Walt Disney reported that the blockbuster performance of Toy Story 5 boosted merchandise sales and helped draw visitors to its US theme parks this summer. The film, released in mid-June, has pulled in more than $1bn at the global box office, making it the top-grossing movie of 2026 so far.

Disney said the release also resulted in more viewers watching the franchise’s first four instalments on Disney+. The entertainment group announced it would boost its share buyback programme with the $1.2bn gained from the sale of a 50 per cent stake in A+E Global to Hearst. The company aims to buy back $9bn of stock this year.

Under the leadership of new chief executive Josh D’Amaro, Disney is also focused on lowering costs, including by cutting jobs and general expenses. For its third quarter, Disney reported a 7 per cent increase in revenue to $25.2bn, though net income of $2.6bn fell below Wall Street expectations.