Walt Disney’s Second-Quarter Profit Jumps 27 Percent

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Walt Disney Co.’s second-quarter profit rose 27 percent, boosted by the theatrical results of its movie “The Pacifier” and home-video sales of its digital animation film “The Incredibles.”

The Burbank-based media conglomerate surpassed Wall Street’s expectations, reporting net income of $698 million (33 cents per diluted share) for the second quarter ended April 2, compared with $537 million (26 cents) for the like period a year earlier. Revenue rose 9 percent to $7.8 billion from $7.2 billion in the year-ago period.


Analysts had expected earnings for the entertainment giant to be 32 cents per share on revenues of $7.8 billion. Second-quarter earnings per share included a $61 million benefit on the restructuring of Euro Disney’s borrowings and a $32million charge to write down an investment.


The company’s quarterly report was released early, during the trading session instead of after market close, due to an e-mail containing earnings information that was inadvertently sent.


The company’s movie studio saw operating income rise 65 percent to $253 million due mainly to DVD sales of “The Incredibles” and the box-office success of “The Pacifier.”


Nearly all company divisions saw a rise in revenues, except consumer products, which declined 9 percent to $465 million from $512 million in the comparable period of the year before. The biggest revenue rise came from the theme parks and resorts division, which soared 26 percent to $2.1 billion from 2004’s $1.7 billion.

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