Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) on Wednesday confirmed a phased reopening of its Florida-based properties.The company will first reopen the Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15.What To Know About The ReopeningDisney wants to make sure when it opens up in July it will be able to offer the "quintessential Disney experience," Disney CEO Bob Chapek said on CNBC. The company needs to be sure it will reopen in a "responsible way" to best ensure guests are able to enjoy lifelong memories.Disney noted it will reopen with significant limitations on total guests but won't commit to any specific number because there is no set guideline from the government, Chapek said. Capacity will likely be based on the ability to adhere to six feet of separation guidelines.Disney continues to enjoy a high level of trust in its ability to safely operate and customers know they will act responsibly in the reopening process, the CEO said.Why It's Important For DisneyChapek said his thinking process on reopening parks is not based on profit, rather the ability to at least recoup variable costs of operating and partially offset some of the fixed costs. The latest round of reopening is consistent with this objective, while also trying to slowly and safely increase capacity.The world is "ready to get back to some magic" and Disney can "certainly provide that magic," Chapek said.Disney's stock traded around $121.57 per share at time of publication.Related Links:How Kevin Mayer 'Was Snubbed' At Disney And Has A Lot To Prove At TikTokReopening Of Disney Springs A 'Drop In The Bucket' For The Mouse, Analyst SaysSee more from Benzinga * Reopening Of Disney Springs A 'Drop In The Bucket' For The Mouse, Analyst Says * Bored In The House? Top Disney Exec Departs To Take TikTok CEO Job(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Walt Disney World seeks approval from Orange County to reopen its Walt Disney World theme parks in Orlando, Florida. Yahoo Finance's Adam Shapiro shares the details.

Carlos A. Gómez has been named Senior Vice President and Treasurer of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), it was announced today by Christine M. McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Gómez will report directly to Ms. McCarthy. He succeeds Jonathan S. Headley who, as announced in February, is retiring after 24 years with the Company.

Disney is planning a phased reopening, beginning with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11, and its Hollywood Studios theme park on July 15.

A selloff in technology stocks dragged on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq on Wednesday, with investors also cautious about brewing U.S.-China tensions at a time when policymakers are attempting to revive the global economy from a coronavirus-driven slump. Amazon.com, Microsoft Corp and Facebook Inc, which have led a recent rally, weighed on the tech-heavy Nasdaq, while healthcare and technology stocks - which outperformed in the coronavirus-led market slump - were among the S&P 500 sector indexes in the red.

Buy Disney on weakness to its weekly pivot at $118.26 and reduce holdings on strength to its semiannual risky level at $130.94.

The Disney store has released guidelines for its store reopenings, which include a requirement that guests ages 2 and over wear a face mask. Other measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at stores include encouraging social distancing, limiting the number of shoppers in the store at any one time, and postponing in-store events. All Disney stores in North America were closed on March 17. Since then, three limited-release items have been made for sale online, including a Mulan doll, that will be available in stores when they reopen. Disney is also selling cloth face masks made with Disney designs, including a Star Wars set with a Baby Yoda mask. Walt Disney Inc. stock rose 2.4% in Thursday premarket trading but has slumped 16.4% for the year to date. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen 12.4% for 2020 so far.

Activision Blizzard, Walt Disney, Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

The number of deaths from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 rose above 353,000 on Wednesday, as the World Health Organization said the Americas are at the center of the pandemic following surges in infections in Brazil, Peru, Chile and others in the past few days.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 closing above 3,000 for the first time since March 5, as the further easing of lockdowns lifted optimism for an economic recovery. Bank stocks powered the day's advance, with the S&P 500 financial index leading gains among major sectors. JPMorgan Chase & Co was the leading point gainer in the financial index, rising 5.8% as the stock surged for a second day in a row.

HBO Max wants to give consumers choice which is why it will roll out an ad-supported version of its streaming service next year.

Glenview’s sells include Cigna and HCA Continue reading...

After months without live sports, it looks as though America's favorite pastimes are on the cusp of returning. Reports indicate the MLB is on pace to return sooner rather than later, while the NHL and NBA have also submitted plans to resume their playoffs this summer.Financially, the resurgence of players in arenas may mean the resurgence of players in the stock market as well. Here are four stocks that may be poised for a breakout with the return of live sports.DraftKingsDraftKings Inc (NASDAQ: DKNG) is new to the market, debuting in early April at around $19. Since then, it's climbed over 70% to $33 a share.Much of the hype surrounding DraftKings has to do with continuous pro-gambling legislation being pushed throughout the country. Given the gambling industry's potentially massive contribution to the government, more and more states are entertaining the possibility of legalizing it.More good news for the online fantasy and gambling app is the new trend for people to gamble on non-sporting events, such as the outcome of TV shows like "The Bachelor."Chris Camillo said DraftKings' potential comes as a result of the exponential growth in legality and popularity of online sports gambling.> "I think you can make a case that most states are going to have legalized sports books in the next five, six, seven years. So this is a movement. This is a major, major movement."Prior to the absence of sports, people were betting on games more than ever. The hiatus likely created an immense desire to get back to the action.Penn National Gaming Penn National Gaming (NASDAQ: PENN) is one of the most interesting stocks in the gaming and entertainment industry.Penn operates both brick-and-mortar and online gambling to a plethora of users. It owns 41 facilities, which comprise 50,500 gaming machines, 1,300 table games and 8,800 hotel rooms. Perhaps the most exciting element of Penn National is its recently-inked partnership with Barstool Sports.Barstool Sports has been a leading sports and men's lifestyle blog and podcasting network over the past few years.The agreement between Penn and Barstool paves the way for Penn to be the operator of a Barstool Sports gambling app. Given Barstool's incredible reach and audience (three top 60 podcasts in the U.S.), the app will surely explode on the scene."Penn's got the bigger growth in the future (as compared to other gaming companies on the market)," Jordan Mclain said on the "Dumb Money LIVE" show. "I think they've got a brand they can capitalize on."See Also: Why Penn National And Boyd Could Outperform As US Casinos ReopenGanGan Ltd (NASDAQ: GAN) is an extremely under-the-radar stock that also operates in the sports gaming space. It IPO'd on May 5 at just over $10. The small-cap stock has since risen above the $15 handle, representing about 50% returns in its first month on the market.Gan's core business centers around a subscription revenue model. Its software allows it to take a piece of the action on every bet or gamble for the gaming companies that it works for. Its most notable client is likely FanDuel, an international competitor to DraftKings.One of the company's more notable elements is that it owns a patent on the ability for a casino that has an offline brick-and-mortar presence with an offline loyalty program to merge that with an online loyalty program.In fact, it won a 2018 court case in which it sued for the wrongful usage of this patent, which has further solidified its viability and credibility.According to Camillo, Gan has the potential to be in the right place at the right time with the return of sports."I see Gan as an asymmetric trade on the imminent growth of legalized app-based sports and casino wagering in the U.S.," Camillo said.> "While most investors in this space are focused on DraftKings, FanDuel, MGM, and the soon to be Barstool Sportsbook by Penn National -- GAN's platform software and services solution along with their leadership experience in the sector position them to come out as the real winner in what is likely to grow into a fragmented market of state-licensed casino and sportsbook brands that are equally technology and process deficient "Gan will be able to leverage this patent to work with casinos in developing the aforementioned online loyalty programs, which could be a huge boost. Investors seem to be taking notice of this, along with the general rise of the gambling industry in general, as good signs for Gan.Walt Disney CoDisney (NYSE: DIS), like most of the market, suffered a significant drop in share valuation as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The stock has dropped roughly 15% in price since the end of February, when it hovered just over the $140 handle.With the resurgence of sports back on the scene in the coming weeks and months, it's plausible to expect the viewership of ESPN to surge. The channel owns rights to multiple NBA and MLB games per week.ESPN's typical programming, which comprises mostly talk shows, will finally be able to recap highlights and statistics from the previous day once again after months of having to cover general topics and trends, such as the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement.Camillo mentioned on the "Dumb Money LIVE" show that Disney looks like a safe play with the return of sports."It's gonna be a net positive for Disney. It's kind of undebatable...I'm comfortable with my Disney position for the long term," he said.See more from Benzinga * These 10 Stocks Have Surged During The Coronavirus Pandemic(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Optimism surrounding the reopening of the U.S. economy appears to be the driving force, although it remains to be seen whether that optimism is warranted. Disney put forth plans to reopen some of its parks in July, while Boeing disclosed that it would layoff nearly 7,000 U.S. employees this week in a bid to cut costs. The pandemic has been a disaster for Disney, which relies on its parks for a significant portion of revenue and profits.

Shares of TripAdvisor (NASDAQ: TRIP) jumped over 4% at the stock market's open on Wednesday, joining the rest of the market's continued euphoria over the reopening of the economy. Travel and hospitality businesses have been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, but markets in the U.S. and around the globe are now coming out of the coronavirus-induced downturn. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) data shows the number of travelers going through airport checkpoints rose to 262,734 for the week ended May 23, more than any other week since March 28.

AT&T officially entered the streaming wars on Wednesday with the launch of its HBO Max streaming service. CFRA Research Senior Analyst Tuna Amobi joins Yahoo Finance’s Akiko Fujita to discuss how he anticipates the platform to size up to the competition.

Walt Disney's (NYSE: DIS) Florida Disney World park and Seaworld Entertainment's (NYSE: SEAS) Seaworld Orlando are presenting reopening plans to local officials today, according to an Associated Press report. Disney already partially reopened its Disney Springs shopping and restaurant complex in the area on May 20. Florida's Disney World and its worker unions have agreed to practices and procedures that will be in place for reopening the Orlando theme park.

Walt Disney has proposed reopening its Florida theme parks in phases in July, as the tourism sector begins to recover.

U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 closing above 3,000 for the first time since March 5, as the further easing of lockdowns lifted optimism for an economic recovery. Bank stocks powered the day's advance, with the S&P 500 financial index leading gains among major sectors. Shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co was the leading gainer in the financial index, rising 5.8% as the stock surged for a second day in a row.

Yahoo Finance's Alexis Christoforous and Brian Sozzi discuss the launch of HBO Max with Ark Invest analyst Nick Grous.