Continue reading Wal-Mart, Miley Cyrus join forces for clothing line

Wal-Mart, Miley Cyrus join forces for clothing line originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm always looking for a catalyst that is going to take Disney (NYSE: DIS) to the next level. The stock hasn't been a great performer over time. Just today, the Mouse issued a press release detailing its latest merchandising plans.

Merchandising falls under the consumer products division. Now, one would expect that this segment would always be rocking considering the brand equity inherent in all of Disney's intellectual properties. Well, let's remind ourselves of how the segment did during the last earnings report. In the second quarter, operating income for consumer products dipped 24%. For the six-month period, operating income was down by 13%. Double-digit declines: nobody likes them. Management commentary about the division specifically stated that lower royalty revenue from merchandise helped to drive the performance. As can be seen, Disney needs some good ideas and strategies to return this segment to growth.

Continue reading Can Disney license its way to a stock rebound?

Can Disney license its way to a stock rebound? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So, Disney (NYSE: DIS) shareholders are bracing themselves for another big weekend at the box office. Remember when we were bracing ourselves for the release of the Jonas Brothers concert film? Yeah, that failure. I certainly hope Miley Cyrus does a lot better with her project.

But I have my doubts. Hannah Montana: The Movie opened Friday at over 3,100 domestic theaters. I just don't feel the kind of buzz I had hoped to be feeling at this point surrounding the movie. I don't have the sensation that I've been inundated by the feature's brand equity.

Then again, I'm not the target demographic. Perhaps Disney is reaching all tweens as we speak via the platforms that they frequent and I'm just not aware of it. Tough to tell. Nevertheless, I've seen some of the commercials, and they don't seem overwhelmingly exciting.

Continue reading Is Disney's Hannah Montana movie going to fail this weekend?

Is Disney's Hannah Montana movie going to fail this weekend? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This was a big weekend for me. Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience was released in over 1,200 theaters. No, I had no plans to see the movie at my local IMAX (NASDAQ: IMAX) auditorium. The reason I was so excited is because I own shares of Disney (NYSE: DIS). And I was praying that the film would firmly cement the Jonas Brothers in the collective consciousness of tweens across the globe.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. In fact, the Jonas movie failed at the domestic box office. Don't even try to spin it. According to Boxofficemojo, the film came in second place with a little under $13 million (keep in mind I am working off estimates, final figures will be released later). Lions Gate Entertainment's (NYSE: LGF) latest Tyler Perry project, Madea Goes to Jail, was number one again for the second week in a row, grossing about $16 million. This is really, really disappointing.

Continue reading The Jonas Brothers fail at the box office -- will they survive?

The Jonas Brothers fail at the box office -- will they survive? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ: JAKK), a toy maker which competes with Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) and Mattel (NYSE: MAT), did not have a merry Christmas. In that regard, it's no different than the competition. Times are tough, and since toys are not a necessity, it's no wonder that earnings for JAKKS Pacific missed Q4 estimates by a rather significant amount. Net sales dipped by over 5%, and net income dropped 47% to $0.55 per share according to the earnings release. The call was for $1.02 per share. Did I say estimates missed by a rather significant amount? I didn't realize that I was in the mood for understatement.

Continue reading JAKKS Pacific found no Christmas magic in Q4

JAKKS Pacific found no Christmas magic in Q4 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Whoa, what a terrible quarter for Disney (NYSE: DIS)! Forget the magic. There's no magic going on at Disney. For the fiscal first quarter, revenues decreased 8%, earnings per share decreased 29%, operational cash flow decreased 60%, and free cash flow was negative. Decrease, decrease, decrease! Looks like Disney's brands cannot fend off a recession, no question. Sorry, Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana.

Disney, which competes with Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), CBS (NYSE: CBS), Viacom (NYSE: VIA), News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) and General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal, earned, after taking out a $0.04 per-share benefit from an investment sale, $0.41 per share. According to my earnings preview, the call was for around $0.52 per share. Well, I thought the Mouse was going to miss, but I think I characterized the potential miss as maybe being on the "slight" side. Yeah, this wasn't a slight miss.

Continue reading The Mouse is caught in recession trap: Should you sell Disney?

The Mouse is caught in recession trap: Should you sell Disney? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I was reading an article from Fortune yesterday about Disney (NYSE: DIS) and Bob Iger. When I got to the end of it, I had the biggest feeling of deja vu that I had ever experienced. Yes, I had heard it all before.

You've heard it all before, too, I'm willing to bet. Here's the basic gist of the piece: Bob Iger knows what he's doing. He's a genius. He's a creative powerhouse, a business wunderkind, a man who has studied the Disney brand, knows it inside and out, and is capable of leveraging that brand over multiple platforms to create immense economic value for shareholders. You know the examples,: you've got your Jonas Brothers, your Miley Cyrus, your Zac Efron and the whole High School Musical gang migrating from Disney Channel to concert stages to DVD releases to the silver Iger was the prescient exec who realized that Pixar should be acquired (take that, Michael Eisner!).

Only problem is, none of this seems to be working. I base this statement on the fact that Disney really hasn't broken out of a really long-term range. I honestly have to wonder if shareholders will ever see Disney at better than $50 per share in their lifetime. I can't be the only one wondering this. That's why I get a little annoyed when I read puff pieces like this one on Iger. Is he really that much of a visionary? And is he doing anything that original? Did he invent the concept of synergy? As far as I know, he did not. One of the main points of the article centered on the major franchises that Disney has going for it. Just once, I'd love to hear about Disney's plans to take one of its existing Disney Channel properties that has not hit franchise status and turn it into the next Hannah Montana phenomenon. To be fair, there may have been a few articles here and there on the subject, but none have studied it to my satisfaction, certainly.

Continue reading Can Bob Iger really turn Disney's stock around?

Can Bob Iger really turn Disney's stock around? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As a Disney (NYSE: DIS) shareholder, the High School Musical juggernaut is important to me. It means money for the company. It means a point of distinction for Disney that adds value to its content and differentiates it from other media businesses such as News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) and Time Warner (NYSE: TWX). It means that tweens have something realistic to relate to that reflects their own days of breaking out in song while walking through school (okay, that was a joke).

But I was disappointed to hear that a reality show extension of the brand is having a tough time in the ratings. According to this blog post at The Hollywood Reporter, the show, called High School Musical: Get in the Picture, had the worst ratings on Monday night. It's some sort of competition show with a prize related to being in some sort of video in the Musical franchise.

I'm not sure of the specifics, but my main concern is that it couldn't offer any competition to CBS (NYSE: CBS) or General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC. Remember, Disney's big model is to take its content and spread it around to enhance the value of the company's other platforms. It's all about the synergy. Unfortunately, it didn't work this time. I honestly thought that ABC would have seen huge numbers from the kids on this one. It makes me wonder if Musical might be getting long in the tooth.

Continue reading Is Disney's 'High School Musical' fad fading?

Is Disney's 'High School Musical' fad fading? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's good news and bad news for shareholders of Disney (NYSE: DIS). The good news, according to data published in this Hollywood Reporter article, is that the latest Disney Channel movie, Camp Rock, achieved better ratings than the first High School Musical movie. Rock attracted 8.9 million eyeballs while the first Musical brought in about 7.7 million viewers. The bad news is that Rock unfortunately couldn't match the success of the second Musical project, which captured the attention of over 17 million viewers.

This movie is extremely important. Disney execs want to find out if they truly know the formula for creating new fads for the kids. This is definitely a strong start, although I thought the movie's ratings might come a little closer to the second Musical film since all we've been hearing about lately is how hot the Jonas Brothers act is right now. It at least should have brought in over 10 million viewers.

I don't know, maybe it's me, but I just don't feel the same kind of buzz for this project as I do for the Musical franchise. Here comes the interesting part: Can Disney grow the movie from here? That will depend on how fickle the Disney Channel audience actually is. Don't fool yourself, the powers that be at Disney are under pressure to form a suitable pipeline of intellectual properties to replace the aging Musical and Hannah Montana brands. Make no mistake, they are aging quickly, as these kinds of things don't have terribly high half-lives.

Shareholders will want to see the Jonas Brothers and Camp Rock really grow into a merchandising phenomenon in the coming months. No matter what, though, the cable channel is a great asset, and it is a strong competitor of Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Nickelodeon network.

Disclosure: I own Disney; positions can change at any time.

Will Disney's 'Camp Rock' be another 'High School Musical?' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Disney (NYSE: DIS) needs more and more very young stars to appeal to the teenage demographic. Its ability to deliver this group to advertisers is critical to the company's success.

Disney recently signed 15-year old Demi Lovato to a new record deal. According to The Wall Street Journal, "For Disney, there are few more crucial tasks than finding and developing talent that appeals to 8- to 12-year-olds." The company already has big teen sensation Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana.

With all of the money being made from the TV shows, records and movies using these youngsters as talent, perhaps no one is pausing to ask whether it is good for a 15-year-old to be taken out of a fairly normal family and childhood to be paraded around the world so that Disney can make money. Although no one keeps statistics on this, it seems that these kid are more likely to have drinking, drug and personality problems within a few years of when they become extraordinarily famous.

But they are used up then, and are not of any use to Disney. So, who cares?

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Disney (DIS) and the child labor laws originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Merchandise sales based on characters and intellectual properties owned by companies such as Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), which licenses heroes such as Batman, and Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Nickelodeon, which has had great success with SpongeBob SquarePants, don't compare.

The article rightfully reminds readers that the total amount generated in retail sales is only an indication of how seemingly popular a company's brands are in the marketplace. It does not point to the amount of revenues or profit a company books on the sales (Disney will only receive a small percentage of those sales, perhaps between 5% and 15%).

The important thing I take away from this as a shareholder is that Disney is doing a reasonably good job of milking its franchises. As one might expect, the usual suspects were cited as drivers: Hannah Montana, High School Musical, the Jonas Brothers music project, and Disney Princesses are doing the heavy lifting for Disney's consumer-products division, along with a property that continues to surprise me: Cars. Amazing that the latter remains a popular seller in the boys category.

Continue reading Disney is a licensing king

Disney is a licensing king originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Great timing! Crocs hitches its wagon to Miley Cyrus originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Toymaker JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ: JAKK) lost the expectations game earlier this week, my friend. Wall Street was looking for more in terms of earnings per share than the company was apparently able to deliver. Was JAKKS playing around too much these last three months? Who knows -- this business can certainly be fickle, after all.

For the first quarter, JAKKS saw its revenues increase over 5% to nearly $131 million. Earnings per diluted share came in at $0.03 if you take into account litigation expenses, restructuring charges, etc. On an adjusted basis, JAKKS earned $0.13 per share, compared to a year-ago adjusted earnings of $0.14 per share. According to Briefing.com, this was $0.06 less than what the Street wanted.

JAKKS, which competes with Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) and Mattel (NYSE: MAT), didn't have a great quarter, it's true. But I've always found this company and stock to be an interesting one, as it seems to do well over time with its various licensed products, such as merchandise based on some Disney (NYSE: DIS) brands, including Hannah Montana, and toys based on Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Nickelodeon channel.

Whenever the stock is on a pullback, it always catches my attention (although, I should point out, I have never owned it). In addition, the balance sheet appears to be in good shape: there's a nice amount of cash and cash equivalents at $238 million, long-term debt has remained stable, and the accounts receivable line is down.

JAKKS is still forecasting $2.91 per diluted share for the current fiscal year. Given the share price as of this writing, the P/E ratio on the stock remains compelling.

Disclosure: I own shares of Disney; positions can change at any time.

JAKKS Pacific loses expectations game, but is it still reasonably priced? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ: JAKK) didn't toy around during the holiday quarter -- it got serious and delivered some solid growth. For the fourth quarter, JAKKS increased its top line by nearly 20% to $285.1 million. Earnings per diluted share jumped 45% to $1.06.

The company cited various members of its toy portfolio as drivers for the Q4 season, including those joystick videogames that you plug directly into the TV -- you've got to admit, those are pretty fun, especially the one with Galaxian. Also, the company mentioned that items based on Disney (NYSE: DIS) properties turned out to be big helpers during Christmas. And, yes, they had to mention Hannah Montana -- they have a plug-and-play joystick title based on the pop princess. Sure, she's a fad, but she's still going strong for now.

JAKKS may play in the highly competitive world of toys, but it's definitely doing all right, even as it fights it out in the trenches with biggies Mattel (NYSE: MAT) and Hasbro (NYSE: HAS). It focuses on building little unique niches for itself, and it knows how to effectively work the licensing game; in addition to Disney stuff, JAKKS makes products based on Viacom's (NASDAQ: VIA) Nickelodeon characters and Neopets universe. The stock doesn't look too expensive here, so it's worth a look if you are looking to gain some exposure to retail toys, although I'd probably keep it on a watch list in anticipation of a pullback.

Disclosure: Steven Mallas owns shares in Disney.

JAKKS Pacific had a merry holiday season originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

'Fool's Gold' takes number-one spot at the box office originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) had a great weekend -- a lot better than Tom Brady et al.'s weekend, to be sure. I don't care about football, but I do care about Disney, since I am long the stock. Its Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds concert film grossed about $29 million for the three-day frame. Not too shabby.

I liked the original concept for the release of this film: get in and out, quick and dirty, with a one-week release schedule. Of course, I knew in my gut that, if successful, the run would be extended (I think everyone's gut probably told them the same thing). According to reports, the film will be allowed an extra week of play.

As a Disney shareholder, I obviously want profits maximized to the fullest extent conceivable. But, I wish Disney acted a bit edgier with this one. The company should have released it just for one weekend, taken in the dough (I presume this was a pretty low-budget affair), and then dumped the film on DVD and pay-per-view immediately on Monday. It is time to find out once and for all if near day-and-date release patterns truly can work for major projects. Remember, there's been a lot of buzz in recent years about cutting costs by simultaneously releasing movies to multiple platforms; I think this would have been a great test case for the media industry.

Should the Hannah film be extended? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Associated Press reports that tests on 1,200 children's products -- most of which are available for sale -- revealed that 35% contain more lead than allowed by federal recall standards used for lead paint. Lead poisoning can cause irreversible learning disabilities and behavioral problems and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death

Of the toys tested from the shelves of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us, here are three that had particularly high lead levels:

• A Hannah Montana card game case,
• a Go Diego Go! backpack; and
• Circo brand shoes.

Continue reading Will Wal-Mart-sold Hannah Montana brand lead paint poison your children?

Will Wal-Mart-sold Hannah Montana brand lead paint poison your children? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hannah Montana costumes a big 'hit'

Hannah Montana costumes a big 'hit' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Concert ticket opportunists crash the party before it begins

Concert ticket opportunists crash the party before it begins originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It doesn't seem that long ago that Hilary Duff was The The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) Channel's shining -- well more like blinding -- star. Hilary had it all: talent, looks, and an innocence that emanates only from Disney Channel stars. But once Duff's 65-episode Disney series Lizzie McGuire peaked in 2001, she went on to other things, including a 2003 album that reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (the project sold 3.7 million copies), an Elizabeth Arden fragrance, a clothing line, and another album that debuted earlier this year. What that meant for Disney was that Hilary was out. It didn't take long for someone else to move in -- Miley Cyrus.

You're probably wondering why that name sounds so familiar. Well, it's because Miley Cyrus is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, best known for his top 40 hit "Achy Breaky Heart." Not only are both father and daughter singers, but they are also actors and show off both of their talents, together, on Disney Channel's new hit show Hannah Montana. The show premiered with 5.5 million viewers and 2.3 million tweens (kids 9-14) and became basic cable's top series in the tween demo in its first seven weeks. On the show, Miley plays a teenager trying to lead a normal life while hiding her secret, alter-ego rock star persona Hannah Montana from her classmates. Billy Ray plays her father (you can't get anymore true-to-life than that).

How are Miley and Hannah doing? According to Fortune, "The Disney Channel Hannah Montana series hasn't just been a huge hit with kids and 'tweens; it's become a ubiquitous franchise." The 2006 Hannah Montana soundtrack entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 and has gone double platinum, with 2.2 million copies sold since October. Hannah clothes are already the No. 1 tween brand at Macy's, and her new double-CD set that serves as a soundtrack and showcase for the actress, Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, has outsold American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson's new album, both released June 26, by 34,000 copies.

As if that isn't enough for a 14-year-old, Miley's The Best of Both Worlds tour kicks off October 18 and features songs that showcase Miley Cyrus as an artist as well as Hannah Montana. This best of both worlds concept seems to be a smart move for a budding star, since she is establishing her career as a solo artist (Miley Cyrus) as well as a Disney star (Hannah Montana). In a few years, she may be able to drop the whole Hannah persona and continue a singer/actress career as Miley. But for the time being, It makes you wonder if there will be any room in toy and department stores for anything without the Hannah brand-stamp come holidays. Looks like Disney Channel has become nothing more than Miley's kingdom.

Will Miley Cyrus last as Disney's (DIS) new teen queen? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.