Shares of Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) soared on Thursday as the company's transformation plans started taking hold. Shares surged 11% on the day after the company's quarterly report, as analysts and investors applauded Disney's strong earnings growth, upbeat guidance, and the announcement of a fall 2025 launch of ESPN's long-awaited flagship streaming service (not to be confused with ESPN+).

But with so much good news in the company's earnings report on Wednesday afternoon, one of the most exciting announcements may be getting lost: the company announced a whopping 50% increase to its dividend -- a move that signals Disney's confidence in its transformation into, as management predicts, an "earnings compounder."

Let's dive into Disney's dividend announcement and why the company is confident it can make such a bold move.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com