Business
Disney appoints theme parks boss as its next chief executive
Disney has appointed the boss of its amusement parks as its next chief executive after a three-year search.
Josh D’Amaro will step into the top job, replacing current boss Bob Iger from March 18.
Mr D’Amaro heads up the Disney Experiences division which runs its theme parks, resorts, cruise ships and other attractions.
The appointment marks the next stage in the businessman’s 28-year long career at the entertainment giant, having joined at Disneyland Resort and holding leadership positions within various divisions.
The 54-year-old will succeed Mr Iger who has spent nearly two decades leading the company.
The longstanding boss left Disney in 2020 but was asked to return when his replacement Bob Chapek stepped down after a two-year tenure, having faced criticism over his leadership of the historic brand and steering it through the pandemic.
Mr Iger agreed to extend his contract by two years in 2023 while the search for his successor began.
Disney’s chairman James Gorman asserted Mr D’Amaro was the “right person to take the helm” as the company’s next boss.
“Throughout this search process, Josh has demonstrated a strong vision for the company’s future and a deep understanding of the creative spirit that makes Disney unique in an ever-changing marketplace,” he said.
“The board believes he is exceptionally well prepared to guide this global company forward to serve our consumers around the world and create long-term value for shareholders.”
Disney reported a 5% increase in revenues over 2025 on the back of higher subscription fees for its streaming platform Disney+ and cashing in on the release of films including Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire And Ash.
Prices for Disney+ increased from £4.99 a month to £5.99 a month for its most basic subscription plan in the UK from October.
Revenues for its experiences division, which is headed up by Mr D’Amaro, rose by 6% year-on-year.
However, it cautioned over fewer international visitors to its US amusement parks.
Business
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Younger and entry-level workers are being squeezed the hardest by higher employment costs slowing the rate that firms are hiring, new analysis shows.
Some UK businesses have seen the cost of employing workers rise on the back of recent policy measures, including tax and minimum wage increases and reforms to employment rights, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) said in its latest economic outlook.
These factors have raised the marginal cost of hiring by around 7%, in real terms, for an entry level position, according to its findings.
Niesr warned that sectors most exposed to cost increases were experiencing a bigger impact, pointing to data showing a link between exposure to the national minimum wage and rising unemployment.
This includes typically lower-paid industries such as hotels, hospitality and food chains, which also have a greater concentration of younger and early-career workers.
Its analysis found that, rather than cutting existing jobs, many firms have chosen to slow the rate that they hire staff.
Therefore younger workers and those “at the margins of the labour market” are being disproportionately squeezed, the think tank said.
Official figures at the end of last year showed that the unemployment rate rose to its highest level since early 2021 over the three months to September.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that young people especially were struggling in the tougher hiring climate, with an 85,000 increase in those unemployed aged between 18 to 24 in the three months to October – the biggest jump since November 2022.
The number of young people not in employment, education or training – so-called Neets – has been rising since 2021, and hit the highest level since 2014.
In its report, Niesr said it was “hard to escape the conclusion that the rising cost of labour has deterred full-time job creation, particularly for younger workers”.
Lord Frost, director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said the findings “laid bare the costs of the Government’s national insurance and minimum wage hikes, and Employment Rights Act: a spike in the cost of hiring entry-level workers, meaning fewer jobs and opportunities for young people”.
A Chipotle store stands in the Bronx in New York City on April 23, 2025.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
Chipotle Mexican Grill on Tuesday reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations, although traffic to its restaurants fell for the fourth straight quarter.
For 2026, the company is projecting flat same-store sales growth, signaling that the burrito chain’s woes are not expected to disappear quickly. Chipotle ended a bumpy 2025 with a full-year same-store sales decline of 1.7%.
Shares of the company fell as much as 11% in extended trading.
Here’s what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: 25 cents adjusted vs. 24 cents expected
- Revenue: $2.98 billion vs. $2.96 billion expected
The fast-casual chain reported fourth-quarter net income of $330.9 million, or 25 cents per share, down from $331.8 million, or 24 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding impairment costs, gains from terminating restaurant leases and other items, Chipotle earned 25 cents per share.
Net sales rose 4.9% to $2.98 billion.
The company’s same-store sales fell 2.5% for the quarter, making this reporting period the third quarter of the year with same-store sales declines. However, Wall Street was anticipating a steeper same-store sales decrease of 3%, according to StreetAccount estimates.
Traffic to Chipotle restaurants fell by 3.2%. Executives have previously said they have seen a pullback in spending from consumers of all income cohorts, although low-income diners have made the most significant shift to their behavior.
Over the past year, shares of Chipotle have lost roughly a third of their value, dragging the company’s market value down to about $51 billion. Investor enthusiasm for the stock waned after the fast-casual chain began reporting shrinking traffic to its restaurants.
To bring back customers, Chipotle is focusing on improving the chain’s operations and adding new menu items, rather than leaning into discounts. In December, at the tail end of the quarter, the company unveiled “protein cups,” with the goal of convincing protein-obsessed customers to stop by for a snack, not just lunch or dinner.
Chipotle opened 132 company-owned locations and seven restaurants run by international licensees during the quarter. That brought its total to 334 company-owned locations and 11 international partner restaurants opened for the year.
In 2026, the company is projecting that it will open 350 to 370 new restaurants, including 10 to 15 international locations that will be run by licensees.
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Top stocks to buy today: Stock recommendations for February 4, 2026 – check list – The Times of India
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