
Jim Cramer on Wednesday's action: 'We have a market that's all over the map'
"We have a market that's all over the map, driven not by group moves, but by individual stocks with bizarre narratives that are unlike anything I've ever seen," he said.
According to Cramer, expensive stocks keep heading higher even when they shouldn't, and stocks of solid companies are ignored by Wall Street, even when they post good quarters. Heavily-shorted companies "steamroll the short-sellers" when positive news about business is revealed, he added.
He named Palantir and Arista Networks as stocks that have been propelled higher by short sellers. He called Palantir a "one-of-a-kind juggernaut meme stock that can't be stopped." He said some of the data software company's success is due to great contracts and revenue growth, but he also suggested some gains are from those betting against it. Arista Networks also flew higher when it posted a better-than-expected quarter, Cramer continued, which sent short-sellers into a panic.
There are a number of stocks that "just go begging because there's no narrative that can attract attention," Cramer said, including Disney, Honeywell and DuPont. Disney's deal with the National Football League and its strong quarter should have sent the stock flying, he said. But, instead, the stock got hit because it didn't raise its forecast enough, Cramer continued. According to Cramer, both Honeywell and Dupont posted solid quarters — but he said investors might not pay attention to both stocks until the companies come closer to following through with their breakup plans.
"In this market, haters gonna hate, ok. And when they hate, and they're wrong, they turn into buyers. And lovers — they just keep buying," Cramer said. "And when there's nothing happening even if the stock is dirt cheap? Who cares? In this market, the answer is nobody."
Click here to download Jim Cramer's Guide to Investing at no cost to help you build long-term wealth and invest smarter.Disclaimer The CNBC Investing Club Charitable Trust owns shares of Disney, Honeywell and DuPont.

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USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Claire's could close over 1,100 locations if a buyer isn't found soon: court records
Mall jewelry chain Claire's, which filed for bankruptcy for the second time on Aug. 6, has also identified over 1,100 stores that could close soon, according to court records, and is looking for a buyer for about 800 remaining locations. The Illinois-based company, which has 1,326 stores across the U.S., has faced financial challenges due to the rise of fast-fashion brands like Shein and Temu, high rent costs, and new tariffs from supplier nations, including China, based on documents filed with the U.S. bankruptcy court in Delaware. In court filings obtained by USA TODAY, the company identified 18 Claire's and Icing stores in the U.S. that will close by Sept. 7 at the latest. Additionally, the company will have to shut down all of its locations if it cannot complete a sale quickly. Here is what you need to know. Thousands of stores on the chopping block In court filings, Claire's CEO, Chris Cramer, disclosed that the company has recently solicited bids for its business and has received multiple letters of intent to purchase its assets. Claire's would 'stop the liquidation sales in the event of an actionable going-concern transaction and will continue to make every effort to effectuate such a transaction," added Cramer. A list of stores obtained by USA TODAY shows 1,119 stores that could be closed. The list of stores can be searched below. Court documents reveal list of Claire's closures As part of the ongoing bankruptcy process, 18 Claire's-owned stores are set to close no later than Sept. 7 across the country, with additional stores potentially added to the list, the company said in court records. A map of closing stores can be found here. Find your local store by searching by city or state: Founded in 1961 in Chicago, Claire's specializes in selling necklaces, bracelets, and various accessories including headphones and soft toys. For many American girls, getting their first ear piercing at Claire's has become a "rite of passage" that has continued for decades. The company claims to have pierced over 100 million ears since 1978. USA TODAY's Mike Snider and Reuters contributed to this report. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Disney Just Made 6 Announcements That Matter For the Future of Their Theme Parks and the Company
The Disney theme parks are constantly changing. In recent years, they have become the key asset of The Walt Disney Company, as cable TV subscribers and the associated money that the company earns from them have declined. Now, the company is going all in by investing over $60 billion in theme park expansion. Today, we got a business update on The Walt Disney Company during their quarterly earnings call. There were a couple of different news announcements that matter to Disney fans. Let's dive into what we learned today. READ MORE – Wow, can you believe it's so soon?? We can't wait. Disney World Has Biggest Q3 on Record During the earnings call, Disney announced that Walt Disney World had the biggest Q3 on record. Note that the quarter being discussed here ran from March 30 to June 28, 2025. This includes the popular spring break period covered in our Mickey Visit Disney World Crowd Calendar and the beginning of summer. The period also includes the time when Universal's new Epic Universe theme park opened to the public, which is notable because some worried that the new park would cannibalize Disney guests. We are going to keep a close eye on this in the coming quarters as well. Disney CFO Hugh Johnston discussed this briefly on the call, saying, "in light of the fact that there is a competitive offering in the marketplace, the fact that attendance came in as well as it did is something that we feel terrific about." Notably, the "biggest" refers to the financial success of the resort and not attendance. In fact, the attendance is flat compared to the same period in the previous year. The success of the quarter for Disney is due to the increased amount of spending per guest. The occupancy rate of domestic Disney hotels was up, meaning that the hotel spending likely drove part of this increase. This could, of course, also be tied to continued Disney theme park ticket price increases. This Walt Disney World success comes as Disney is focusing even more on growing the Disney theme parks business, by both reinvesting in the business to deliver new experiences that expand the number of visitors each year and increasing prices. Disney's increased focus on the theme parks, including its plans to invest $60 billion in new Disney theme park additions, will understandably lead to a focus on increasing the profitability of the parks. It's an area that I want to go more in-depth on to consider the long-term ramifications of new Disneyland rides and new Disney World rides, and how Disney will continue to balance expansion and price increases in the future. Bookings Looking Ahead Are Strong Disney CFO Hugh Johnston shared that bookings for the fourth quarter are up 6% and that the Disney Cruise Line bookings into next year are very strong. Talking about Disney Cruise Line, Johnston said, "We are already basically half booked out for all of next year and the newer ships are even higher in that regard." Disney Cruise Line recently launched the Disney Treasure Cruise ship (read my review of what's good and bad!), and they are getting ready for the debut of the new Disney Destiny Cruise ship for the US market and the Disney Adventure Cruise ship for the Asian market. Disney CEO Bob Iger also chimed in, saying, "It is also one of the best experiences that we offer across our experiences business." He also talked more specifically about the new Disney Adventure ship, saying, "it is essentially a floating ambassador for the Disney brand. If you have been on any of our ships, particularly the new ones, we use our IP built into the entire experience. And so I think this will create a great opportunity for us in Asia but particularly in Southeast Asia." The Disney Cruise Line business remains a big area of potential growth for Disney. They have multiple new ships coming in the following years. If you are a fan of Disney Cruise Line, expect more opportunities to sail on different ships in different locations over the coming years. READ MORE – Wow, can you believe it's so soon?? We can't wait. Disney Parks Overall Quarter Success Disney's Experiences segment, the division that is home to the theme parks and consumer products businesses, reported $2.5 billion in operating income for Q3, up $294 million year-over-year. Domestic Parks & Experiences saw 22% growth, reaching $1.7 billion in operating income. The domestic reporting includes Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disney Cruise Line. Disney commented on the success of the quarter for the theme parks in a released statement: "We recently celebrated Disneyland's 70th anniversary and Hong Kong Disneyland's 20th anniversary, and the ongoing celebrations are receiving tremendous receptions from our guests. We have expansions currently underway at every one of our theme parks globally, including a new World of Frozen land opening at Disneyland Paris in 2026, Villains and Cars themed areas coming to Magic Kingdom, a Monsters, Inc. area coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios, and an Avatar-themed destination coming to Disney California Adventure. This is in addition to a new theme park coming to Abu Dhabi." In addition to the per-guest spending mentioned above, the quarter also benefited from higher Disney Cruise Line volume from an increase in passenger cruise days and occupied room nights. Lilo and Stitch Catching Up to Mickey Mouse in Popularity Disney CEO Bob Iger opened the call by discussing a recent success of the quarter. He shared that Lilo and Stitch is on track to become Disney's second-largest licensed merchandise franchise this year behind only Mickey Mouse. This is more than a 70% revenue growth compared to last year. This news comes after the recent success of the live-action Lilo and Stitch film. This is another sign that Disney won't be done with these live-action remakes. That movie helped to reinvigorate interest in this franchise and helped to push the characters to the top of the licensing list for Disney. We also wonder if this recognized success could lead to another look at how Stitch is used in the theme parks. Perhaps we could see a new attraction or the return of the now-closed attraction in Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World. This is another area where I would not be surprised to get news. We also know that they are already at work on a sequel to the live-action movie. ESPN Deal with NFL – Could Draft Come to Disney World? Disney is moving forward to make a noteworthy deal with the NFL. They announced that ESPN will acquire NFL Network and certain other media assets owned and controlled by the NFL in exchange for a 10% equity stake in ESPN. This deal still needs regulatory approval. Separately, ESPN and the NFL reached an agreement that includes expanded NFL highlight rights within multiple fan-engagement platforms, and more interactive features for ESPN's DTC offering and the ESPN App, including betting and fantasy. ESPN will also gain the ability to sell and bundle NFL+ Premium, which includes NFL Network and NFL RedZone, to its ESPN DTC subscribers, along with rights to additional non-exclusive preseason NFL games for its DTC offering, both starting in the 2025 season. An additional separate agreement extends ESPN's NFL Draft rights, with the ability to stream ESPN and ABC's draft coverage on ESPN DTC, Hulu, and Disney+. Disney CEO Bob Iger actually quipped to The New York Times that he was "looking forward to the day when Roger [Goodell] announces a draft at one of the castles in our parks - wearing Mickey Mouse ears." Not that we actually expect this any time soon, but Disney's increased influence with the NFL could lead to an even stronger relationship that allows for even more Disney synergy plays to knit together the brands. The winner of the NFL Super Bowl already goes to Disneyland or Disney World after a win. Maybe the draft should be there too? Disney also announced that as part of the upcoming launch of the new ESPN standalone app, the service will become the exclusive U.S. home of WWE's top live events, including "WrestleMania," "SummerSlam," "Royal Rumble," and "Survivor Series." Other Big Disney Company News Generally, it is important to understand how the rest of the Walt Disney Company is performing beyond the theme parks. It gives us a better understanding of where investments will be made in the future. For instance, understanding that shifts in the linear TV business led the Disney theme parks to become the main profit driver for the entire company explains why Disney is increasing theme park prices and investing so much more in this area. Total revenue rose 2% for Disney's fiscal Q3 to $23.7 billion, a hair lighter than forecasts. Adjusted earnings per share were a big beat at $1.61, up from $1.39. Disney Entertainment Division Focuses Revenue for Disney's entertainment segment was up 1% to $10.7 billion. This includes traditional TV networks, direct-to-consumer streaming, and films. The entertainment division suffered from a comparison to the previous quarter last year, which included the successful Inside Out 2 film, as well as the ongoing decline in linear television subscribers. These were offset by positive streaming results. Across the media networks and streaming business, Disney seems focused on integrating the streaming services and linear TV whenever possible. They are working to bring the Hulu app into the Disney+ app so that it can become one unified offering. Iger discussed this generally, saying, "We are at a point, given the way we operate our businesses, where we do not look at being in the linear business and streaming business. We are in the television business. And what we are doing is giving our customers, our viewers, a chance to watch our programming as Hugh just said, wherever they are." They also mentioned multiple big improvements to the Disney+ app rolling out soon. There was also quite a big focus on ESPN, as I mentioned above, and making the launch of the new standalone service, which will be the first time that you can get all of ESPN without a cable subscription, successful. Follow along with us here on Mickey Visit as we keep you up to date on the latest Disney theme park news and happenings that impact your park trips. We are in an exciting time for theme park fans and those watching the Disney company. READ MORE – These 10 Disney Rides Have Changed Dramatically Since Their Opening I've seen changes come and go, and like many seasoned Disney park goers, I've become familiar with the resulting emotional rollercoaster. It can be sad when the company decides to overhaul or even remove a beloved attraction. On the other hand, there are times when it's easy to embrace a much-needed update. Here are ten Disney attractions that have transformed substantially since opening day, for better or worse. READ MORE – 11 Unwritten Rules of the Disney Parks You Really Need to Follow From knowing what time the park opens to getting the right ticket, understanding park hopping, and hitting all the top attractions, it can be tough to keep it all straight! Along with those more logistical items to keep track of, there are also quite a few "unwritten rules" to be aware of. Learn this secret code of Disney park etiquette here so you don't unknowingly make a faux pas on your next visit! The post Disney Made 6 Big Announcements Today. Here's Why They Matter For Theme Park Fans. appeared first on Mickey Visit - Disney News & Planning Tips.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
CEO Bob Iger Announces Joint Hulu and Disney+ Streaming Service. What Does It Mean for Investors?
Key Points Hulu is to be absorbed into Disney+ by the end of this year. Also, Disney will no longer be updating subscriber counts for any of its streaming services. Wednesday's resulting setback in Disney stock provides a buying opportunity. 10 stocks we like better than Walt Disney › It's official. The Walt Disney Company's (NYSE: DIS) stand-alone streaming service Hulu is going of. The company announced on Wednesday that Hulu will soon be fully integrated into Disney+, although it will still be its own category within the Disney+ menu. Hulu will also replace Star in the international version of Disney+. That's not the detail that interested investors will care the most about, however. Even more noteworthy is the fact that Disney will no longer be reporting the number of streaming subscribers for either service, or how much revenue these accounts generate every month. The decision removes two of the most closely watched metrics that investors are currently using to gauge the health of the company's increasingly important streaming business. Here's what you need to know about all of it. Another (mostly) solid quarter As a recap, The Walt Disney Company turned $23.7 billion worth of revenue into an adjusted per-share profit of $1.61 for its fiscal third quarter of 2025, which ended in June. The bottom line was up from the year-ago comparison of $1.39, and handily topped expectations for earnings of $1.47 per share. The top line, though -- while 2% better than sales in fiscal Q3 2024 -- fell just a bit short of analysts' estimates, sending shares lower as a result. Blame the company's cable television arm, mostly. Linear network revenue slipped 15% (with most of the setback stemming from Disney's international TV business), dragging cable TV's operating income down 28% year over year. Theme parks, films, and sports ventures, in contrast, did pretty well given the challenging economic environment. And Disney's streaming division? It's doing pretty well too. Its revenue grew 6% year over year to nearly $6.2 billion, leading to an operating profit of $346 million versus the slight loss reported for the same quarter of 2024. This extends a healthy streak of slow but persistent progress: The company's direct-to-consumer arm added another 1.4 million Disney+ subscribers to the fold last quarter as well, with 1 million of them signing up for the U.S.-Canada platform. Hulu added 1.3 million streaming subscribers of its own, although it also lost a couple of hundred thousand subscribers to Hulu's live-TV service. And again, this extends tepid but long-established growth trends: This is the next-to-last time, however, the chart immediately above will be able to be updated. No more subscriber metrics It's true. As CEO Bob Iger noted in his executive commentary published along with Wednesday's earnings report, "We believe quarterly updates on the number of paid subscribers and ARPU [average revenue per user] have become less meaningful to evaluating the performance of our businesses, and we will no longer report these metrics starting with the first quarter of fiscal 2026 [beginning in October] for Disney+ and Hulu." The company will, however, continue to share information about its streaming business's overall profitability. Iger explains: "We believe our reporting going forward will better align with changes in the media landscape, the unique nature of our integrated assets, [and] how we operate our businesses, and will reflect how management evaluates the progress and success of our strategic initiatives." If it sounds like CEO prattle, though, that's because it arguably is. Don't misunderstand. At least in some ways the decision does "align with changes in the media landscape." Early last year streaming rival Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) made the same decision to stop disclosing its subscriber counts and ARPU (as of the beginning of this year), aiming -- as Disney is now -- to put the focus on more meaningful metrics like revenue and profitability. Like Netflix's then, the timing of Disney's decision suspiciously coincides with a measurable slowing of its streaming business's subscriber growth, removing two of the more-watched measures of the entertainment giant's progress when investors need them the most. Perhaps at least some of Wednesday's setback was the result of waning transparency, and wasn't just in response to the company's revenue shortfall. Opportunity knocks So what does this mean for investors? The market was largely prepared for the fold-in of Hulu into Disney+ already. The possibility was first floated several quarters ago, and making Hulu's content available to its subscribers from within the Disney+ app early last year was an obvious step in this direction. Combining the two services into a single one now -- with a single payment -- isn't exactly a big leap, technological or otherwise. As for its impact on marketability, although the combo isn't any more marketable, it isn't less marketable either; the cost of subscribing to both is only between $1 and $4 more per month, depending on your plan. Indeed, in light of the media company's relatively new focus on monetizing both streaming services' content by injecting advertisements into its programming, anything that makes it easier to watch any of Disney's streaming content is a win for this fast-growing business. Adding Hulu to Disney+ at least does that. It will also just be cheaper to manage one content stack rather than two different ones, which is another modest win for The Walt Disney Company. But the decision to not share a couple of key customer metrics that investors had grown accustomed to seeing? Sure, that's a sticking point for some current and would-be maybe not as much of one as you might think. Netflix's shares also initially stumbled in response to word that it would no longer be reporting subscriber numbers, but its stock has more than doubled since that April 2024 low, reaching record highs in June. Investors mostly just want to see strong top and bottom lines, which Hulu and Disney+ can certainly team up to deliver. Data from streaming-market research outfit JustWatch indicates that, when combined, Hulu and Disney+ are collectively just as watched within the U.S. as Netflix, as well as Amazon's Prime. They were also two of only three streaming platforms to gain U.S. viewing time during the second quarter of this year (with the third being Max). So, this pairing should hit the ground running. Let's also not forget that the entirety of Disney's direct-to-consumer business still only makes up about one-fourth of its total revenue. Whether its streaming arm thrives, flops, or something in between, almost all of its other ventures are doing just fine anyway. More to the point, there's nothing about the Hulu-Disney+ decision, or last quarter's results, that's a reason to steer clear of the stock. In fact, since it's already down from its early-July peak, Wednesday's setback is arguably a great opportunity to step into very ownable Disney shares. The analyst community thinks so, anyway. The vast majority of them currently rate Disney stock as a strong buy, with a consensus price target of $135.12 that's 17% above the ticker's present price. Should you invest $1,000 in Walt Disney right now? Before you buy stock in Walt Disney, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Walt Disney wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,119,863!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025 James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Netflix, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. CEO Bob Iger Announces Joint Hulu and Disney+ Streaming Service. What Does It Mean for Investors? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data