Disney shares plunge after the company reported losses streamed from subscribers

Shares of Disney fell about 9% Thursday after the company reported a Disney+ placement loss for the most recent quarter.

which company Profits and revenues are recorded During the period, which was in line with Wall Street estimates, it posted a loss of 4 million Disney+ subscribers. That decline was offset by price increases, which narrowed operating losses in the Stream unit by $400 million for the fiscal second quarter.

Still, Wall Street expected a gain of more than 1 million Disney+ subscribers, according to StreetAccount, and the sudden loss of subscribers spooked the Street.

Shares of the company were trading at about $92 a share on Thursday. The stock was up more than 16% so far this year, as of Wednesday’s close.

The decline was set to erase about $15 billion from the company’s market value.

Disney will face headwinds from ad budget cuts, stiff competition in streaming with Netflix’s new ad tier and continued economic uncertainty, according to a note from Paul Verna, principal analyst at research firm Insider Intelligence.

“While Disney has managed to limit its streaming revenue losses, it has done so primarily by raising prices, and this strategy is not sustainable in the long term,” Verna wrote. “Disney plans to raise prices again later this year, but will soon run out of room to go up for more hikes.”

Analysts at SVB MoffettNathanson cut their price target for the stock by $3 to $127 after the report, but maintained the company’s outperform rating. The company sees total subscriptions roughly flat in the fiscal third quarter and picking up in the fiscal fourth quarter.

Tim Nolen, Macquarie’s chief media technology analyst, also maintains an outperform rating, stating that Disney “has the fundamental assets to successfully transition into streaming, but it’s a multifaceted effort.”

“Disney is making progress on its cost-saving and operating efficiency efforts amid deteriorating linear television business, both structurally and cyclically,” Nolen wrote in the note.

Disney CEO Bob Iger is overseeing a broad restructuring at the company, including about 7,000 total jobs, that is scheduled to be completed before the summer.

The company also said on Wednesday that it will add Hulu content to its Disney+ streaming app, while it expects to raise the price of the ad-free streaming service later this year.

Warner Bros. shares also fell. Discovery and Paramount on Thursday, dropping nearly 4% each. Netflix shares changed little.