billion in incremental annual sales by 2025, further solidifying its market leadership.
- Advertising Revenue Growth: Amazon's advertising services have an annual revenue run rate of $85 billion, with Q4 ad revenue increasing by 22% year-over-year, as brands shift ad spending to digital platforms, significantly enhancing its overall profitability.
- Strong Cloud Computing Business: Amazon Web Services (AWS) saw a 24% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4, contributing nearly half of the company's profits, with investments in custom chips and data center capacity maintaining its competitive edge in the AI services market, expected to continue driving profit growth.
- Sustained Growth for Booking Holdings: Booking Holdings recorded 323 million room nights in Q3, an 8% year-over-year increase, driving a 13% rise in revenue and a 19% increase in adjusted earnings per share, with plans to achieve 8% annual growth in gross bookings and revenue, reflecting strong market demand and pricing power.
Investment Potential of Amazon and Booking Holdings
- Amazon's Innovation Edge: Amazon's online retail business maintains a competitive advantage through its extensive infrastructure and same-day delivery, with its Rufus AI shopping assistant reaching 250 million users in Q3 and projected to generate $10 billion in incremental annual sales by 2025.
- Advertising Revenue Surge: Amazon's advertising services have achieved an annual revenue run rate of $85 billion, with Q4 ad revenue increasing by 22% year-over-year, positioning the company favorably as brands shift ad spending to digital platforms.
- Cloud Services as Profit Engine: Amazon Web Services (AWS) saw a 24% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4, contributing roughly half of the company's profits, with investments in custom chips and data center capacity keeping it at the forefront of AI service delivery.
- Booking Holdings' Sustained Growth: Booking Holdings recorded 323 million room nights in Q3, an 8% year-over-year increase, driving a 13% rise in revenue, with management targeting 8% annual growth in gross bookings and revenue, translating to a 15% increase in adjusted earnings per share.
AMAZON STOCK FALLS 10% IN FRANKFURT FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL EXPENDITURE IN EARNINGS REPORT
Amazon Shares Drop: Amazon's shares fell by 10% in Frankfurt following the announcement of significant capital expenditures.
Impact of Results: The decline in stock price is attributed to investor reactions to the company's financial results and spending plans.
AMAZON: Q4 OPERATING INCOME REFLECTS $730 MILLION IN ESTIMATED SEVERANCE EXPENSES AND $610 MILLION IN ASSET IMPAIRMENTS FROM PHYSICAL STORES - PRESENTATION
- Q4 Operating Income: Amazon's Q4 operating income includes an estimated $730 million in severance costs.
- Asset Impairments: The company reported $610 million in asset impairments related to physical stores.
US Job Market Remains Stagnant Amid Layoffs
- Surge in Layoff Plans: January 2026 saw the highest layoff plans since 2009, indicating a severe job market situation that could lead to further economic deterioration, impacting consumer confidence and spending.
- Weak Job Additions: The private sector added only 22,000 jobs, significantly lower than the 140,000 added during the same period last year, suggesting a sluggish economic recovery that may lead to decreased household income and consumer spending.
- Increase in Unemployment Claims: Initial claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose to 231,000 in the last week of January, reflecting the impact of severe winter weather on the job market, potentially exacerbating economic uncertainty.
- Disconnection Between Growth and Employment: Despite GDP growth reaching an annual rate of 4.4% in Q3 last year, challenges remain for low-income households, highlighting a “K-shaped” recovery that may exacerbate social inequality.
Investment Prospects for Amazon and Booking Holdings
- Amazon's Innovation Edge: Amazon's online retail business maintains a durable competitive advantage through its extensive infrastructure and same-day delivery services, with its Rufus AI shopping assistant reaching 250 million active users in Q3 and projected to generate $10 billion in incremental annual sales by 2025.
- Advertising Revenue Surge: Amazon's advertising services have achieved an annual revenue run rate of $85 billion, with Q4 ad revenue increasing by 22% year-over-year, positioning the company to benefit as brands shift ad spending to digital platforms.
- Cloud Service Profitability: Amazon Web Services (AWS) saw a 24% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4, contributing roughly half of the company's profits, with investments in custom chips and data center capacity keeping it at the forefront of AI services, and analysts expect earnings per share to grow at an annualized rate of 17% in the coming years.
- Booking Holdings' Market Position: Booking Holdings attracts users through loyalty rewards and its Connected Trips initiative, achieving 323 million room nights in Q3, an 8% year-over-year increase, driving a 13% rise in revenue, with management targeting an 8% annual growth rate moving forward.
Investment Potential of Amazon and Booking Holdings
- Amazon's Market Advantage: Amazon's competitive edge in e-commerce stems from its extensive infrastructure and same-day delivery services, with its Rufus AI shopping assistant reaching 250 million active users in Q3, projected to generate $10 billion in incremental annual sales by 2025, further solidifying its market leadership.
- Advertising Revenue Growth: Amazon's advertising services have an annual revenue run rate of $85 billion, with Q4 ad revenue increasing by 22% year-over-year, as brands shift ad spending to digital platforms, significantly enhancing its overall profitability.
- Strong Cloud Computing Business: Amazon Web Services (AWS) saw a 24% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4, contributing nearly half of the company's profits, with investments in custom chips and data center capacity maintaining its competitive edge in the AI services market, expected to continue driving profit growth.
- Sustained Growth for Booking Holdings: Booking Holdings recorded 323 million room nights in Q3, an 8% year-over-year increase, driving a 13% rise in revenue and a 19% increase in adjusted earnings per share, with plans to achieve 8% annual growth in gross bookings and revenue, reflecting strong market demand and pricing power.
Investment Potential of Amazon and Booking Holdings
- Amazon's Innovation Edge: Amazon's online retail business maintains a competitive advantage through its extensive infrastructure and same-day delivery, with its Rufus AI shopping assistant reaching 250 million users in Q3 and projected to generate $10 billion in incremental annual sales by 2025.
- Advertising Revenue Surge: Amazon's advertising services have achieved an annual revenue run rate of $85 billion, with Q4 ad revenue increasing by 22% year-over-year, positioning the company favorably as brands shift ad spending to digital platforms.
- Cloud Services as Profit Engine: Amazon Web Services (AWS) saw a 24% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4, contributing roughly half of the company's profits, with investments in custom chips and data center capacity keeping it at the forefront of AI service delivery.
- Booking Holdings' Sustained Growth: Booking Holdings recorded 323 million room nights in Q3, an 8% year-over-year increase, driving a 13% rise in revenue, with management targeting 8% annual growth in gross bookings and revenue, translating to a 15% increase in adjusted earnings per share.
