If You Invested $1,000 In Disney When They Acquired Lucasfilm, Here's How Much You'd Have Now

Over the years, the Walt Disney Co DIS has completed several acquisitions to boost its theme park, consumer products and media business lines.

Two of the biggest were in 2006 and 2009 with Pixar and Marvel, respectively. In 2012, Disney bought Lucasfilm, the owner of one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.

What Happened: On Oct. 30, 2012, Disney announced the acquisition of Lucasfilm, known worldwide as the home of the popular "Star Wars" franchise.

Lucasfilm was valued at $4.05 billion at the time of the acquisition with Disney paying cash and using 40 million shares in the deal.

“This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including 'Star Wars,' one of the great family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value,” then Disney CEO Bob Iger said at the time.

Since the acquisition, several "Star Wars" movies and shows have been released. “The Force Awakens” broke the domestic box office record with a total of $936.7 million. Released in 2015, the film ranks fourth all-time worldwide with a gross of $2.07 billion.

“The Last Jedi,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “The Rise of Skywalker” rank ninth, 13 and 14, respectively, for domestic box office totals.

Related Link: If You Invested $1,000 In Disney Stock When They Acquired Pixar, Here’s How Much You’d Have Now

Investing $1,000 in DIS: Just like acquisitions before Lucasfilm, investors questioned if Disney was overpaying. Years later the box office success of the franchise has proven itself to silence the critics.

Owning the "Star Wars" franchise has also allowed Disney to showcase new series like “The Mandalorian” on its Disney+ streaming platform, landing new subscribers tuning in for the lovable Baby Yoda character.

Disney shares opened for trading at $51.15 the morning after the Lucasfilm acquisition was announced. A $1,000 investment could have bought 19.55 Disney shares at the time.

Today, those Disney shares would be worth $3,481.66. This represents a return of 248% over the last nine years, or an average of 28% annually.

You could say the force is strong with anyone who bought Disney at the time the acquisition was announced.

See also: How to Buy Disney Stock

Photo: Lucasfilm/Walt Disney Co.