EntertainmentStocks posts
FeedPosted Jul 7th 2009 5:00PM by Jim Woods (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings reports
In auto racing, drivers try to hit their apexes, meaning they try to drive their cars with such precision that they can hit the exact spot -- within inches -- on the racetrack each lap.
By consistently hitting their apexes, drivers are able to achieve their fastest possible lap times, and being able to turn the fastest lap times puts the driver in the best position to win.
Today, the premier racing company in the country, International Speedway Corp. (NASDAQ: ISCA), hit its Q2 earnings apex.
On the surface, the news didn't look good. The company posted a $31.7 million loss for the second quarter. But it was not just falling revenue that affected International Speedway, which is to be expected from an entertainment company in a soft economy.
Continue reading Hitting the apex: International Speedway meets estimates
Posted Apr 23rd 2009 11:30AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Walt Disney (DIS), Stocks to Buy
"Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) is arguably the most prominent entertainment operation in the world today, with one of the world's most recognized brands across all of its major business segments" says George Putnam.
In The Turnaround Letter, he observes, "We believe that the current market volatility and economic weakness provide an opportunity to buy into a preeminent global brand at a temporarily depressed price."
"Disney controls theme parks, such as Disneyland and Disney World; television networks, including ABC and ESPN; movie studios, and character-themed consumer products.
"While the company's financial results have been hurt temporarily by the global economic weakness, we believe it is well positioned to prosper again when economic conditions improve.
Continue reading Disney (DIS): Entertainment turnaround
Posted Apr 1st 2009 12:10PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Cisco Systems (CSCO), Newsletters, Stocks to Buy
"Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) has increasingly developed a series of technologies more closely tied to end-users -- with a focus on the home entertainment hub," notes Toby Smith.
The editor of ChangeWave Investing explains, "The company understands that the market for consumer electronics products is too big and too important to ignore."
"It is well known that Cisco is the dominant supplier of the switches and routers that enable networks and computers to be linked together.
"Recently, Cisco made its most consumer-oriented acquisition by picking up privately held Pure Digital Technologies, the maker of the popular and simple-to-use Flip video camcorder.
Continue reading Cisco (CSCO) targets consumer entertainment
Posted Mar 23rd 2009 1:00PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Stocks to Buy
"Personally, I haven't played a video game since college; but I know the video game market is red hot," says Alex Green; here, the investment director for The Oxford Club takes a look at GameStop (NYSE: GME).
"With more than 5,100 stores throughout the United States and 15 other countries, GameStop is the world's largest video game retailer.
"Its stores include GameStop, EB Games and Electronics Boutique. It also publishes Game Informer, the industry's largest circulation video game magazine with more than 2.2 million paid subscribers.
Continue reading Gaming gains at GameStop (GME)
Posted Feb 18th 2009 12:35PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), Stocks to Buy, Recession
"Our favorite current investment idea is Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX)," says Michael Cintolo, editor of The Cabot Top Ten Report, which each week reviews ten issues that have been showing strong price momentum.
"Netflix bolted higher on a great earnings report last week, and impressively, followed through to the upside for a few days. Bad economic times seem to mean good news for Netflix, as an evening at home with a few DVDs is way easier on the budget than even a bargain matinee at the Cineplex.
"That's the message of Netflix' boffo quarterly results that came out on January 26. Earnings walloped analysts' estimates and more than twice the predicted number of new subscribers signed up.
Continue reading Netflix (NFLX): Benefiting from a bad economy
Posted Mar 24th 2008 3:39PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Stocks to Buy
"Although a slow-growing company, World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) offers a steady dividend close to 8%," says Harry Domash, editor of Winning Investing. Here's his "take down" on the stock.
"World Wrestling is the company behind the professional wrestling that you see on TV. It also produces live wrestling exhibitions worldwide, licenses its characters for merchandise and sells videos and DVDs showcasing its stars.
"WWE is a slow grower. Its yearly sales, currently running around $500 million, are only expected grow in the 5% to 10% range. However, WWE is very profitable, has plenty of cash in the bank, little
debt, and is generating more than $1 per share in excess cash annually.
"Even better, WWE seems eager to let its shareholders in on the action. In February, it hiked its quarterly dividend by 50% to $0.36 per share. We expect only modest share price appreciation. However, with a steady 8% or so dividend yield, WWE is a perfect holding for this turbulent market.
"WWE reported December quarter earnings of $0.30 per share, $0.13 above analysts' forecasts and 36% above year-ago. Sales rose 22% to $133 million. Buy to hold 6 to 12 months. Its next dividend payment -- $1.44 per share -- is expected in June for a yield of 7.9%."
Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers the latest market commentary and favorite investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.
Posted Dec 22nd 2006 2:30PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, ETF Investing
Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.
IMAX Corp. (NASDAQ: IMAX), which specializes in the development of high-end theater projection and sound systems, is the favorite speculative idea for 2007 from says Nathan Slaughter.
The editor of Half-Priced Stocks notes, "IMAX has been slammed by a 'perfect storm.' Within the span of a few months this year, the company has been battered by investor backlash due to a failed buyout, an informal SEC probe, a class-action lawsuit and, in November, sub-par quarterly results.
"While there is always a danger associated with 'trying to catch a falling knife,' the rewards significantly outweigh the risks at this point. Until fairly recently, IMAX movies were primarily a novelty found at museums, planetariums, and marine centers. But two major technological breakthroughs are bringing the IMAX experience to mainstream America.
"The first is its MPX technology, which allows commercial multiplex owners a cost-effective way to retrofit traditional 35-mm screens and convert them into IMAX theaters. Through the first nine months of 2006, IMAX inked 25 new deals. Further, its digital re-mastering technology that converts traditional 35-mm films into rich 70-mm IMAX format has led to a series of partnerships with major Hollywood studios like Disney and Time Warner, which are increasingly choosing to release blockbuster hits in IMAX theaters.
Continue reading Top Picks 2007: Nathan Slaughter views value in IMAX