Disney Has a Lot to Prove on Tuesday

There's plenty at stake as Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) gears up to post fresh financials on Tuesday. Between the struggles at ESPN weighing on its flagship media networks business and new rides boosting its fledgling theme park segment, there's going to be a lot of tugging on both ends of the rope in Tuesday afternoon's report. 

Analysts are settling for flattish results. They see third-quarter revenue climbing a mere 1.1% to $14.43 billion. Investors should be used to weak and sometimes negative top-line growth. Disney has only managed double-digit top-line growth for a quarter twice over the past six years, and revenue has declined in two of the three previous quarters.

The news is likely to be even less flattering on the bottom line. Wall Street pros are expecting for a profit of $1.56 a share, just shy of the $1.62 a share it posted a year earlier. Normalized net income has also gone the wrong way in two of the past three quarters, so another small step back won't come as a shock to investors. 

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Source: Fool.com