After Earnings Call and Beating DeSantis, Wall Street Heaps Praise on Iger

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger. He has slashed thousands of jobs in television and got rid of the entire meta division at Disney just before the earnings call with Disney investors. He got rid of several people loyal to former Disney CEO Bob Chapek and those who caused him headaches.

He followed his layoff spree by besting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by sneaking in the “King Charles III clause.” Iger and Disney successfully rendered the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District powerless over Walt Disney World. It was a coup that no one saw coming.

Related: The War is Over, and Disney has Beaten DeSantis

And now, Wall Street investors are starting to take notice of the job that Iger has been doing since his return as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Jessica Reif Ehrlich, senior US media and entertainment analyst at Bank of America, joined CNBC, heaped praise on Iger, and talked about some of the work the Disney Company still needs to do.

Reif Ehrlich told CNBC:

Bob Iger has handled himself incredibly well since he’s been back.  He’s dealt with a lot of distractions. 

The Theme Park division is obviously a vital part of the Walt Disney Company right now. Since Covid restrictions ended, Reif Ehrlich said there has been an “insatiable demand” for Disney Parks and products. And with spring break upon us, that demand will only continue at Walt Disney World.

Next up on Iger’s to-do list is to get the film division and Disney Plus back to sustained profitability. Reif Ehrlich said that this will take time, but most analysts on Wall Street believe that Iger will be able to continue to make progress and ultimately put Disney and its properties like Marvel and Star Wars back on solid ground.

Reif Ehrlich also noted that Iger must still deal with the Hulu and ESPN questions. She believes it will be in Disney’s best long-term interest to buy Comcast’s portion of Hulu. She would also like to see Disney spend less per show, which isn’t necessarily good news for the long-term viability of Marvel and Star Wars-related shows.

As Wall Street praises Iger, it shows just how little faith investors and the public had in former CEO Bob Chapek. With Iger trying to erase nearly every project he started, it is proving to be a windfall for Disney, at least with investors.

We will keep you updated on this story at Disney Fanatic.