Disney shares lost 45% since the beginning of the year

According to the results of Monday's trading, the share price of Walt Disney Co fell by 4.8%, to the lowest level since March 2020, due to news about the film «Avatar: The Way of Water». Securities became the leader of the decline among the components of the Dow Jones stock index.

In general, the drop in stock prices of the world's largest entertainment and media company since the beginning of this year has almost reached 45%, which is the worst indicator since 1974. For comparison: The Dow Jones dropped by 9.9%, the S&P 500 – by 19.9% over the same period.

James Cameron's new film «Avatar: The Way of Water» earned $134 million in theaters in the United States and Canada in the first weekend after the premiere, not meeting forecasts. Analysts on average expected that the fees of the long-awaited sequel would amount to $ 175 million, and Disney management predicted them at $ 135-150 million.

Representatives of the company note that the reason for the low fees was the deterioration of the epidemiological situation associated with COVID-19 and the reluctance of residents to visit cinemas. 

The first «Avatar», released in 2009, holds the title of the most successful film in history: its worldwide collections exceed $2.9 billion. At the same time, it grossed only $77 million at the international box office in the first week. The fees of «Avatar: The Way of Water» at the international box office amounted to $300.5 million.