Last five years have resulted in an increase in Walt Disney Co.’s (NYSE:DIS) stock of over 233%, which definitely implies a praise for its Chief Executive Officer, Bob Iger. However, things haven’t always been this great for Walt Disney Co.’s (NYSE:DIS) shareholders. There was a huge controversy between Walt Disney’s Nephew, Roy Disney and the Chief Executive Officer of that time, Michael Eisner. This conflict was heavily publicized and as a consequence Eisner had to leave his chairmanship in 2004.  After a year, Eisner bid farewell to the company.

Roy advised the company to consider breaking up Disney theme parks and stores etc.; in order to increase the sales performance. However, shareholders were in luck, since Iger didn’t pay heed to Roy’s advice.Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) conglomerate structure is what holds it together and has been a consistent source of strength for the company.

Furthermore, getting rid of ESPN would have stripped Walt Disney Co.(NYSE:DIS) off its commodification value, especially if ESPN’s astounding network consideration in taken into perspective. Although Iger has done a lot for the growth of Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS), however there is one small thing which can be done further; and which would ultimately result into broadening of the company’s investor base. That tiny thing which can change a lot and bring more profits to the shareholders is to pay the dividends on a quarterly basis instead of an annual one.

If Walt Disney Co.’s (NYSE:DIS) previous performances were taken into account then perhaps its paying of dividends on annual basis does make sense. Every company has a distinct payout strategy; but that strategy ought to be in line with the interests of both its shareholders and stakeholders.

A vital question in this regard is that whether or not Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) has enough money to pay the dividend on a quarterly basis. Being a conglomerate, it no longer has to rely upon its theme park and movie studio which run on either a seasonal or a cyclical basis. This fact is reiterated from the financial report of last year, which delineates that Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) earned approximately 56% of its income from ESPN and ABC. Interestingly, these media networks happen to be the very businesses which Roy Disney wanted to give up. Until 1962, the company has indeed been paying dividends on a quarterly basis, however this policy was changed to an annual one, by the year 1999.

The major reason in play behind Walt Disney Co.’s (NYSE:DIS) strategy of paying dividends on an annual basis is the costs. When the company changed its policy from quarterly to annual in 1999, the cost of mailing checks was held responsible for this change. Yet, since Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) has deployed an electronic methodology to issue its shares now; therefore it ought to switch back to dividend pay outs on a quarterly basis. This strategy would make Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS)  attractive and popular among those investors who prefer having their money on quarterly basis, instead of getting it altogether once every year. This option seems to be even more preferable, since now the dividend payout per share has increased from $0.47 to $1.15.

The first quarter brought a surge in Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)’s top of the line businesses such as media, parks and entertainment, etc. Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)’s media networks including cable and broadcasting went up by 11 percent. Though there has been a measles outbreak lately, that hasn’t stopped families visiting the Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) theme parks. The demand for Marvel and Frozen has kept on the surface, still the studio entertainment business dropped down by 2 percent.

The Infinity series wasn’t up to the mark and it reflected from the sales it made. The losses it incurred hurt Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) not in a major way, but things could have been different had the infinity series turned out to be profitable.

The bottom line segments grew on all 5 fronts. Be it consumer goods or media networks; every department made money on the bottom line. The company’s media networks went up by 2 percent because of the 35 percent growth of the broadcasting business. The studio department on the bottom line also grew by 33 percent thanks to the films Frozen and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Having mentioned all this, those investors which are looking for earning quick money should refrain from investing in the stock because Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) doesn’t have anything to offer imminently, or let’s say that it doesn’t have anything major to offer yet. For the long term investors, Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) is a major stock with a lot of potential and a lot of future prospects.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) has a habit of duplicating its profits from all fronts. The company has a lot to offer, which means there are many vessels from which the company earns. Investors should also bank upon Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)’s reputation which dates back to almost a hundred years. The company has been consistently making money and the naysayers have always corrected themselves whenever they doubted the company’s performance or money making strength.

With almost a dozen Marvel movies in the pipeline, Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) will only get stronger as time goes by and investors who will hang on for a longer period will certainly benefit. However, investors who want to bail out with a quick profit won’t find anything here. And in all honesty, Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) does not need any of such investors either.

Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) is waiting to get its approval from the FCC for its merger with Comcast. The total deal price has been recorded to be at $45 billion. Meanwhile, the company has found a sneaky way to gather some more cash from the pockets of customers through its latest billing strategy.

The company will be charging its customers a rate of $2.75 for all the sports programs, according to the report of Charlotte Observer. This new subscription fee will be implemented from the first month of next year.  Moreover, what is interesting to note here is the fact that the customers will not be given any option to opt out the sports programs; meaning that the company gets extra cash without providing any additional services. 

But wait, this is not it. Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) has also planned to charge its customers with the old TV broadcast fee. This fee will range from $2.25 to $2.75 monthly. The company reported its quarterly reports a couple of weeks back. The revenue spiked up by 3.6 percent and the OIBDA saw an increase of 2.4 percent on yearly basis. Justifying the increase in subscription fees, the company said that increased programming costs had to be balanced out.

The spokesman of Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC), Scott Pryzwansky, told the media that the increased fees are the result of increasing costs that the cable providers have to bear in order to provide sports programs to the customers. Scott further mentioned that the total costs of broadcasting sports networks have increased by 91 percent over the last 6 years whereas the subscription fees have been raised by 60 percent only.

The management of the company said that the increase in fees is just a fraction of what Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) has to pay for the sports networks’ broadcasts. The company has lost a lot of subscribers over the last two years; however, it has maintained its profitability by charging more to the ones who are still with the company.

The residential division of Time Warner saw a decrease in the cable and video revenues on yearly basis. This decrease resulted due to a smaller subscribers’ base. The decline was balanced out by an increase in the average revenue for each customer, which resulted due to premium pricing.

By increasing the prices, the company offset the loss of $103 million that it saw in its cable segment. The total revenues of this segment declined $2.49 billion on yearly basis. The rise in prices, however, added $1.62 billion in the revenue, thus narrowing the gap.

Coming to the stock prices of Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC), the company, during the last trading session of December 28, 2014, started its stocks at a price of $151.51 and closed at an increased price of $152.83 . As far as the total market capitalization of the company is concerned, the figures currently stand at $42.87 billion.

The estimates for Walt Disney’s (NYSE:DIS) earnings have recorded to be at $4.74. If this estimate is multiplied by the current price to earnings ratio of the company, which is 22, the price target of $100 seems achievable.  But then again, no one knows about the future, and a lot can be changed: the market could see a decline or the company could miss its estimates. Where the conditions can go unfavorably, there are some catalysts too that can make the company go even higher.

One of the biggest segments ofWalt Disney (NYSE:DIS) is its entertainment division. It is important to mention here that this segment was responsible for generating around 15 percent of the total revenues that the company posted for the fiscal year 2014. It was also responsible for bringing in almost 12 percent of the total income for operations. The revenues of this segment were up by 22 percent when compared with the figures of last year, and hence, chances are that this segment will continue to see growth in the future as well.

Another plus point that the company has is its parks and resorts segment. This division was responsible for generating around 31 percent of the total revenues that the company reported for the year 2014. The company will be opening up another of its theme parks in the country of China. The Shanghai Disney Resort is scheduled to open in the coming year. This project consumed a total of $5.5 billion. It will have 2 hostels, which will be theme based, together with a recreational spot. The total area of the theme park will be around 1000 acres. This park will be the biggest Disney resort in the region of Asia, as it will be almost 3 times bigger than the one in Hong Kong and twice the size of the one that is in Tokyo.

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) has joint ventures in the country of China. In fact, the company is running its parks through these ventures. The company owns around 43 percent of the Shanghai Disney Resort and 48 percent of the Hong Kong Disneyland.

Another segment that looks promising is the interactive division of the company. Although the segment brought in only 2.7 percent of the 2014 revenues, it is growing at a huge rate. The gaming revenue also increased by 30 percent when compared with the figures of last year.

Coming to the stock prices of Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS), the company is currently trading in the range of $91.76 and $93.57.

A clear successor to Bob Iger has not yet been appointed, but Jay Rasulo, the current chief of finances, and Tom Staggs, the head of the theme parks, are currently being considered for the role of chief operating officer.

Bob Iger has been CEO of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) for the last nine years, when he succeed Michael Eisner in September 2005.    Mr. Iger is respected and revered as an effective leader, and one of the most successful CEOs in the industry.

Shareholder’s return has increased by more than 300%, since Bob Iger took over the company in 2005, and the market cap  for The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)  rose from $48.4 billion to $150 billion.

Iger has a positive reputation of setting clear business strategies that are based on technological innovation, production of a high-quality products and international expansion of the brand name.

Orin C. Smith, a member on the Board of Directors for The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), said that while Bob Iger has been in charge, Disney had reached unprecedented financial and creative heights, which in turn has driven stock prices to an all-time high, and increased shareholder value to extraordinary levels.

Mr. Iger’s past records precedes him, and it is in the best interests of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and its shareholders, that Bob Iger continues on in his current role.  The amazing company growth, led by Mr. Iger, is what prompted the Board of Directors to offer him this contract extension.

Much of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) resources are used around filming companies including, but not limited to, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Fantasy Faire and Marvel’s movies regarding superheroes.

The films slated for the 2015/2016 season include: Star Wars – Episode VII; Finding Dory; Big Hero 6; Alice in Wonderland 2; The Avengers – the Age of Ultron; Inside Out; Tomorrow Land; Ant-Man; and the Good Dinosaur.

Mr. Iger’s purchase deals regarding Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar, along with expanding the theme parks around the world, has put The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) in a prime position for continuous and steady growth.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is known to not only embrace change, but they are the leaders to implement new technologies.

Mr. Iger’s annual salary during 2013 was $34.3 million, and he will retain this annual compensation throughout the remainder of his contract.  Financial bonus earnings are also possible, if certain financial goals are met during the next five years.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) opened the market today at 88.10, and by 2:00 Eastern Daylight Time, 88.68 was the trading price.  The 52 week forecast ranges between 63.10 and 91.20, with a market cap of 149.40 B.  Currently, the company is 64% inst. owned.

Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Super Heroes had success in 2013, which led it to become the year’s market forerunner as soon as it was released. Its starter pack has an Iron Man, Black Widow and Thor character along with a play-set adventure. In fact, if you have the new 2.0 version of this game, you can combine it with the separately bought Spiderman and Guardians of the Galaxy play-sets for an enhanced Avengers experience.

An interesting twist is that you can play co-op in your play-set experience straight from the box. Originally, this game consisted of three play-sets and just one collectable figure from each franchise. Gamers had to purchase an extra toy figure before the co-op option was created and the issue was resolved in 2014.

Playing mostly like the Lego video games, this game is a combination of puzzle-solving, plat forming and brawling where gamers get to play different mission levels. It may even be better than Lego because you can select which missions you want to play; you can also choose the order in which you want to play.

The characters have also been upgraded and gamers can do a bit of customization as well through different options available. They can equip their characters with melee or ranged attacks, healing and speed.

The permanent upgrades come with temporary features that are operated with Marvel themed power discs set, which unravel character team-ups, costumes, abilities and powers. It may be challenging to acquire the entire set because they come in foil “blind” packets with two figures; but they are swappable which adds another dimension to the game.

A big part of this play-set is the bolder than ever game creator toy-box mode which has enhances the game experience on different levels. For instance, when the creator pieces are put in the game world, it creates trees, race tracks, etc. which the player can then edit.

In 2014, the game has become harder with the Marvel theme – especially the Avengers play-set with the major change: if a character dies, there is a time-out before they can go back into battle. Young players may run out of characters needing to restart the game from the most recent checkpoint. To balance this issue, a difficulty setting is available which can be moved up for experts and turned down for amateurs.

The biggest problem with the game may be its backwards (and forwards) compatibility. Though the new game supports the older characters and play-set pieces, it is not compatible with the original play-set adventures. Similarly, Disney Infinity 1.0 owners can upgrade their toy-box so they can use the play-set items and characters, but they have to buy the new 2.0 starter packs to access the old play-set adventures.

Many people may see Disney Infinity 2.0 simply as a money-maker and overlook the pleasure and appeal it has to offer. Yet others, whether youngsters or die hard Marvel buffs, will truly enjoy the perfect blend of toy-box ingenuity, play-set adventures and collectable toy figures combined to craft a fascinating creation.