The Walt Disney Company has advanced to the No. 2 spot on Barron’s annual ranking of the World’s Most Respected Companies. This marks a significant leap from last year’s list, which had Disney ranked at No. 6.
Barron’s has been compiling its list of the World’s Most Respected Companies since 2005. The 100 companies are selected based upon their total stock market capitalization; institutional investors are then surveyed about their feelings regarding each corporation and asked to rank the factors that they take into consideration as they determine corporate respect. Respondents are also invited to comment upon individual companies.
The full list appeared in Barron’s June 27 edition, and the financial weekly noted that Disney has consistently finished in or near the top 10 spots since 2010. Ronald Doyle, head of equity investing at MeadowBrook Investment Advisors in Livonia, Michigan, was quoted in the article as saying that Disney has done “a great job of developing iconic franchises” and he praised the Company’s distribution platforms, as well.