Disney (DIS) stock is up during Wednesday’s trading session following its strong Q1 earnings report delivered this morning. The entertainment company reported a 20% increase in earnings to $1.45 per share adjusted on 7% revenue growth to $23.6 billion. This beat expected earnings of $1.19 per share on $23.09 billion in sales. Disney also cleared Q2 estimates with their outlook for next quarter, waking up investors in a good mood ahead of trading.

DIS stock climbed as much as 11% during Wednesday morning’s session. The company prides itself on multiple avenues of entertainment, including its streaming services, sports, and amusement parks. The number of Disney+ subscribers increased to 126 million last quarter to beat projections of 123.5 million. Disney+ had 124.6 million subscribers in Q4 and 153.6 million last year, respectively. Hulu, which Disney is the parent company of, saw its subscribers come in at 54.7 million for the quarter, ahead of views for 54.1 million.

For sports, while the number of ESPN subscribers declined 3% to 24.1 million, below estimates, sports revenue rose 5% to $4.5 billion, partly due to higher ESPN+ prices. Disney also posted strong earnings from its parks. Experiences revenue increased 6% to $8.88 billion, while FactSet analysts expected $8.78 billion. Disney noted that traffic rose at domestic parks, as well as the Disney Vacation Club and Disney Cruise Line. Guest spending also rose at the theme parks.

Also Read: Palantir Stock Crashes 12%: Goldman Sachs Predicts What’s Next for PLTR

“We have a lot more to look forward to, including our upcoming theatrical slate, the launch of ESPN’s new DTC offering, and an unprecedented number of expansion projects underway in our experiences segment,” CEO Bob Iger said in the release. “Overall, we remain optimistic about the direction of the company and our outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year.”

In terms of outlook for next quarter and the rest of the year, Disney is optimistic, which fueled investor belief in DIS stock. For Q3, Disney expects a modest increase in Disney+ subscribers compared to Q2. For the year, the company projects earnings to increase 16% to $5.75 per share adjusted. The guidance is well above the experts who forecast $5.43 per share adjusted.

Year-to-date, Disney stock has ultimately suffered, falling 8% since the start of 2025. While its stock has declined over the last several years, the company appears to be picking up under its returned CEO. Since Iger returned to Disney after a 2-year absence, the company’s stock decline has slowed. Its acquisition of Hulu in 2023 also provided a boost.