Easily one of the most polarizing figures in Star Wars over the last 20 years or so is not even a character in the series at all. We are not talking about a Skywalker or a Mandalorian or anything like that. It is Kathleen Kennedy, who has been running Star Wars since 2012. But that era is now coming to a close, and leaving plenty of questions about what is next. Investors are skeptical, and shares slipped fractionally in Tuesday afternoon’s trading.
Kennedy announced plans to retire by the end of this year, reports noted, a move that has been in the making for over a decade, and which some fans believed could not happen soon enough. While Kennedy brought back the Star Wars brand with Star Wars: The Force Awakens back in 2015, it was followed up by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which only brought in half of what the earlier film did.
Under Kennedy’s watch, a new Star Wars film was released every year, which some might have thought was simply too much too soon. And with the Star Wars Celebration set to hit Tokyo this April, there will likely be a lot of discussion about a post-Kennedy Star Wars universe…and market.
More Park Problems
Yesterday brought word of Disney’s half-hearted assertions that a Disney vacation could indeed be affordable for the average family, under very, very specific conditions that almost—but not quite—made the experience untenable. Two major attractions now face some rule changes that are hitting parkgoers hard and further souring the taste of Disney in their mouths.
Reports note that the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure rides will no longer have a “virtual queue” system. Anyone wanting to ride these rides will need to get in a stand-by line instead, which will make getting onto these rides tougher, and involve more actual waiting.
Is Disney Stock a Buy or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on DIS stock based on 15 Buys and five Holds assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 3.17% rally in its share price over the past year, the average DIS price target of $129.67 per share implies 17.79% upside potential.
