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.

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.

Time Warner's (TWX) The Book of Eli did a commendable job of attempting to dethrone News Corp.'s (NWS) Avatar from the top spot. In the end, it failed. James Cameron has produced a hit that will simply not be stopped. At the time of this writing, early estimates from Box Office Mojo credited the picture with capturing another $41 million over the past weekend at domestic theaters. Avatar is closing in on $500 million, an accomplishment which makes you wonder if this is the wintertime or the summertime.

Eli came in second with $31 million. A reasonably good start for Time Warner considering the power of News Corp.'s new Titanic; word of mouth is now key to propelling the apocalyptic project into solid blockbuster status. The film reportedly has a budget of $80 million attached to it, so hopefully the worldwide gross will be stellar even if the domestic take falters.

Continue reading Time Warner's 'Eli' Not Holy Enough to Defeat News Corp.'s 'Avatar'

Time Warner's 'Eli' Not Holy Enough to Defeat News Corp.'s 'Avatar' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp.'s (NWS) Avatar is exploding like a blinding supernova at the box office. Although I have no interest in seeing it, I undoubtedly must be one of the only people on the planet who lacks the need to become immersed in the 3-D adventure. According to early estimates at Box Office Mojo, James Cameron's "titanic" cinematic beast scored another $68 million at domestic theaters over the New Year's weekend. Total so far: better than $350 million.

Time Warner's (TWX) take on a famous literary detective had to settle for second place yet again. Sherlock Holmes pulled in $38 million. Coming in third was the Alvin and the Chipmunks sequel, also released by News Corp. Indeed, there's no shortage of excitement at the multiplex.

Continue reading Should Studios Adopt the James Cameron Model of Moviemaking?

Should Studios Adopt the James Cameron Model of Moviemaking? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We all have wishes and resolutions ready for New Year's Eve. I'm eager to get a lot done in 2010, and I'm hoping for certain investment events to transpire. One of them involves Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF). I want the company to get its house in order and give me an excuse to take on some shares.

Without question, Lions Gate has been a profitable trading vehicle for some; for the rest, it's been fun to watch. At some point, though, I'd like to move from being a passive observer of the studio to one with a vested interest. That's because I think it'll be an excellent takeover play sometime in the future.

Continue reading A New Year's Resolution for Lions Gate Entertainment

A New Year's Resolution for Lions Gate Entertainment originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Shareholders of Time Warner (TWX) should be pretty happy this week. The media company's new film, The Blind Side, beat the latest Twilight picture. No, it won't make the stock go up, but I'm sure studio execs were excited by the fact that Blind Side held up well during its second weekend out in the marketplace.

According to early estimates over at Box Office Mojo, Blind Side grossed $20 million at domestic theaters while The Twilight Saga: New Moon, distributed by Summit Entertainment, made roughly $15 million. Obviously Time Warner benefited from the satiation of demand on New Moon, which has so far taken in over $250 million.

Continue reading Time Warner beats 'Twilight' while Lions Gate is on a wild ride

Time Warner beats 'Twilight' while Lions Gate is on a wild ride originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week, I discussed my disappointment with Disney's (DIS) A Christmas Carol. As a shareholder of the Mouse, I remain dissatisfied with the performance. However, this past weekend's theatrical take of the film makes me a little happier.

According to early estimates at Box Office Mojo, Carol scored about $22 million at domestic theaters, making it the second most popular film of the three-day period. Sure, it wasn't number one, but given the fact that Carol made $30 million last weekend, I'd say you have to give it some credit for avoiding a significant percentage drop. So far, it has generated more than $60 million in revenue.

Continue reading Disney's 'A Christmas Carol' didn't die off in second weekend

Disney's 'A Christmas Carol' didn't die off in second weekend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When I discussed Lions Gate Entertainment's (LGF) first-quarter results, I noted the disappointing statement of cash flows. Unfortunately, the company didn't do much better in the second quarter. For the six-month period, Lions Gate used over $160 million for operations compared to the roughly $40 million used in the similar frame one year ago.

Of course, cash flow doesn't always get the most coverage. Investors tend to get more excited by a swing to profitability. On that count, Lions Gate scored admirably, earning 26 cents per diluted share versus losing 44 cents per diluted share twelve months prior. Earnings.com indicates that analysts were really underestimating the Q2 income potential here: the call was for 6 cents per share.

Continue reading Lions Gate Entertainment: Still waiting for cash flow

Lions Gate Entertainment: Still waiting for cash flow originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I don't believe it. I never thought it could happen. Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) released Saw VI this past weekend. Surely the latest cinematic celebration of cruelty would be the number-one picture at domestic theaters, right? Saw is a big brand when it comes to torture movies. Jigsaw is a Freddy Krueger (and beyond) for the new generation. The teens would be out in full force to support all the latest traps and sequences of dismemberment and bloodletting for sure.

Well, Saw VI didn't come out on top. Instead, Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Paranormal Activity made the most money in the race for domination at the multiplex, scoring approximately $22 million according to early estimates from Box Office Mojo. The new Saw did come in second, though, so that was at least some consolation, correct?

Continue reading Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' plays Jigsaw's game -- and wins

Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' plays Jigsaw's game -- and wins originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) Where the Wild Things Are was number one over the past weekend at domestic theaters as of early estimates from Box Office Mojo. The film grossed well over $30 million. Coming in second was Law Abiding Citizen. If Wild Things wasn't in the market this weekend, that one definitely would have been tops at the multiplex. The revenge fest, from Liberty Capital Group's (NASDAQ: LCAPA) Overture Films, brought in $21 million.

Right on the heels of that project is the very cheaply made Paranormal Activity, courtesy of Viacom (NYSE: VIA). It made about $20 million. So far, Activity has generated over $30 million in total. And they say the little horror extravaganza cost less than $20,000 to produce!

Continue reading Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' continues to wow Hollywood

Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' continues to wow Hollywood originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) was tops at the multiplex yet again with a scary horror franchise that the teens seem to be enjoying. The Final Destination, according to Boxofficemojo, grossed $12 million at domestic theaters over the three-day weekend, as of early estimates available at the time of this writing. I'm sure Destination will retain its number-one status once Labor Day is figured into the equation.

All About Steve, from News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS), was the second-place film. It actually came close to Destination's take, bringing in about $11 million. Inglourious Basterds, distributed by The Weinstein Company, was third, and Gamer, an interesting sci-fi flick courtesy of Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), was fourth. Sony's (NYSE: SNE) District 9, which came in fifth, has now gone beyond $100 million in total take.

Continue reading Time Warner and Death rule box office again

Time Warner and Death rule box office again originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Monday, August 31, 2009, will go down as one strange trading day. Disney (NYSE: DIS) buys Marvel (NYSE: MVL). BloggingStocks reported the details of the deal here.

As a long-time shareholder of Disney, I have to ask: Does CEO Bob Iger know what the heck he's doing anymore? I thought the news was quite surreal. I suppose we all knew that Marvel would be a takeover target someday but, honestly, I thought some other media conglomerate, like maybe News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS), would do a deal before the Mouse would.

Continue reading Does the Disney/Marvel deal mean that CEO Bob Iger is out of ideas?

Does the Disney/Marvel deal mean that CEO Bob Iger is out of ideas? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Boy, was I wrong. I wasn't bullish on Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) as an earnings trade. Well, the stock closed higher by 8% on Monday, and shares rocketed another 15% in the after-hours session. It was an amazing sight.

The market loved the first-quarter report, obviously. Revenues increased 30%, helped in part by the TV Guide acquisition. Earnings per diluted share were 30 cents. That was ten times higher than the income reported one year ago. According to Reuters, the adjusted profit was 21 cents per share. Doesn't matter, it was still blazingly better than the loss Wall Street was expecting.

Continue reading Lions Gate reports Q1 profit, smashing estimates

Lions Gate reports Q1 profit, smashing estimates originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) is a stock I've been looking at for a long time. It often looked like a great trade. It actually was recently. On Monday, the stock closed at $6.26. That represented a great short-term rise.

I wish I had gone with my instincts and bought shares when they were below the $5 mark. But something always kept me from doing it. I was worried about the fundamental risk involved.

Continue reading Lions Gate's earnings: A horror story?

Lions Gate's earnings: A horror story? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, my friends, last week I discussed the better-than-expected box office results of Disney's (NYSE: DIS) Hannah Montana: The Movie. The project grossed well over $30 million in its opening weekend and ranked in first place. Looks like the half-life was short on this one.

According to Boxofficemojo, the early estimates for this past weekend place Montana in fourth place with roughly $12 million. This represents a huge dive of 60%. The film does not have any legs, let me tell you. Disney shareholders should be disappointed (I'm one, and I'm very disappointed).

Continue reading Hannah Montana film sees big drop in second weekend -- yes, the fad is over

Hannah Montana film sees big drop in second weekend -- yes, the fad is over originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

General Electric (NYSE: GE) shareholders have a little something to celebrate today. Fast & Furious, distributed by GE's Universal asset and starring Vin Diesel, came in first place over the weekend at domestic theaters according to Boxofficemojo.

The racing movie scored about $72 million as of early estimates, more than enough to secure the top spot. I know that such success won't do much for GE in terms of stock movement, but hey, as a GE shareholder myself, it's personally been a tough year with all the financial awfulness at GE Capital, so if one of GE's latest movies is a hit, I'll take it.

Continue reading General Electric speeds up the box office

General Electric speeds up the box office originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Don't tell me you haven't noticed the rise in value of shares of World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE). The recent rally in the stock is supremely impressive. The shares closed on Thursday at $12.08. The 52-week low of $8.76 was made back in November of last year. If you look at a one-month chart, you'll see that it's been nothing but straight-up action.

Yes, my friends, the stock is Hulking up! (I love it when Hulk Hogan does that routine.) Of course, by the time this is published, maybe the shares will have experienced a sell-off, but for now, the shares are hot.

Continue reading World Wrestling Entertainment's stock has been hot - is John Cena responsible?

World Wrestling Entertainment's stock has been hot - is John Cena responsible? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) won the box-office battle this past weekend. I have no idea what Watchmen is all about, except that there's a collection of superheroes and some sort of mutant blue dude in it, but I do know that it grossed around $55 million at domestic theaters, according to early estimates at Boxofficemojo.

For a rated-R mainstream pic that is over two and a half hours long, that isn't too bad. If it had been shorter and a little more open to younger demographics with a PG-13 rating, it probably would have taken in even more revenue. Come on, guys, think next time! Go for profit maximization.

Continue reading Time Warner's 'Watchmen' takes over the box office while Jonas Brothers tank

Time Warner's 'Watchmen' takes over the box office while Jonas Brothers tank originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:50:00 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.