Things To Do In SW Florida

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN (AP Business Writer)

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group closed lower Friday after swinging wildly over the course of the day following the conviction of former President Donald Trump in his hush money trial.

After the U.S. stock markets closed Thursday, a New York jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex.

After rising more than 2% at the opening of trading Friday, the shares ended the day down 5.3%.

The stock, which trades under the ticker symbol “DJT,” has been extraordinarily volatile since its debut in late March, joining the group of meme stocks that are prone to ricochet from highs to lows as small-pocketed investors attempt to catch an upward momentum swing at the right time.

The stock has tripled this year, in the process frequently making double-digit percentage moves either higher or lower on a single day. It peaked at nearly $80 in intraday trading on March 26. For context, the S&P 500 is up almost 10% year to date. read more

The Walt Disney Co. is gearing up to spend billions of dollars in Central Florida as part of a new development plan, ramping up speculation that the company could be eyeing a major Disney World expansion.

The agreement unveiled Wednesday calls for a $17 billion investment into Disney World over the next 10 to 20 years.

Company officials have been tight-lipped on their vision for the future, but industry insiders wonder if something big is in the works, perhaps even a fifth theme park. Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney officials are striking a conciliatory tone after a two-year feud over what critics called the “don’t say gay” law with dollars and cents trumping culture war issues.

“What you’ve seen is a huge kiss and make up between Florida and Disney,” said Dennis Speigel, CEO and founder of International Theme Park Services, which provides management and development services.

Speigel predicts at least $10 billion could go to build a new theme park, something that industry insiders and Disney fans know as the “fifth gate.” Disney officials have not announced such a plan, but he anticipates it could come within the next 18 months. read more