Hi
Paris, Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Euro Disney SCA, Europe's largest theme-park company, said sales rose 16 percent in the fiscal first quarter as its new movie-studio-based amusement center attracted more visitors.
Sales climbed to 262 million euros ($281 million) in the three months ended Dec. 31, from 226 million euros a year earlier, said spokesman Pieter Boterman. Euro Disney shares rose 4 cents, or 8.5 percent, to 51 euro cents on the Paris stock exchange.
Chief Executive Officer Jay Rasulo spent more than 600 million euros to build Walt Disney Studios, the new park, in a bid to get guests to stay longer and spend more. Attendance there was less than expected in the six months following its opening in March, and then increased in the third quarter.
``We're agreeably surprised by the level of growth,'' said Tristan d'Aboville, an analyst at Aurel Leven SA, in a note to clients. ``The new park is showing growing success.''
Still, concerns about rising royalty payments to parent Walt Disney Co. and higher operating costs related to the new park may make it difficult for Euro Disney to show a profit this year, analysts said. The company had a net loss of 33 million euros in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30.
``Fundamentally, we remain negative on the stock,'' d'Aboville said.
U.S.-based Walt Disney Co. owns 39 percent of Euro Disney, its French affiliate, and controls it under the terms of the company's share structure
(c) http://www.bloomberg.com
Wer heute abend noch ein paar Worte in Deutsch dazu schreiben.
Sebastian Horacek alias Coasters