Disney shareholders: Who owns the most DIS stock?
2022 has been hard on equity valuations, as various negative catalysts have prompted a shift in market sentiment — this includes hawkish actions from major central banks and tensions in Europe amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Thus far, Disney (DIS) stock has lost 26% of its value since the start of the year, compared to the 15% and the 23% the S&P 500 (US500) and the tech-heavy US Tech 100 (US100) index have shed, respectively, over the same period.
Disney (DIS) live stock chart
Who has lost the most among Disney shareholders? In this article, we provide more details about who Disney's biggest shareholders are, and why it could be helpful for investors to keep track of what they do.
What is Disney (DIS)?
Disney is an entertainment company that owns and operates theme parks, hotels and resorts. It also produces movies and other similar content, and owns streaming platforms, such as Disney+.
The company was officially founded in 1923 as the “Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio” by brothers Walter and Roy Disney.
Since then, the company’s animated characters and the Disney brand have gained significant popularity, becoming recognised by billions of people across the world.
In the past 10 years, Disney (DIS) stock has underperformed the most popular US-focused broad market benchmarks, producing a 157% gain, compared to the 188% and 354% gains recorded by the S&P 500 and the US Tech 100 indices, respectively, during that same period.
In 2021, Disney produced total revenues of $67.42bn and net profits attributable to DIS shareholders of $2bn.
The company’s CEO is Bob Chapek, who was appointed by the Board of Directors in February 2020. Disney currently employs over 190,000 people worldwide.
Who are the shareholders of Disney?
According to Disney’s latest annual report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), 813,000 holders held the company’s common stock at the end of October 2021.
Who owns the most shares of Disney? The biggest stockholders include institutional investors and asset management firms.
All Disney shares have voting rights. Shareholders of Disney have a say in the company’s affairs in line with the proportion of ownership they hold.
In most cases, individuals who buy Disney stock via brokers appoint them as a proxy, meaning that the broker can vote on their behalf. However, they can also opt to cast a vote on the company’s key decisions at Disney shareholders' meetings.
Institutional Disney shareholders
The following is a list of Disney major shareholders, according to data compiled by Market Screener, as of 29 August.
The Vanguard Group – 7.4%
The Vanguard Group oversees more than $8trn in assets for investors – primarily in the United States – making it one of the world’s largest asset management firms. This company operates several investment funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds that may hold Disney stock.
State Street Corporation (SSgA Funds Management) – 4.3%
State Street is a US-based large asset management firm that oversees more than $4trn in assets for its clients. It operates several investment funds that have exposure to Disney, which explains why it is one of the second largest shareholders of Disney.
BlackRock Fund Advisors – 2.1%
BlackRock is the world’s largest asset management firm with over $10trn in assets under management. The company is known for its iShares ETFs, and other sophisticated wealth management solutions and products. BlackRock’s funds own a significant percentage of Disney stock.
State Farm Investment Management Corp – 1.9%
State Farm is one of the leading auto and home insurance companies in the US. By the end of 2021, its portfolio of unaffiliated common and preferred stocks exceeded $80bn. The company invests its liquid reserves in multiple instruments as part of its regular business.
Geode Capital Management – 1.7%
Geode Capital Management is a US-based asset management firm that oversees more than $800bn in assets for investors. The firm employs sophisticated strategies that include investments in equity indexes via ETFs and other similar vehicles that may hold Disney stock.
Disney major shareholders and insiders
The following individuals are considered Disney's biggest shareholders among the company’s insiders, according to GuruFocus. This list includes the firm’s top executives and members of the Board of Directors.
Christine M. McCarthy – 165,707 shares
Susan E. Arnold – 43,812 shares
Brent A. Woodford – 28,031 shares
GuruFocus estimates that insiders own 1% of all outstanding common shares of Disney. Most of these shares have been granted to these insiders by the company via stock options as compensation for services they have provided to the firm.
Christine M. McCarthy
Christine McCarthy is Disney’s Senior Executive Vice President and CEO. She joined the company in 2020 after serving three years in similar roles at Imperial Bancorp. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from UCLA.
Susan E. Arnold
Susan Arnold is the Chairman of the Board of The Walt Disney Company. She was appointed in December 2021 after serving more than 14 years as a Director. Before joining Disney, she had multiple executive roles at The Carlyle Group, Procter & Gamble and the McDonald’s Corporation.
Brent A. Woodford
Brent Woodford is currently the Executive Vice President of Controllership, Finance and Tax at the Walt Disney Company. He joined the company in 2003 after working in similar roles at PepsiCo and Yum! Brands. Woodford is a Chartered Financial Analyst and an inactive Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from St. Louis University.
The bottom line
Knowing who owns the most Disney stock can help understand the company’s objectives, as big investors can have influence over the company.
However, it should not be the key reason for your decision to buy a stock. Whether The Walt Disney Company is a good investment should depend on your investment goals, risk tolerance, and the size of your portfolio. It is important to do your own research before making any investment or trading decision. And never invest or trade money that you cannot afford to lose.
FAQs
How many Disney shares are there?
According to Disney’s 2022 third-quarter earnings report, the company had a weighted average of common shares outstanding of 1.83 billion on a fully diluted basis. Data from MarketBeat, as of 28 August, indicated that the stock’s float size stood at 1.82 billion.
How many shareholders does Disney have?
According to Disney’s latest annual report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), 813,000 holders owned the company’s common stock at the end of October 2021.
Who owns Disney?
Disney is not owned by a single entity. Instead, its shares are owned by a large number of individual and institutional investors. The biggest institutional shareholders, such as The Vanguard Group and State Street, are custodians of the stock for their clients.
Markets in this article
Related topics
