DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (DWA)

DreamWorks Animation was a Glendale, California, studio that produced computer-animated feature films, television series and related consumer products. It began in 1994 as the animation unit of DreamWorks SKG, the studio founded by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. Katzenberg led the animation business, which became known for franchises such as Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.

The animation unit was spun off as a separate public company in an October 2004 initial public offering, and it remained independent after the live-action DreamWorks studio was sold to Paramount in 2006. The company released one to three films a year, generally distributed by Paramount and later by 20th Century Fox, and developed licensing, live entertainment and television operations to reduce reliance on box office hits.

Results were uneven in the 2010s as several films underperformed, leading to write-downs, layoffs and a shift toward television and digital content, including a large supply deal with Netflix and the AwesomenessTV youth media business. The company also explored ventures in China through Oriental DreamWorks. The stock traded on Nasdaq under the ticker DWA.

In April 2016 Comcast agreed to buy DreamWorks Animation for $41 per share in cash, valuing the company at roughly $3.8 billion. The deal closed on August 22, 2016, and the shares were delisted. DreamWorks Animation became part of NBCUniversal's Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and continues to make animated films under the DreamWorks name.