Digital-only releases: the future of the music industry? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) made a big fuss today as it launched an online music system and several multimedia phones. Some will have new touch screens like the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone. These are going to market in Europe almost immediately. Apple has not given a date for an iPhone launch there.

Most of the competition for Apple's music and device products is laughed at on Wall Street, Steve Jobs & Co. have sold over 120 million iPods which fuels traffic to iTunes. The iPhone is the most anticipated handset launch ever.

But, Nokia has what no other company can claim--a 36 share of the global handset market. Reuters writes that the company estimates that the global multimedia phone market will grow by 50% to 120 million units this year from 80 million in 2006.

With such a large market share, investors want to know where Nokia will go for future growth. It says the new revenue will come from software and service. The software will power multimedia phones. The services will include its new music store.

It is a frightening exercise for Motorola (NYSE: MOT) shareholders to look back at the launch of the RAZR and hit tremendous success which was still evident less than two years ago. Nothing prevented Motorola from riding the sales of that handset to get into the mobile media download business.

And, now it is too late.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

As Nokia launches iTune and iPhone competition, Motorola fades originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Aug 2007 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE:TYC) -- Tyco, which is being split into three companies, reported better-than-expected quarterly results. Net income rose 43 percent to $793 million, or 39 cents per share, compared with $556 million, or 27 cents. Revenue rose 8 percent to $10.3 billion. Profit from continuing operations was 45 cents, 1 cent better than Wall Street expectations, according to Reuters. Revenue was seen at $10.27 billion, the wire service said.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) -- Ford is bringing back the Taurus brand, according to Dow Jones Newswires. The struggling automaker will announce Wednesday at the Chicago auto show that its Ford Five Hundred mid-size sedan will be renamed after the once best-selling model, the wire service said. Chief Executive Alan Mulally has been a fan of the Taurus brand and there's been speculation in the press about its return, Dow Jones said. In other news, U.S. investors Nelson Peltz is reportedly the front runner to buy Ford's Aston Martin unit.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) -- Wal-Mart became the latest company to offer downloads of movies and television shows. New movies will be available on the day of the DVD release for $12.88 to $19.88 with catalog titles starting at $7.50. TV shows will be $1.96 per episode. Kevin Swint, Wal-Mart's merchandise manager for digital media, called the new service "an unprecedented offering of video content, features and capabilities currently unmatched in the market." It has the support of major Hollywood studios.

Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE:EK) -- Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE:EK) is taking on Hewlett-Packard Co. (Nasdaq:HPQ) in the printer market. The film company today introduced a line of desktop printers and low-cost replacements inks.

Before the bell 2-06-07: Tyco, Ford, Wal-Mart, Kodak originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Feb 2007 07:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is getting a second wind.

Shares of the number one etailer have risen about 12% over the past three months, outperforming rivals including eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) Borders Group Inc. (NYSE:BGP) and Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE:BKS). Heck, Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) barely moved during that same period.

Does this mean that investors are suddenly true believers? I don't think so. There is some enthusiasm for Amazon's digital business like the Amazon Unbox video download service. Plus, Amazon had gotten beaten down so badly for so long that investors finally said that enough was enough. Whether their optimism was justified will be apparent February 1 when the company issues quarterly earnings.

The fourth quarter is critical for Amazon and other retailers, since it includes the holiday season, but Wall Street isn't expecting much. Analysts expect the Seattle-based company to earn 21 cents, compared with 47 cents a year earlier, according to Thomson Financial. Revenue is also expected to fall to $3.77 billion, versus $2.78 billion a year earlier.

But most Wall Street analysts don't seem to be beating the drum for Amazon. In fact, they are pretty divided. Seven rate the stock a buy or strong buy, 10 a hold, and 10 a sell. Their media target is $34, below where it currently trades. The worries about Amazon's growth prospects, spending and thin profit margins seem to be as strong as ever.

Continue reading Amazon gets a second wind

Amazon gets a second wind originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Eastman Kodak Inc. agreed to sell its Health Group to Onex Corp. for as much as $2.55 billion, helping it cut debt and focus on the consumer and professional digital-imaging business.

Under the terms of the deal, $2.35 billion in cash is due at closing. Onex will also pay as much as $200 million depending on the returns it gets on its investment, the Rochester, NY company said.

Reaction to the deal was positive. Eastman Kodak shares rose in pre-market trading.

"The divestiture of the health group would help to bolster Kodak's stock,'' said Standard & Poors equity analyst Tom Graves, who rates the company a hold, in a January 4 interview with Bloomberg News. "People would look at Kodak as a company having a narrower focus. If they become a less complex company, that would be rewarded by a higher valuation.''

Two weeks ago, Kodak said it would make an announcement in early 2007 about the strategic review of the business that had begun in May, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required). High silver prices helped pushed down the division's earnings by 29 percent to $68 million in the third quarter, the paper said.

Eastman Kodak to sell Health Group for as much as $2.55 billion originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

GE & NBC expect a billion in digital profits -- only the beginning? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Prelim thoughts on Amazon moving into movie download fray: do it cheaper originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Sep 2006 20:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.