Lionsgate Entertainment (LGF) posted results for the fiscal third quarter earlier in the week. I would like to be bullish on the numbers, but I realize such emotion isn't in the cards after reading through the press release.

Maybe I should be at least a little considerate about the Q3 loss of 4 cents per share; last year at this time, the loss was 55 cents per share. Problem is, the loss for the nine-month period is 77 cents per share versus a profit of 2 cents per share in the comparable frame. Perhaps I should just focus on the quarter, but I couldn't help noticing what was going on over the longer term. Besides, who wants to see red ink, especially when, according to TheFly, execs couldn't beat Wall Street's expectations?

Continue reading Lionsgate Entertainment's Q3: Hollywood Is a Challenging Game

Lionsgate Entertainment's Q3: Hollywood Is a Challenging Game originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you are looking for clues telling you which stocks have a good chance of increasing in value, you might want consider watching what insiders are doing. After all, talk is cheap, but when insiders put their own money on the line, you should sit up and take note.

Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending Jan. 14 as insiders snapped up 819,823 shares of company stock at a market value of $5,328,850. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 35.40% and now own 2.94% of LGF stock.

Continue reading Insiders Snapping Up Lions Gate, JW Mays and More

Insiders Snapping Up Lions Gate, JW Mays and More originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Market Down on DreamWorks Animation After 'Megamind' Debut

Market Down on DreamWorks Animation After 'Megamind' Debut originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A year ago, a fierce battle was being waged between two Hollywood studios for the dominance of the Halloween movie marketplace. Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF) was high on its latest gory sequel, Saw VI, while Viacom (VIA.B) was pinning its hopes on a low-budget film entitled Paranormal Activity. It was something of a David-and-Goliath situation; certainly the bloody brand equity of the Saw franchise could not be bested by some goofy found-footage-themed piece of celluloid?

Haven't the Goliaths of this world learned anything? Saw VI ended up the loser of the competition. I was amazed. Lions Gate, however, wanted to give it another shot. So, Saw 3D, which supposedly may be the final one of the series (yeah, we'll see), declared war on the sequel to Viacom's demon tale, Paranormal Activity 2, this past weekend; Jigsaw apparently is out for a little revenge.

Continue reading Saw 3D: Final Attempt Does the Trick for Lions Gate

Saw 3D: Final Attempt Does the Trick for Lions Gate originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Viacom Dominates Theaters with 'Paranormal Activity 2'

Viacom Dominates Theaters with 'Paranormal Activity 2' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I have to admit, I didn't notice until late this week that World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) Legendary film, which opened yesterday, was some sort of drama. Maybe I was aware of it, somewhere in the back of my mind, but honestly, I've suddenly been hit by the notion that WWE's celluloid division made one heck of a strange business decision in green lighting the project.

Let me say upfront that I have not seen the movie. But I've read several reviews, such as the one in the Los Angeles Times. They don't make me want to see the flick.

Continue reading WWE's 'Legendary': An Odd Choice for a Movie Strategy

WWE's 'Legendary': An Odd Choice for a Movie Strategy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 11 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lionsgate (LGF) needed The Expendables to be a hit, as I noted last week. And management scored on that count. According to early estimates for domestic theatrical performance at Box Office Mojo, the movie nabbed first place with $35 million over the three-day weekend.

Coming in a strong second was Sony's (SNE) Eat Pray Love, which had a ton of buzz surrounding it going into its debut, capturing $23 million. Not bad.

Continue reading Lionsgate Scores Victory with 'Expendables'

Lionsgate Scores Victory with 'Expendables' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lionsgate Entertainment (LGF) is hoping it can dominate the upcoming weekend box-office race. And if it can't dominate, then it at least wants to come as close to dominating as possible.

The bottom line: it can't put in a mediocre performance -- and it most definitely cannot fail. It will release a movie this Friday called The Expendables. As the Los Angeles Times makes clear, it's a pretty important event for the studio.

Continue reading Lionsgate Needs 'The Expendables' to Be a Hit

Lionsgate Needs 'The Expendables' to Be a Hit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you are looking for clues telling you which stocks have a good chance of increasing in value, you might want consider watching what insiders are doing. After all, talk is cheap, but when insiders put their own money on the line, you should sit up and take note.

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending July 2 as insiders snapped up 7,071,774 shares of company stock at a market value of $49,502,418. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 15.84% and now own 7.71% of LGF stock.

Continue reading Insiders Snapping Up Lions Gate, Saul Centers

Insiders Snapping Up Lions Gate, Saul Centers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF) was downgraded to a hold rating this week, according to our Analyst Calls piece. It's no longer a buy, says Jefferies, because Carl Icahn's tender offer is now expired.

If you ask me, I'd say it was the right call. I don't think the stock is currently appropriate for most investors simply because the whole struggle between Icahn and management leaves little clarity to the situation. Traders and arbitrage players are probably having a field day, but smaller participants would be entering a highly speculative scenario at this point.

Continue reading Lions Gate's Downgrade: The Right Call

Lions Gate's Downgrade: The Right Call originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading 'Shrek' Surprises in Third Weekend

'Shrek' Surprises in Third Weekend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Lions Gate Produces Another Fiscal-Year Loss

Lions Gate Produces Another Fiscal-Year Loss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What an interesting weekend at the box office. There was a lot to watch for those who invest in the media sector. Let's have a look at what went on.

First, Time Warner Inc. (TWX) scored with Clash of the Titans. I think most observers were expecting this one to reign supreme. According to estimates available at the time of this writing over at Box Office Mojo, Titans made over $60 million in the domestic marketplace. Shareholders are hoping that this will be the start of another good run for the studio. As you'll probably recall, Time Warner was very successful in the celluloid game during 2009.

Continue reading Time Warner and Lions Gate Clash at Box Office

Time Warner and Lions Gate Clash at Box Office originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, it's finally happened. Someone wants to buy Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF). However, it's not the head of a big media conglomerate who has an eye on the movie studio. Instead, it's famed activist investor Carl Icahn.

Of course, I'm sure you know all that by now. How can anyone have missed the drama surrounding the situation? There are a ton of news reports out there covering the topic, so let me simply bring you up to date with a link to an open letter from Icahn to Lions Gate, and a link to management's response. It makes for wonderful reading.

Continue reading The Lions Gate Situation Is Getting Interesting

The Lions Gate Situation Is Getting Interesting originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Lion's Gate Buoyed By Hostile Icahn Bid

Lion's Gate Buoyed By Hostile Icahn Bid originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We all have our watch lists. I'm no different. Here are four companies that I monitor almost every single day, and a brief opinion on each of them.

Activision Blizzard (ATVI): I sold this one back in January. Some believe I was wrong to do so. I definitely comprehend the sentiment, because really, this is the best publisher in the sector. Compared to Electronic Arts (ERTS) and Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), Activision Blizzard has an enviable pipeline. Unfortunately, the video-game industry isn't firing on all cylinders; check out the most recent monthly-sales report, and you'll see what I mean. In addition, the company's Guitar Hero franchise isn't the fad it once was. I do want to get in on the stock again, though; lately, the price seems to be perking up. I'm not ready to send in the buy order just yet. I'm waiting for further strength to materialize in the shares.

Continue reading Stocks on My Watch List: ATVI, LGF, NTDOY, WWE

Stocks on My Watch List: ATVI, LGF, NTDOY, WWE originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF), a content studio operating in the same industry as The Walt Disney Company (DIS), Sony Corporation (SNE), Time Warner Inc. (TWX), and Viacom, Inc. (VIA), released third-quarter results to the market on Tuesday after the bell. The numbers weren't spectacular, but there were some definite improvements.

Lions Gate lost 55 cents per diluted share in Q3. According to my earnings preview, Wall Street was hoping for a loss closer to 23 cents. On the bright side, the company lost 84 cents per share in last year's report, so at least execs stopped the red ink from getting any redder.

Continue reading Lions Gate Reduces Loss, Increases Cash Flow in Q3

Lions Gate Reduces Loss, Increases Cash Flow in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I love the media sector, so Tuesday, February 9, will be an exciting day for me. After the market finishes its trading activities, we'll get reports from two entertainment companies: one's a big player in Hollywood, while the other would like to be just as big someday.

Let's start with the big gun. The Walt Disney Corporation (DIS) has first-quarter numbers all set to go, and investors are hoping for an unambiguous beat on the bottom line. The call is for net income to fall somewhere around 39 cents per share, according to Earnings.com. Kind of lousy, considering the Mouse made 41 cents per share in last year's Q1.

Continue reading Media Preview: Disney and Lions Gate to Report

Media Preview: Disney and Lions Gate to Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We all knew News Corp.'s (NWS) Avatar would cede the top spot to some film someday. To be honest, I didn't think Sony's (SNE) Dear John would be the one to do it.

According to Box Office Mojo, John grossed roughly $32 million at domestic theaters. That was more than enough to put the sci-fi flick in second place. However, no one should feel sad for News Corp.; Avatar's worldwide haul now stands at over $2.2 billion.

Continue reading Should 'Avatar' Be Rushed to DVD Now That It Is in Second Place?

Should 'Avatar' Be Rushed to DVD Now That It Is in Second Place? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) hasn't fully succeeded with its film model. The company's slate has yet to produce a bona fide hit yet. Because of this, management has decided to change the strategy governing the operations of the WWE Studios asset.

WWE has elected to take over the marketing/distribution chores for its movies, ditching previous partners Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF) and News Corp. (NWS) in the process, as this article at Variety indicates. However, there's an even bigger change that all shareholders should focus on.

Continue reading World Wrestling Entertainment Is Serious About Movies

World Wrestling Entertainment Is Serious About Movies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.