BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Why I am not wasting a baby sitter on <i>Harry Potter</i>]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/12/why-am-i-not-wasting-a-baby-sitter-on-harry-potter/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/12/why-am-i-not-wasting-a-baby-sitter-on-harry-potter/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/12/why-am-i-not-wasting-a-baby-sitter-on-harry-potter/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Maybe at 39, I am too old and cynical to fall under the spell of Harry Potter. Maybe my nine-month-old son will one day become a fan of the teenage wizard. Until then, I shall avoid all Potter books and movies even though I am one of the few people on the planet to do so.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the latest chapter in the J.K. Rowling franchise, grossed $44.8 million yesterday, the biggest Wednesday ever, according to Reuters. That's good news, of course, for Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), the film's producer and distributor.

The movie even got a backhanded compliment from A.O. Scott of the New York Times who wrote; "Although Order of the Phoenix is not a great movie, it is a pretty good one, in part because it does not strain to overwhelm the audience with noise and sensation."

But investors shouldn't buy shares of the New York-based media company just because of one hit movie. Remember that blockbuster movies are extremely expensive to produce, though the power of Potter continues to amaze me.

Since 2001, the Potter saga movies have generated $3.5 billion in ticket sales. What they haven't done though, is reverse the decline in reading, the Times also notes.

There are some things beyond the powers of the greatest wizards.

More Harry Potter news

Tom Barlow: The Harry Potter Finance Quiz
Gary E. Sattler: New York Times bestseller list leaves Harry Potter out
Tom Barlow: Harry Potter ending: A water cooler cheat sheet
Zac Bissonnette: With Harry Potter done, is it time for Scholastic to sell itself?
Tom Barlow: Rowling safeguards Potter empire
Zac Bissonnette: Is the last book the end of Potter mania?
Tom Barlow: Harry Potter and the Pots of Gold
Barry Summerlin: Harry Potter doesn't even need Muggle marketing
Julie Tilsner: Not even Harry can save bookstores from their fate
Peter Cohan: Harry Potter and the Pot of Gold
Tom Barlow: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Will Rowling kill off Harry?

Gallery: Everybody loves Harry Potter

Millions of loyal readersThe science???Would Harry Potter have sold off plastics?All Harry in your earHarry's knottiest problems

Why I am not wasting a baby sitter on Harry Potter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>box officeBoxOfficefilmharry potterharry potter booksharry potter moviesHarryPotterHarryPotterBooksHarryPotterMoviesjk rowlingJkRowlingmoviestwxThu, 12 Jul 2007 18:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Boy wizard to magically lift Scholastic shares again?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/12/22/boy-wizard-to-magically-lift-scholastic-shares-again/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/12/22/boy-wizard-to-magically-lift-scholastic-shares-again/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/12/22/boy-wizard-to-magically-lift-scholastic-shares-again/#commentsFiled under: , ,

His name is starting to pop up again. A year and a half after the release of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," Harry Potter is returning to the scene. Trailers for his latest movie, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," have begun popping up on the internet, and just yesterday, author J.K. Rowling announced the title to the seventh and last of the Harry Potter books - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

All of the Harry Potter books have been released in the summer (between June and September), and with the title to the seventh installment being announced now, it looks as if the "Deathly Hallows" is likely to hit bookstore shelves in the summer of 2007.

Since the explosion in popularity of Harry Potter, the release of the books has catalyzed Scholastic's (NASDAQ:SCHL) shares; In the three months prior to the release of the last three books, Scholastic shares have risen ~30%, ~25% and ~7%, respectively. The shares have then tailed off each time, creating a release-based cycle. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the final episode in this seven-book series, should boost the publisher's stock in similar fashion.

Boy wizard to magically lift Scholastic shares again? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Dec 2006 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deathly hallowsDeathlyHallowsharry potterHarryPotterj.k. rowlingJ.k.Rowlingjk rowlingJkRowlingschlscholasticFri, 22 Dec 2006 10:36:00 EST