It's wabbit season!

There's only good news for Playboy (PLA) when someone expresses an interest in buying it. Shares of the ailing men's lifestyle company shot higher on Thursday when word got out that Iconix is interested in acquiring it. Iconix owns and licenses brands to manufacturers and counts Candie's and London Fog among its holdings. A deal isn't a sure thing, but Playboy now has something it hasn't in a while: hope.

Iconix has been looking to acquire more brands. And Playboy has been looking for a knight in shining armor (and with a hefty war chest in tow) since at least June, when Scott Flanders took the helm. But it looked like acquisition bait well before then, thanks to a rough financial situation.

Continue reading Iconix sets its sights on Playboy

Iconix sets its sights on Playboy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On a reported basis, Playboy said it lost $0.41 per share. If you strip out charges, you get a loss of $0.15 per share. This number was a few cents better than the expectations of analysts according to this source. Be that as it may, they certainly don't meet my expectations. The adjusted loss is essentially the same as last year's number. I suppose we have to give the interim CEO Jerome Kern a chance. As you'll recall, Christie Hefner finally gave up her throne earlier in the year (thankfully).

Continue reading Playboy's Q1 needs to be airbrushed

Playboy's Q1 needs to be airbrushed originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 May 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Playboy says it would consider a sale

Playboy says it would consider a sale originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Christie Hefner's reign of terror comes to an end originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's being reported that Playboy's (NYSE: PLA) Hugh Hefner's relationship with Holly Madison is over. Madison, as you probably know, was Hefner's head girlfriend, but he has two others as well: Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquadt. The four of them star in a reality show called The Girls Next Door, which runs on the E! channel. It's a pretty fun show, although it does make me maddeningly envious of Hef's lifestyle. That aside, it seems to be a decent brand ambassador for the Playboy image. Unfortunately, the popularity of the show hasn't been enough to offset losses at the media company. Playboy's stock currently sits below $3 a share. It is the exact opposite of one of Hef's playmates: downright depressingly ugly.

Well, I can't really comment as to how the Hefner/Madison affair will turn out. Will she go back with him? Is this just a publicity stunt? I simply don't know. However, I would imagine that, with Playboy's stock in the dumps, a breakup might be an event that could be exploited to help out the company. Let's face it: the whole three-girlfriend thing is pretty much an orchestrated machine anyway. So, if Madison truly does feel like she's ready to move on with her career, I think Hef should clean house and get rid of the other two girls as well. Then, he could go on a search for three new girls next door (or maybe he should search for more, why stop at just three?). It could be an integrated media campaign spanning the magazine, the website, and a new reality show.

Continue reading Will Hefner's split with one of the girls help Playboy's stock?

Will Hefner's split with one of the girls help Playboy's stock? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: PLA) may not be doing so well, but it's still one of my favorite companies -- I'm a guy, so this makes sense. The company reported Q4 and full-year earnings today -- losses have widened, and I'm sure not a few investors out there are questioning the value of the brand.

Total net revenues saw a slight decline for the quarter, coming in at roughly $86 million. The company lost 3 cents per share on these revenues; in the previous year's quarter, Playboy actually booked a much more pulchritudinous 11 cents per share of positive net income. For the year, total net revenues didn't jump like a bunny -- $340 million versus $331 million. Net income, however, was much better, doubling to 15 cents per share. The company's year-end results benefited from a decline in interest expense, income tax obligations, and other costs. Sales of artwork were also cited by CEO Christie Hefner in the release.

The licensing operations are performing, but domestic TV and publishing are very weak. In fact, it is the publishing segment that really needs attention. It's been needing attention for a long time now -- for the year, subscription sales were down, newsstand sales were down, and advertising revenues rose by the smallest bit.

Long-term, I still have hope for Hugh Hefner's Playboy. It is an American icon, and its logo continues to propel licensing; plus, the company does have a nice presence in Vegas at the Palms Casino Resort. As Jonathan Berr reported back in November, you may want to remember that sex does indeed sell, and one has to assume that Playboy will be supplying that demand for years to come.

Playboy needs to get sexy again originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Playboy posts strong earnings, attracts hedge fund interest

Playboy posts strong earnings, attracts hedge fund interest originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.