May iMickey quickly be a actuality?

Laura Martin, a Wall Avenue senior analyst for funding financial institution Needham, believes that Apple might purchase Disney in a mega-merger that might give new that means to the time period “Magic Mouse.”

In a analysis report, Martin wrote that the businesses “are price extra collectively than individually.”

“Combining Apple’s distribution footprint of 1.25 billion distinctive prospects with Disney’s 570 million shoppers reached every year would drive 15% to 25% valuation upside for Apple shareholders,” she famous.

The entire valuation can be round $631 billion primarily based on its present $2.5 trillion market capitalization, in response to Markets Insider.

Martin stated that Apple and Disney are “complementary” and that combining their two strengths might give them superpowers.

“What Apple does greatest is distribute content material globally to 2 billion high-end cellular units owned by 1.25 billion distinctive and rich customers. And what Disney does greatest is create AAA content material franchises, which is distributes globally throughout all screens, in addition to within the bodily world,” Martin wrote.

Martin additionally identified that each corporations are “advertising and marketing juggernauts,” in a position to cost premium costs to their rabid fan bases.

Not their first dance

Apple and Disney have had a protracted historical past of working effectively collectively. When Apple launched the video iPod, Disney was one of many first corporations to supply their exhibits on the platform. Disney additionally famously purchased Pixar, which was helmed by Apple’s legendary founder Steve Jobs. Iger and Jobs have been good pals.

However good relations don’t a merger make. Rumors of the 2 corporations coming collectively have been squelched prior to now.

Bob Iger, the newly reanointed Disney CEO, stated in a City Corridor final 12 months that he had no plans to merge with Apple.

“What you have examine in that regard is simply pure hypothesis,” Iger stated.

Nonetheless, analysts like Martin consider {that a} merger is important in a extremely aggressive market.

“I feel Apple is doing a really mediocre job of streaming. They only stated they have been going to do a billion {dollars} in movie financing. That is form of laughable, as a result of these corporations which might be competing in content material companies are spending $30 billion a 12 months. Even Netflix is spending $20 billion a 12 months,” Martin advised CNBC earlier at this time.

“Guess what the Walt Disney Firm has: 100 years of a few of the greatest mental property, characters, and movie franchises on earth. So to personal that in perpetuity would truly decrease Apple’s price.”