We recently published a list of Billionaire Israel Englander’s 10 Stock Picks with Huge Upside Potential. In this article, we are going to take a look at where The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) stands against other billionaire Israel Englander’s stock picks with huge upside potential.
Millennium Management is a globally recognized investment firm specializing in multi-strategy hedge fund offerings. Founded in 1989 by Israel A. Englander and Ronald Shear, the firm initially launched with $35 million in capital, including a $5 million contribution from Englander and additional investment secured from Canadian financiers, the Belzberg brothers. Despite early struggles that led to Shear’s departure just six months after its inception, Millennium evolved into one of the largest and most successful alternative asset management firms. As of late 2024, it boasts over $75.8 billion in assets under management.
Headquartered in New York, Millennium has expanded its operations globally, establishing 18 primary offices in major financial hubs including London, Dubai, Singapore, and Tokyo. The firm employs a platform-based investment approach, with approximately 330 independent investment teams operating under a decentralized model. These teams deploy a wide array of strategies across multiple asset classes, including equities, fixed income, commodities, and derivatives. Millennium’s core strategies focus on fundamental equity research, equity arbitrage, macroeconomic-driven fixed income investments, and commodity-based trades. Through this highly diversified, data-driven model, the firm aims to generate consistent, high-quality returns while managing risk effectively across global markets.
Under the leadership of Israel Englander, who remains the driving force behind the firm, Millennium has cultivated a disciplined risk management framework and continuously refined its investment strategies. A graduate of New York University who left his MBA program early to trade on the American Stock Exchange, Englander applied his market-making and derivatives trading expertise to build Millennium into an institutional powerhouse. His innovative approach emphasizes capital allocation to specialized teams rather than direct investment decisions, fostering a dynamic and competitive investment environment that attracts top talent from around the world. By 2011, Millennium was managing approximately $13 billion in assets, and in recent years, Englander has explored opportunities to sell a minority stake in the firm, signaling a move toward broader institutional ownership.
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, Millennium reported managing $204.64 billion in 13F securities, with its top ten holdings accounting for 15.5% of its portfolio. It has consistently ranked among the highest-grossing hedge funds, achieving the fourth-largest net gains of any hedge fund since inception. Millennium’s commitment to generating superior risk-adjusted returns, maintaining a diversified investment approach, and embracing strategic innovation has earned it a formidable reputation among institutional investors. With its expansive global presence, proven track record, and disciplined investment philosophy, Millennium Management continues to be a dominant force in the global hedge fund industry.
Our Methodology
For this article, we searched through Millennium Management’s Q4 2024 13F filings to identify billionaire Israel Englander’s stock picks with the highest upside potential. We compiled the equities with upside potential higher than 33% based on analyst ratings and discussed why they stood out as sound potential investments. Finally, we ranked the stocks based on the ascending order of their upside potential. To assist readers with more context, we mentioned the hedge fund sentiment around each stock using data from 1,009 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 363.5% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 208 percentage points (see more details here).
A packed theater of moviegoers watching a blockbuster film produced by the entertainment company.
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders as of Q4: 108
Millennium Management’s Equity Stake: $311.56 Million
Upside Potential as of April 26: 39.33%
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. For the first fiscal quarter of 2025, which ended on December 28, 2024, Disney reported strong financial results. Revenues rose by 5% to $24.7 billion, compared to $23.5 billion in the same quarter of fiscal 2024. Income before income taxes increased by 27% to $3.7 billion, up from $2.9 billion the previous year. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) grew by 35% to $1.40 from $1.04, while total segment operating income rose by 31% to $5.1 billion from $3.9 billion. Additionally, adjusted EPS increased 44% to $1.76 from $1.22. These results reflect Disney’s continued strength across its diverse portfolio of businesses, demonstrating its resilience and growth potential in the evolving entertainment landscape.
In a message released by Disney’s CEO in April 2025, he highlighted Disney’s commitment to making a positive impact, not only through its creations but also through its investments in people and communities. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) employs more than 160,000 workers across all 50 states in the US, with initiatives such as a $30 billion investment in domestic theme parks expected to create 10,000 new jobs in Florida and California. The company also plans to spend over $23 billion in 2025 on film, television, and licensed content production, predominantly within the U.S., and has invested $370 million in higher education and professional development through its Disney Aspire program.
The CEO also proudly discussed Disney’s philanthropic efforts, particularly its long-standing support of children in need. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) remains the world’s leading wish-granter through its partnership with Make-A-Wish, fulfilling a child’s wish every hour. The company recently completed a $100 million commitment to enhance children’s hospital experiences globally, reinforcing its mission to use the power of Disney stories to uplift and heal. This dedication to doing good, both locally and globally, underscores The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)’s enduring promise to be a force for positive change, carrying forward its founding spirit into its second century.
Overall, DIS ranks 6th on our list of billionaire Israel Englander’s stock picks with huge upside potential. While we acknowledge the potential of DIS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than DIS but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.