Disney (DIS), the media company behind Mickey Mouse and Buzz Lightyear, and whose colleagues in the industry include CBS (CBS), General Electric's (GE) NBC Universal, News Corp. (NWS), Sony Corporation (SNE), Time Warner (TWX), and Viacom (VIA), reported results for Q4 and the full fiscal year on Thursday after the bell. While the bottom line came in ahead of expectations, I have to say that the release was disappointing to this shareholder.

Earnings on an adjusted basis for the quarter came in at 46 cents per share, higher than the number predicted by analysts. Unfortunately, as I go through the data, I don't think I'm too comforted by such income performance.

Continue reading Disney's Q4: Bob Iger beats Wall Street, but he needs a better plan for the studio

Disney's Q4: Bob Iger beats Wall Street, but he needs a better plan for the studio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Disney (DIS), a media business that competes with Viacom (VIA), CBS (CBS), News Corp. (NWS), and General Electric's (GE) NBC Universal, will be talking up its fourth-quarter numbers on Thursday after the bell. Are you a shareholder? If so, are you excited? Well, don't get too excited, because we might not be getting any growth, even if the Mouse beats on the bottom line. According to Earnings.com, the call is for 40 cents per share versus the 43 cents per share made in the comparable period.

You know what, though? For the most part, I'm not so concerned with exactly how much Disney makes this quarter. I'm a shareholder, and I want to see management at least come in at the estimate, of course, but I'll be more interested in the conference call. Way more interested this time around, in fact.

Continue reading Disney to report earnings Thursday: Should investors be excited?

Disney to report earnings Thursday: Should investors be excited? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) reported that Q3 revenue was flat while earnings and cash flow declined.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, helped by healthy gross margins.
• Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) posted better-than-expected Q3 earnings with modest revenue growth.
• Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) Q3 revenue missed estimates but earnings came in better than expected.
• Expeditors International of Washington Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPD) traded lower after its Q3 earnings miss.
• Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) beat earnings estimates in the week after the Google Navigation launch.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: CBS, Comcast, News Corp., Time Warner, UBS, Viacom ...

Earnings highlights: CBS, Comcast, News Corp., Time Warner, UBS, Viacom ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, the company's A shares are down slightly as I write this by about 0.6%, and the B shares are just about flat. Like I say, if the broader indexes were in an uptrend this afternoon, we probably would have seen a pop in the stock.

Continue reading Viacom does well in Q3, but there is still work to be done

Viacom does well in Q3, but there is still work to be done originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It was a triumphant weekend for Michael Jackson. And how fitting it was that the man who gave us the Thriller masterpiece saw victory during a weekend devoted to all things Halloween.

According to early estimates at Box Office Mojo, Michael Jackson's This Is It, distributed by Sony (NYSE: SNE), grossed about $21 million at domestic theaters, good for the top slot. The total tally for the film is over $32 million once the Wednesday opening is taken into account.

Continue reading Michael Jackson wins Halloween box office race, 'Saw VI' continues to suffer

Michael Jackson wins Halloween box office race, 'Saw VI' continues to suffer originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I don't believe it. I never thought it could happen. Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) released Saw VI this past weekend. Surely the latest cinematic celebration of cruelty would be the number-one picture at domestic theaters, right? Saw is a big brand when it comes to torture movies. Jigsaw is a Freddy Krueger (and beyond) for the new generation. The teens would be out in full force to support all the latest traps and sequences of dismemberment and bloodletting for sure.

Well, Saw VI didn't come out on top. Instead, Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Paranormal Activity made the most money in the race for domination at the multiplex, scoring approximately $22 million according to early estimates from Box Office Mojo. The new Saw did come in second, though, so that was at least some consolation, correct?

Continue reading Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' plays Jigsaw's game -- and wins

Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' plays Jigsaw's game -- and wins originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) Where the Wild Things Are was number one over the past weekend at domestic theaters as of early estimates from Box Office Mojo. The film grossed well over $30 million. Coming in second was Law Abiding Citizen. If Wild Things wasn't in the market this weekend, that one definitely would have been tops at the multiplex. The revenge fest, from Liberty Capital Group's (NASDAQ: LCAPA) Overture Films, brought in $21 million.

Right on the heels of that project is the very cheaply made Paranormal Activity, courtesy of Viacom (NYSE: VIA). It made about $20 million. So far, Activity has generated over $30 million in total. And they say the little horror extravaganza cost less than $20,000 to produce!

Continue reading Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' continues to wow Hollywood

Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' continues to wow Hollywood originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the advertising market could be ready for an upswing. Michael Morris, an analyst at UBS, is making a connection between improved sales at retail stores and a robust environment for commercials and the like. His reasoning is sound: if retail businesses are doing better, then they might want want to take advantage of new cash levels to invest in marketing initiatives aimed at bringing in traffic.

Indeed, the advertising industry has been in the dumps. Any good news is welcome. Media entities such as Disney (NYSE: DIS), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), Viacom (NYSE: VIA), CBS (NYSE: CBS), News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS), and General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal, are counting on increased opportunities to sell their respective inventories at better prices.

Continue reading Will media companies benefit from a better advertising climate?

Will media companies benefit from a better advertising climate? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

General Electric's (NYSE: GE) studio division didn't have a great summer at the box office. This past weekend, though, the company's new comedy made waves at the box office.

According to Box Office Mojo, Universal's Couples Retreat, starring Vince Vaughn, took in about $35 million at domestic theaters as of early estimates, more than enough to capture the top slot. Sony (NYSE: SNE) took the next two spots on the chart with Zombieland, and the resilient cartoon Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, respectively. Don't get too cocky, though, Sony, because Disney (NYSE: DIS) was right behind you with its Toy Story 3D special release.

Continue reading GE's 'Couples Retreat' or Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' -- which is really No. 1?

GE's 'Couples Retreat' or Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' -- which is really No. 1? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Piper Jaffray upgraded Viacom (NYSE:VIA) to Overweight from Neutral to reflect the improving ad market and better ratings at key cable networks. The firm raised its target on shares to $35 from $29.
  
• Baird upgraded Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) to Outperform from Neutral on valuation as it views the recent weakness as a buying opportunity. The firm keeps an $84 price target on shares.
  
• Jefferies upgraded Usana (NASDAQ:USNA) to Buy from Hold as it believes direct selling companies have been gaining momentum. The firm raised its target on shares to $44 from $37.
• AK Steel (NYSE:AKS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
  
• First Merit (NASDAQ:FMER) was upgraded to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer.
  
• Spectra Energy (NYSE:SE) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: VIA, RIMM, ARO, JPM, BMY

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: VIA, RIMM, ARO, JPM, BMY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Goldman Sachs believes that the company should see a lot of prosperity in the next six months. The stock might even rise as high as $45 per share, if the price target is to be believed. The premium attached to 3-D movie tickets is part of the thesis here. As well as something else, something a lot more powerful: the franchise value of Shrek.

Continue reading DreamWorks Animation ready to rise?

DreamWorks Animation ready to rise? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, it's been an exciting month for the video-game industry. Viacom (NYSE: VIA) and Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) released The Beatles: Rock Band to the market. Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) cut the price of the Wii in an effort to better compete with Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). And rumors of consolidation in the industry are getting heavy. The buzz on some corners of Wall Street is that perhaps a major media conglomerate might want to take over THQ (NASDAQ: THQI).

According to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), either Viacom or Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) might be interested in the publisher. There are plenty of reasons to believe this would be a logical move for either of those two. And there are plenty of reasons to suggest that buying THQ wouldn't make sense. I mean, take Viacom: wouldn't it rather concentrate on the Rock Band franchise? As for Time Warner, does it truly desire the hassle of integrating THQ? Right now, Time Warner's stock is in an upswing, and I don't think shareholders would want to ruin such momentum with the purchase of a software company that has been experiencing growth problems.

Continue reading THQ and the acquisition thesis

THQ and the acquisition thesis originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) remains confident in its guidance for full-year earnings. According to StreetInsider.com, management is still looking for sales of $4.5 billion on the top line and adjusted earnings of 63 cents per share on the bottom line.

The publisher, which competes with Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), should benefit from recent hardware price cuts made by Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT). With more units in the field, there most likely will be higher demand for Activision Blizzard's awesome pipeline, which includes Call of Duty.

Continue reading Activision Blizzard still looking good?

Activision Blizzard still looking good? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to GameSpot, execs at Viacom (NYSE: VIA) are pleased with the initial acceptance by consumers for its high-profile game The Beatles: Rock Band. The company said that expectations for the title, which is distributed by Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), have been surpassed, and that a quarter of the inventory has already moved off retail shelves. Impressive.

Recently, I wrote an article about The Beatles game and how it might impact the Guitar Hero franchise from Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI). I'm a shareholder of the latter, so I'm obviously biased on the subject. I want Rock Band's competitor to win the battle, no question.

Continue reading Viacom satisfied with start of 'The Beatles: Rock Band'

Viacom satisfied with start of 'The Beatles: Rock Band' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I read a surprising article over at Boxofficemojo by Brandon Gray. The author highlighted the foreign financial performance of News Corp.'s (NASDAQ: NWS) computer-animated cartoon Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the third entry in the popular franchise. Amazingly, Dinosaurs has now grossed $667 million at theaters outside the domestic market.

What's so interesting about that? Well, it means that the project now occupies third place on the all-time foreign chart. Gray says the number-one film on this chart is Titanic, which was a co-production between News Corp. and Viacom (NYSE: VIA). Coming in second is Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Continue reading News Corp.'s 'Ice Age' sequel proves Pixar isn't only game in town?

News Corp.'s 'Ice Age' sequel proves Pixar isn't only game in town? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Of particular interest is one piece of content that was highlighted in an article at the Los Angeles Times website. Disney is making a significant bet on an upcoming cartoon called The Princess and the Frog. It won't be a flashy 3-D production. Instead, it's animated in a 2-D environment.

Continue reading Disney promotes its content with new convention

Disney promotes its content with new convention originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Viacom (NYSE: VIA.B), the cable, movie and video game empire of longtime chairman Sumner Redstone, is a solid media stock that we think can be accumulated on dips," suggests Geoffrey Seiler.

In his always-excellent BullMarket.com, he looks to the upcoming release of Star Trek and the new Beatles-based music video game as potential catalysts for improved results. Here's his update.

"Viacom, which spun off CBS in 2007, describes itself as an entertainment content company that operates in two segments: Media Networks and Filmed Entertainment.

Continue reading Viacom (VIA.B): Star Trek to the Beatles

Viacom (VIA.B): Star Trek to the Beatles originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Guitar Hero franchise is one of the reasons why I keep holding the stock. I figure a lot of units tied to the brand will be sold this holiday season. However, there is a looming threat. Viacom (NYSE: VIA) and Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) are set to release The Beatles: Rock Band. The street date is September 9, and analysts will be watching the early sales very carefully to see how the dynamic shapes up.

Continue reading Will The Beatles threaten Activision Blizzard?

Will The Beatles threaten Activision Blizzard? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I wonder: did Michael Meyers have a premonition of doom -- like the ones those clairvoyant teens from the Final Destination series have -- right before Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) slaughtered him this weekend? According to Boxofficemojo, poor Mike apparently didn't stand a chance against Death.

Destination came in first this past weekend at domestic theaters with a gross of around $28 million. Even though that's an estimate, there's no way the final numbers will change anything, because Halloween 2, distributed by The Weinstein Company, ranked third with roughly $17 million.

Continue reading Time Warner takes out Weinstein Company with 'Final Destination'

Time Warner takes out Weinstein Company with 'Final Destination' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Coinstar's (NASDAQ: CSTR) Redbox, a convenient movie-rental kiosk, has really shaken things up in the media industry. BloggingStocks has covered recent events surrounding this asset: Zac Bissonnette wrote an article earlier in the month discussing the subject of litigation with certain studios, and Brent Archer covered a possible options play connected to a deal with Viacom (NYSE: VIA).

I won't rehash all of the details, but let me boil it down to the salient issue: studios such as Disney (NYSE: DIS), General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal, and Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) are all worried about the devaluation of physical media. Redbox charges a single dollar per day for a DVD rental. This frightens content makers. Executives at these companies believe that discs must be defended since they are an important way of amortizing costs associated with making films. Even those entities that have decided to engage the Redbox model probably aren't happy about it. Lions Gate (NYSE: LGF) surely doesn't enjoy the deflation of the DVD, but it is playing ball nevertheless.

Continue reading Redbox is really irritating the studios, but they should calm down

Redbox is really irritating the studios, but they should calm down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.