It's been six years since Disney (NYSE: DIS) posted a decline in annual operating results, but that streak could end when the company announces its fiscal fourth-quarter numbers this week. Its revenue and profits are both running lower through the last nine months, while consensus estimates have the entertainment giant posting flat sales for the year.
It won't matter to the big picture whether Disney grows slightly or takes a small step backward. Still, investors will be watching for indications that the entertainment giant can rebound in fiscal 2018.
Disney's core media business has been suffering as TV fans, particularly within the ESPN service, exit the broadcast ecosystem to instead consume content through apps. That shift hurts the business in two ways: by lowering advertising revenue (because of the smaller audience size) and by decreasing distribution fees, which are tied to those falling subscriber counts.
Source: Fool.com