UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrant ☒
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐
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Preliminary Proxy Statement
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
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Definitive Proxy Statement
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Definitive Additional Materials
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Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12
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The Walt Disney Company
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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No fee required
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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials
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Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11
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The Walt Disney Company will begin distribution of the following letter to shareholders:
OH, NELSONPART II MARCH 28, 2024
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Disclaimer
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this presentation may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company’s
expectations; beliefs; plans; strategies; investments; financial performance; expected benefits of new initiatives; content, products, experiences or service offerings (including timing and nature); priorities or performance; businesses and
assets; future investments and creative output; collaborations; expected benefits; and other statements that are not historical in nature. These statements are made on the basis of the Company’s views and assumptions regarding future events
and business performance and plans as of the time the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update these statements unless required by applicable laws or regulations, and you should not place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements.
Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from actions taken by the Company, including restructuring or strategic initiatives (including capital
investments, asset acquisitions or dispositions, new or expanded business lines or cessation of certain operations), our execution of our business plans (including the content we create and intellectual property we invest in, our pricing
decisions, our cost structure and our management and other personnel decisions), our ability to quickly execute on cost rationalization while preserving revenue, the discovery of additional information or other business decisions, as well
as from developments beyond the Company’s control, including: the occurrence of subsequent events; deterioration in domestic or global economic conditions or failure of conditions to improve as anticipated, including heightened inflation,
capital market volatility, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations and economic slowdown or recession; deterioration in or pressures from competitive conditions, including competition to create or acquire content, competition for
talent and competition for advertising revenue, consumer preferences and acceptance of our content and offerings, pricing model and price increases, and corresponding subscriber additions and churn, and the market for advertising and sales
on our direct-to-consumer services and linear networks; health concerns and their impact on our businesses and productions; international, political or military developments; regulatory or legal developments; technological developments;
labor markets and activities, including work stoppages; adverse weather conditions or natural disasters; and availability of content. Such developments may further affect entertainment, travel and leisure businesses generally and may, among
other things, affect (or further affect, as applicable): our operations, business plans or profitability, including direct-to-consumer profitability; our expected benefits of the composition of the Board; demand for our products and
services; the performance of the Company’s content; our ability to create or obtain desirable content at or under the value we assign the content; the advertising market for programming; income tax expense; and performance of some or all
Company businesses either directly or through their impact on those who distribute our products.
Additional factors are set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023, including under the captions “Risk Factors’, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business’, and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including, among others, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
Additional Information and Where to Find it
Disney has filed with the SEC a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, containing a form of WHITE proxy card, with respect to its solicitation of proxies for Disney’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) FILED BY DISNEY AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN
OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ANY SOLICITATION. Investors and security holders may obtain copies of these documents and other documents filed with the SEC by Disney free of charge through the website maintained by the SEC at
www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by Disney are also available free of charge by accessing Disney’s website at www.disney.com/investors
Participants
Disney, its directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees will be participants in
the solicitation of proxies with respect to a solicitation by Disney. Information about Disney’s executive officers and directors is available in Disney’s definitive proxy statement for its 2024 Annual Meeting, which was filed with the
SEC on February 1,2024. To the extent holdings by our directors and executive officers of Disney securities reported in the proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting have changed, such changes have been or will be reflected on
Statements of Change in Ownership on Forms 3,4 or 5 filed with the SEC. These documents are or will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov
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Disney’s strong performance has driven its 46% share price gain, not Peltz Source: Company filings, Trian investor presentation dated 03/04/24, FactSet as of 03/27/24. Note: Percentages in annotations
reflect one-day impact to unaffected. DISNEY SHARE PRICE HAS INCREASED 46% FROM 10/06/23 to 03/27/24 $82.94 +46% $120.98
+2% performance 10/08/23: TRIAN STAKE Despite Peltz’s claim that news of Trian’s ownership drove Disney’s share price up, one-day increase after the news of Trian’s increase in beneficial ownership stake was +2%, and the stock continued to
drop (6.2%) in the weeks thereafter 11/01/23: HULU PURCHASE +3% one-day increase after announcement that Disney intends to acquire remaining 33% stake in Hulu 11/08/23: FY23 EARNINGS +7% one-day gain followed by a continued increase
thereafter +17% performance 12/14/23: TRIAN NOMINATIONS +1% one-day gain, followed by (4%) loss over the next two weeks, following Trian’s nominations of Nelson Peltz and Jay Rasulo to the Disney Board 02/07/24: Q1 FY24 EARNINGS +11% one-day
increase after positive results as well as information on $1.5bn equity stake in Epic Games, sports streaming service with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, and other initiatives +22% performance 03/21/24: ISS RECOMMENDATION 0% one-day change
following ISS recommendation to vote "For" Peltz and "Withhold" for Lagomasino 03/25/24: BARCLAYS RAISES TARGET PRICE BY 42% to $135 +3% one-day increase and +4% three-day increase 03/27/24: UBS RAISES TARGET PRICE BY 17% to $140 +1% one-day
increase $70 $80 $90 $100 $110 $120 $130 Oct '23 Nov '23 Dec '23 Jan '24 Feb '24 Mar '24
The Walt Disney Company