Shares of
Walt Disney Co DIS are up more than 11 percent in the last three days; the majority of the rise resulting from the company’s stellar earnings report. Disney shareholders have high hopes for the 2015 releases of "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Star Wars Episode 7," both of which have realistic chances at becoming Disney’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
But do Disney’s biggest hits always lead to big returns for shareholders? Take a look at how the stock has reacted to the company’s four highest-grossing movies of all time.
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'Iron Man 3'
Iron Man 3 was a big hit for Disney in 2013, bringing in $409 million at the box office. In the six months following its release, Disney stock lagged the S&P 500 by more than 2 percent.
Interestingly, in the six months prior to the movies release, Disney stock outperformed the S&P by nearly 15 percent.
However, in the six months prior to release, Disney beat the S&P by more than 8.5 percent.
But the surprising pattern holds for this movie as well. Disney outpaced the S&P 500 by more than 20 percent in the six months leading up to the movie’s release.
In the six months prior to the release, Disney beat the S&P by more than 14 percent.
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Overall Trend?
The trend for these Disney blockbusters seems to be that the biggest returns happen in the months leading up to the movies’ release dates, rather than the months following them. Anticipation drives the stock higher as excitement about the release grows.
This anticipation could be very lucrative for Disney shareholders in 2015, as excitement surrounding this year’s two mega-movies may be at an all-time high. "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" is set for release on May 1, and "Star Wars Episode "7 is schedued for release on December 18.
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