by , 4:15 PM EST, February 27th, 2006

Barron's over the weekend speculated (subscription required) that Apple could make a bid to buy Disney, now that CEO Steve Jobs is its largest shareholder and sits on its Board of Directors. The financial publication quoted analyst Christopher Whalen as saying: "I think he has an open option."

Mr. Whalen, who is managing director of Institutional Risk Analytics, continued: "Disney is badly undervalued right now. Jobs might get an opportunity to take it out." Greg Morcroft, writing about the news for MarketWatch, added: "Whalen argues that Jobs' unique familiarity with both the content and technolgy sides of Hollywood make the case for a bid more compelling."

The Orlando Business Journal noted that Disney's stock was up and Apple's was down in early Monday trading, in light of the speculation. Apple's shares rebounded before ending the day at US$70.99, down 0.66%. Disney closed trading at $28.39, up 1.47%. Its stock never dipped into negative territory.