By Gina Keating
Disney saw no sign that the U.S. economic downturn had affected consumer products sales or theme park bookings, Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs told reporters, and the after-hours stock rise more than made up for a 2.3 percent drop in regular trade.
But the company said on Tuesday it was optimistic the strike would end soon.
He added that the company will "watch the market and adjust (pricing) if we need to."
The 63 cents per share earnings topped Wall Street's average target of 52 cents, according to Reuters Estimates.
Chief Executive Robert Iger said in a statement the company had started 2008 with an 'outstanding quarter'. The quarter ended December 29 is Disney's fiscal first quarter.
Staggs said second-quarter advertising rates were tracking at double-digit percentage rates ahead of last year and sales at Disney-owned television stations were ahead of last year by mid-single-digit percentages.
Disney shares in after hours trade rose to $31.55 from a close of $30.07 on the New York Stock Exchange, where the stock had dropped 83 cents, or 2.7 percent, for the day.
(Reporting by Gina Keating; Editing by Braden Reddall)
