Bob Iger To Meet With Disney Workers Tuesday: Here's What Could Be In Focus As Shares Of The House Of Mouse Struggle

Zinger Key Points
  • Disney shares have had an up-and-down 2023, hitting nine year lows in August.
  • A town hall meeting with employees Tuesday could lay out the company's future growth plans.

Former Walt Disney Company DIS CEO Bob Iger returned to the media giant nearly one year ago in a move to help steady the ship and return the company to its strong stock returns.

In the last year, shares of Disney are down 1% and the company has faced several struggles. Here's a look at what Iger could be saying to employees in a town hall-style meeting Tuesday.

What Happened: Shares of Disney hit nine-year lows in August, but have since slightly recovered. With pressure from shareholders and activist investors, Disney could be in for rough water ahead. Iger, as captain of the ship, will look to steady things moving forward.

On Tuesday, at 12 p.m. ET, Iger and other top Disney executives will meet with cast members (aka employees) in a town hall meeting, as shared by Deadline.

Among the executives that will be present include key figures leading the film, parks, ESPN and television divisions. Iger hosted a similar town hall in 2022 after he returned to lead the company.

David Muir, an ABC News anchor, will lead the moderated discussion with Iger and top executives. The event will address "future building opportunities."

Related Link: Disney Q4 Earnings Highlights – Revenue Miss, Earnings Beat, Disney+ Adds 7 Million Core Subscribers And More

Why It's Important: Speaking during Disney's recent fourth-quarter earnings call, Iger said the company was making progress that has "allowed us to move beyond this period of fixing and begin building our businesses again."

Disney's linear networks segment has struggled, which comes as the company focuses on its streaming Disney+ platform. The company also recently announced it would buy out the stake in Hulu it did not own.

Disney broke ESPN out into a separate segment, which allows investors and employees to see how strong the business is. Disney is looking for a partner going forward to help grow the brand.

One of the key focuses of the event could also be on Disney's film division, which comes as the company had several movies struggle at the box office. Disney failed to have a $1 billion grossing movie for the first time in years.

The town hall will come as Disney's latest theatrical release "Wish" also underperformed expectations at the box office with $31.6 million in its opening week.

Tuesday's event could target both employees and shareholders given the company's recent struggles over the last year.

DIS Price Action: Disney shares trade at $95.17 versus a 52-week trading range of $78.73 to $118.18. Shares are up 7% year-to-date in 2023.

Read Next: Disney Delays More Films, Could Shareholders Suffer More Declines During Hollywood Strike?

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