CBS Corporation (CBS) issued its fourth-quarter report after the bell today. The results should make shareholders happy. Adjusted net income rose an incredible 77% to 46 cents per share, according to the press release. That number went beyond the estimate by two pennies as indicated by TheFly.

Considering how the stock has fared over the past twelve months, one would have expected a good earnings report. The 52-week low for the shares is $12.26 while the 52-week high is $22.25. The chart communicates a company backed by some solid momentum.

Continue reading CBS Tops Estimate in Q4: Buy the Stock?

CBS Tops Estimate in Q4: Buy the Stock? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The earnings season has been going pretty good so far, and Walt Disney (DIS) will get its chance to impress Wall Street this afternoon when it reports its fiscal first quarter results after the market closes.

Going into this afternoon's report, analysts are expecting to see the company report earnings of $0.56 per share, up from $0.47 during the same period last year.

Continue reading Disney Expected to Post Strong Q1 Results

Disney Expected to Post Strong Q1 Results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CBS (CBS) reported third-quarter earnings last Thursday after the bell. On Friday, the shares closed down 3.7% to $17.01. The 52-week high for the stock is $18.20. Although the one-year chart doesn't show a smooth uptrend, it does indicate that the shares have exhibited a certain amount of strength. But does the sell-off on Friday, which was backed by strong volume, tell us that the stock should be avoided?

I've been cautious about this company. I have to admit, though, that it delivered a decent Q3. The press release says that adjusted profit jumped 40% to 35 cents per share. According to the Associated Press, that figure beat projections by four pennies. The AP article also mentioned something not so surprising: advertising dedicated to political races helped the period.

Continue reading CBS: Buy or Sell After Q3?

CBS: Buy or Sell After Q3? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Amazon.com (AMZN) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Netflix (NFLX) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer and to neutral from sell at Janney Montgomery.
• Janney Montgomery also upgraded BJ's Wholesale (BJ) to buy from neutral.
• RW Baird upgraded Kforce.com (KFRC), SFN Group (SFN) and Young Innovations (YDNT) to outperform from neutral.
• NetSuite (N) was upgraded to neutral from underweight and Select Comfort (SCSS) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Flushing Financial (FFIC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• National Instruments (NATI) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
• RBC Capital upgraded MDS Inc. (MDZ) to outperform from sector perform.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABC, AMZN, BJ, CAH, GRNB, JCG, N, NFLX, STX ...

Analyst Calls: ABC, AMZN, BJ, CAH, GRNB, JCG, N, NFLX, STX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Best Buy (BBY) was upgraded to top pick from outperform at RBC Capital, as the firm thinks the company's valuation is inexpensive while it will perform well during the holiday season.
• Credit Suisse upgraded CF Industries (CF) to outperform from neutral, citing favorable fundamentals in nitrogen and phosphate markets.
• Canadian Solar (CSIQ) was raised to buy from hold by Jefferies, which cited expectations for higher selling prices next year and cost savings from sourcing more components internally.
• BMO Capital upgraded RC2 Corp. (RCRC) to outperform from market perform as the firm believes that RC2's baby products are performing better than previously expected.
• Ericsson (ERIC) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merril.
• ProLogis (PLD) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
• Constellation Energy (CEG) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABC, BBY, CF, CSIQ, ERIC, MO, N, NAV, ORLY, PCAR, RCRC, SYY ...

Analyst Calls: ABC, BBY, CF, CSIQ, ERIC, MO, N, NAV, ORLY, PCAR, RCRC, SYY ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Shareholders of Disney (DIS) are looking forward to a little boost this

Yet, I have a thought to propose to the media industry: Should Disney charge viewers to see the finale?

Continue reading Should Disney Have Charged for the 'Lost' Finale?

Should Disney Have Charged for the 'Lost' Finale? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• BMO Capital upgraded EOG Resources (EOG) to market perform from underperform. The firm has a $100 target on the stock.
• Morgan Joseph upgraded Glimcher Realty (GRT) to buy from neutral with a $6.50 target. The firm believes the company has solved most of its liquidity problems while its dividend yield is very attractive.
• Citigroup upgraded AmerisourceBergen (ABC) to buy from hold.
• Lincoln Electric (LECO) was upgraded to gradually accumulate from hold at Soleil.
• BMC Software (BMC) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Mercer (MERC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Raymond James.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BUD, EBAY, EOG, FRX, GRT, MON, MSFT, SINA ...

Analyst Calls: BUD, EBAY, EOG, FRX, GRT, MON, MSFT, SINA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I found an interesting article stating that ABC affiliates are rather upset that they are losing sports to ESPN. To set up the situation, ESPN is allowed to choose sports from ABC to air because ESPN took control of ABC sports back in 2006. Recently, it was announced that ESPN will take eight NASCAR races off ABC to run on ESPN, the Rose Bowl starting in 2011, and the British Open (golf tournament) starting this year.

The loss of the NASCAR races will have a significant impact in the southern U.S., as the sport's popularity will pull viewers away from the local ABC affiliate to ESPN. This move will cost the ABC affiliates significant ad revenue as some Lifetime-style movie or infomercials will take the place of the departed races.

Continue reading JockStocks: ESPN Stealing Programming from Local Affiliates?

JockStocks: ESPN Stealing Programming from Local Affiliates? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While official ratings numbers from Thursday's national championship game between the Texas Longhorn and Alabama Crimson Tide football teams have yet to be released, I have a bad feeling that they will not be as good as ESPN hopes. Raise your hand if you tuned out after the Crimson Tide rolled to a 24-6 first-half lead and Texas was struggling with a freshman back-up quarterback at the helm. I would have my hand up right now, but it is awfully tough to type with one hand.

While the game promised to be good at the start, and actually had a relatively decent ending (from what I hear, unless you think this was the highlight of the night), I have a feeling that we will find out that the ratings for this game were lower than past couple of years. I know that I checked in on the game first thing this morning, only to find out that the finish was a bit closer than I expected, but I went to bed last night not worried that I was missing the last half of the BCS (or is it BS?) championship game.

Continue reading JockStocks: The Real Loser in the BCS National Championship Game May Be the Networks

JockStocks: The Real Loser in the BCS National Championship Game May Be the Networks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded T. Rowe Price (TROW) to buy from hold due to valuation and solid core trends. The firm raised its target on shares to $57 from $55. Note the firm downgraded Franklin Resources to hold from buy (see below).
• KeyBanc upgraded U.S. Steel (X) to buy from hold based on stable domestic cost environment in 2010 and likelihood of sustained higher spot pricing. The firm has a $65 target on shares.
• Goldman upgraded Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) to buy from neutral, citing oil leverage, sizable resource base and free cash flow. The firm raised its target to $90 from $88.
• Darden (DRI) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Carnival (CCL) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• AmerisourceBergen (ABC) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AXP, BBY, BEN, H, LLY, TROW, X ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AXP, BBY, BEN, H, LLY, TROW, X ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bundling is beautiful for newspapers. Since April 1, 2009, new rules for counting circulation have turned some newspapers from losing to gaining, even in a market where the print community is getting thrashed. Instead of selling more copies every day, these publications are counting online visits, as long as they are from paying subscribers - for either protected portions of the website or digital replica editions.

The new auditing standards, which affect USA Today, a Gannet (GCI) property, and News Corp's (NWS) Wall Street Journal, among others, often allow newspapers that bundle print and digital editions to count the subscriber twice. According to a report by the Associated Press, the new rule is preventing circulation from looking as bad as it really may be.

Continue reading Looser auditing rules keeping some newspaper heads above water

Looser auditing rules keeping some newspaper heads above water originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Oprah Winfrey, arguably the most powerful woman in entertainment (if not the world in general), is preparing to pack her luxurious bags. She's announced that in 2011, after a quarter-century of favorite things and heartfelt interviews, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will be no more. The last program is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2011. One can only imagine who might be her guests.

In syndication across the country, Oprah's eponymous program is the top-rated U.S. daytime show (take that, Days of Our Lives!), with an average viewership of 7.1 million this year.

While not entirely unexpected, the news is likely a bit of a blow to CBS Corporation (CBS), as its CBS Television Distribution arm syndicates the program. Additionally, Walt Disney (DIS) might feel the sting of an Oprah departure as Disney-owned ABC is the primary network that airs the show. And will it impact O, Oprah's monthly magazine published by the Heart Corporation? To say nothing of all of the manic women in the audience who long for a chance at one of Oprah's favorite things.

Continue reading Oprah to pull the plug in 2011

Oprah to pull the plug in 2011 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yet, when I look at the latest earnings report, I don't feel as upbeat as the market. According to the press release (the link goes to a .pdf file), revenues were flat for the third quarter and adjusted income dropped to 25 cents per share from the year-ago figure of 39 cents per share.

Continue reading CBS challenged in Q3, waiting for better advertising climate

CBS challenged in Q3, waiting for better advertising climate originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CBS (NYSE: CBS), the famous broadcaster that competes with Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ABC, News Corp.'s (NASDAQ: NWS) Fox, and General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC, reported Q2 earnings on Thursday after the bell. If you judged the performance solely by the profit drop, you would have no choice but to feel sorry for CBS. The media company made an adjusted 8 cents per share. Last year at this time, CBS pulled in an adjusted 49 cents per share.

But the market looked past the significant income decline and instead seemed to focus on the fact that management beat Wall Street's expectations by a penny, according to Earnings.com estimates. Shares of CBS were up over 7% during yesterday's after-hours session.

Continue reading CBS tops estimates, but remains weak

CBS tops estimates, but remains weak originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This afternoon,the Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) is going to be reporting its fiscal third quarter earnings.

Analysts are expecting to see the company hit hard by the current recession, with all segments of the company's business have felt the impact.

Continue reading Disney's third-quarter earnings expected to decline

Disney's third-quarter earnings expected to decline originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, as Boorstin rightly points out, CBS (NYSE: CBS), Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ABC, General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC, and News Corp.'s (NASDAQ: NWS) Fox do need to worry. These DVR technologies basically translate to a drop in the economic value of advertising. Let's face it: who watches commercials when they don't have to?

Continue reading DVR and content companies: What should the broadcasters do?

DVR and content companies: What should the broadcasters do? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony (NYSE: SNE) closed at $25.51. Five of Michael Jackson's solo Albums -- "Off the Wall," "Thriller," "Bad," "Dangerous" and "HIStory," all with Epic Records, a Sony Music Label -- are among the top-sellers of all time. SNE July option implied volatility of 42 is below its 26-week average of 53, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Sony volatility low; five of Jackson's solo albums with Sony's Epic originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Aruba Networks (NASDAQ: ARUN) to Buy from Hold following the company's Q3 results to reflect improved visibility. The firm raised its target price to $6.50 from $3.
• Citigroup upgraded Mosaic (NYSE: MOS) and Potash (NYSE: POT) to Buy from Hold and Agrium (NYSE: AGU) to Hold from Sell as it believes stronger grain fundamentals more than offset China contract risk. The firm raised its target on Mosaic to $72 from $48, on Potash to $145 from $83 and on Agrium to $55 from $36.
• Fulton Financial (NASDAQ: FULT) Was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) was raised to Neutral from Sell at Goldman.
• Noble Corp. (NYSE: NE) was upgraded at Deutsche Bank to Buy from Hold.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ARUN, MOS, POT, AGU, EGLE, DO, MON, SWCEY, TDC and ABC

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ARUN, MOS, POT, AGU, EGLE, DO, MON, SWCEY, TDC and ABC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CBS (NYSE: CBS) programmed its Q1 earnings report Thursday after the bell. If the report had been a pilot, it would have been canceled immediately.

Revenues slipped over 13% to around $3.2 billion. CBS said it lost 8 cents per share. Talk about a failure of a quarter. Last year at this time, CBS made 36 cents per share. True, the comparison was a difficult one, since a change in distribution strategy for the international placement of the CSI asset enhanced the previous year's results.

But let's not get hung up on difficult comparisons. CBS simply had a bad three months. A very bad three months indeed. Oh, and I should note that analysts thought CBS might earn 7 cents per share. That seems almost comical at this juncture.

Continue reading CBS sees sales decline and a loss in Q1

CBS sees sales decline and a loss in Q1 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 May 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Deutsche Bank upgraded AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:ABC) to Buy from Hold on valuation as it views the risk/reward as favorable at current levels. Deutsche raised its target price to $41.50 from $38.
  
• FBR Capigal upgraded Charlotte Russe (NASDAQ:CHIC) to Outperform from Market Perform following the company's Q2 results on expectations merchandise improvements and cost-cutting efforts will drive continued margin expansion. The firm raised its target on shares to $15 from $10.
  
• Oppenheimer upgraded Fidelity National (NYS:FIS) to Outperform from Perform as it believes the Metavante (MV) acquisition makes strategic sense and the stock's risk/reward is favorable. The firm's target price is $25.
• First American (NYSE:FAF) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• Nokia (NYSE:NOK) was raised to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.
  
• Parker-Hannifin NYSE:(PH) was lifted at Wachovia to Outperform from Market Perform.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: JPM, NOK, PALM, INTU

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: JPM, NOK, PALM, INTU originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.