CBS (CBS), the famous broadcaster whose competitors include Disney (DIS), General Electric's (GE) NBC Universal, and News Corp. (NWS), reported Q1 earnings after the bell on Wednesday. This afternoon, the stock is firmly in the red: at the time of this writing, shares were down over 4% to $14.93. Below $15, can you believe it? Volume is very strong with more than two hours to go before the close of regular activities, so by the time this is published, volume might end up being quite impressive.

The 52-week high on the stock is $16.98. The market has been discounting better times ahead for the company, as the following one-year chart seems to indicate.

Continue reading CBS: Better Income, Cash Flow in Q1

CBS: Better Income, Cash Flow in Q1 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 May 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp. (NWS), a media conglomerate whose colleagues include CBS (CBS), Disney (DIS), General Electric's (GE) NBC Universal, Time Warner (TWX), and Viacom (VIA), issued its Q3 report Tuesday after the bell. I thought things looked pretty good.

Net sales increased 19%, and net income calculated out to 32 cents per share; Bloomberg Businessweek says the expectation was for around 23 cents per share of profit. Very cool. If you reference the actual press release, you'll see that just about all the operating segments performed extremely well on a year-over-year basis.

Continue reading News Corp.'s Q3: Good Enough to Buy?

News Corp.'s Q3: Good Enough to Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 May 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DreamWorks Animation (DWA), a cartoon studio that competes with Disney (DIS), News Corp. (NWS), and others, saw its stock sold off during Wednesday's market session. Wall Street was not excited by the latest earnings data. But does this mean the company should now be considered a pariah?

The stock closed yesterday at $41.38. This represented a decline of 98 cents, or 2.3%. The shares hit an intraday low of $40.07. Talk about pessimistic. Then again, maybe the pessimism will turn out to be short-term in nature. After all, the one-year chart reflects a bullish tone.

Continue reading DreamWorks Animation: Did It Deserve Wednesday's Selling Pressure?

DreamWorks Animation: Did It Deserve Wednesday's Selling Pressure? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner (TWX) had a nice weekend. According to Box Office Mojo, the studio's Clash of the Titans spectacle retained its number-one position, bringing in $26.6 million at domestic theaters. At first, it seemed as if News Corp.'s (NWS) Date Night was going to be the top picture, but it ended up settling for second place after the final numbers came in (it was eventually credited with $25.2 million).

Besides that, the other news story this week is the apparent deal between Time Warner's TBS and Conan O'Brien; he'll create a new talk show for that network to debut sometime this November. This got me thinking about Time Warner and its stock: is it a buy right now?

Continue reading Is Time Warner a Buy?

Is Time Warner a Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm sure everyone knows about the growth problems at the social-networking site. This recent article at Reuters discusses them. Morale at the company appears to be waning. Unique visitors aren't what they used to be. An ad agreement with Google (GOOG) is about to expire; any new transaction on that front may not be as valuable now that MySpace has been relegated to not-as-cool-as-it-used-to-be status.

Continue reading News Corp. Not Having Fun with MySpace

News Corp. Not Having Fun with MySpace originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Walt Disney Company's (DIS) Alice in Wonderland was number one at the domestic box office for the second weekend in a row. Excellent, especially for shareholders. Disney needs Alice to do some massive numbers to prove to Hollywood, as well as Wall Street, that changes in its film division are here: changes for the better, ones that will increase economic value.

According to Box Office Mojo, Alice grossed over $60 million. Coming in second was Green Zone, from General Electric Corporation's (GE) Universal. Make that a distant second. Zone pulled in approximately $14 million. As some have said, this was a very weak opening for a Matt Damon project.

Continue reading Disney's 'Alice' Successfully Defends Top Spot

Disney's 'Alice' Successfully Defends Top Spot originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

IMAX (IMAX) issued its Q4 report yesterday. The stock was slightly weak after the market digested the earnings release: it ended the session down 1%. I'm not sure, though, if traders should give up on the stock just yet.

On an adjusted basis, the company behind the big, theatrical 3D format made 20 cents per diluted share. In the previous year's similar quarter, a loss of 22 cents per diluted share was booked. Awesome improvement. As for the analysts, they simply couldn't keep up with the momentum. According to Earnings.com, they were expecting something closer to 6 cents for the income figure.

Continue reading IMAX Beats Estimates in a Big Way

IMAX Beats Estimates in a Big Way originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I haven't been bullish on Disney's (DIS) stock for quite a while. I own a long-term position, but I haven't added to it for years (I do, however, allow the annual dividend payout, too small that it is, to be reinvested). I'm waiting for the day when the shares finally break through $40. Disney hasn't seen $40 since, well, I don't even want to think how far back that price level goes.

This past week has been fascinating for the Mouse's investors. The media business was upgraded. There's been interesting activity going on in the company's options, as Schaeffer's Investment Research indicates. And the stock hit a fresh 52-week high of $33.22 on Friday; in fact, it closed at the 52-week high, right before the weekend, no less.

Continue reading Is It Finally Time to Be Bullish on Disney?

Is It Finally Time to Be Bullish on Disney? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Carmike Cinemas (CKEC) reported a much-improved fourth quarter yesterday after the bell. Total revenue increased 17%. The bottom line recorded 48 cents per share in terms of income from continuing operations. This compares to a loss of $2.75 per share in the relevant period.

According to Reuters, the net income figure completely obliterated the analysts. The call was for 9 cents per share. I don't think there was any question that the theater chain was going to beat. As management stated in the release, the multiplex industry generated incredible business in Q4.

Continue reading Carmike Cinemas Soars Past Expectations

Carmike Cinemas Soars Past Expectations originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In its second weekend out in the domestic theatrical marketplace, Viacom's (VIA) Shutter Island thriller, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, demonstrated that it has some resilience. This is good news, considering the budget on the film is a healthy $80 million.

Island made $22.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo. The cumulative gross so far for the flick is better than $75 million. Viacom beat out Time Warner's (TWX) new entry Cop Out, directed by Kevin Smith, and horror picture The Crazies, a remake of a George Romero project from the early 1970s, which is distributed by Liberty Capital Group's (LCAPA) Overture Films.

Continue reading Viacom's 'Shutter Island' Retains Top Spot

Viacom's 'Shutter Island' Retains Top Spot originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Newspapers Claim to be Classified Leaders

Newspapers Claim to be Classified Leaders originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Wall Street Journal reports that "The two sides continue to negotiate purchase terms, people familiar with the matter said, but a deal could be announced within days. A deal price couldn't immediately be learned."

Continue reading Dow Jones in Talks to Acquire SmartMoney: Why?

Dow Jones in Talks to Acquire SmartMoney: Why? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DreamWorks Animation (DWA) continues to post evidence that its business model of building animated franchises should be a robust driver of solid shareholder value. It isn't without risk, of course; when you're dealing with Hollywood, failure scenarios are a constant threat. For now, though, the company's fourth-quarter results, released Tuesday after the bell, show a studio with future promise.

It's true that the quarter itself didn't show growth. Revenues took a modest dip, and earnings per share dropped 14% to 50 cents. However, estimates indicated a much more pessimistic outlook at 37 cents per share. And for the twelve-month period, growth actually was produced, as net income rose 10% to $1.73 per share.

Continue reading DreamWorks Animation: Risky After Q4 Report?

DreamWorks Animation: Risky After Q4 Report? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CBS (CBS) posted Q4 figures Thursday after the bell. The broadcaster, which competes with Disney's (DIS) ABC, General Electric's (GE) NBC, and News Corp.'s (NWS) Fox, said it made 25 cents per share on an adjusted basis. The growth rate wasn't bad at 19%, but unfortunately, expectations were only met. I know, meeting expectations isn't necessarily the worst thing in the world, but let's remember how the analyst game operates: beating estimates is all that matters.

But meeting expectations wasn't the most disappointing part of the story -- far from it. Instead, the flat top line and the decline in cash flow were more relevant elements. Net cash from operations for all of 2009 was a little under $940 million. There was over $2.1 billion generated from operations in 2008.

Continue reading CBS Increases Adjusted Profit in Q4, Cash Flow Down for the Year

CBS Increases Adjusted Profit in Q4, Cash Flow Down for the Year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Over the long Valentine's weekend, according to estimates from Box Office Mojo at the time of this writing, Time Warner's (TWX) Valentine's Day made over $50 million, good for number one. How appropriate, right?

News Corp.'s (NWS) Avatar dropped to fourth place. Last week, the film was in second place. I know it's been out for a while, and the lower rank is to be expected by this point no matter how much of a phenomenon it is, but I thought it would have made a stop at slot three before hitting the one below it. No huge deal, though, since it's already made tons of money.

Continue reading Time Warner Gets Lucky Over Valentine's Day Weekend

Time Warner Gets Lucky Over Valentine's Day Weekend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Disney (DIS), a major media company that competes with CBS (CBS), General Electric's (GE) NBC Universal, News Corp. (NWS), Sony (SNE), Time Warner (TWX), and Viacom (VIA), offered up fiscal Q1 data after the bell on Tuesday. From the looks of things, the Mouse had a good quarter.

According to my earnings preview, the call was for net income to come in at 39 cents per share on an adjusted basis. Disney actually made 47 cents per share. Not only was that a more than acceptable beat, but it represents growth of 15%.

Continue reading Disney Starts Off the New Fiscal Year with Solid Results

Disney Starts Off the New Fiscal Year with Solid Results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:30:00 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.

News Corp. (NWS), the media conglomerate that competes with Disney (DIS), Time Warner (TWX), and General Electric's (GE) NBC Universal, posted Q2 data after the bell on Tuesday. Shareholders should have few complaints on this one.

Revenues went up 10%, and earnings on an adjusted basis jumped well over 60% to 25 cents per share. According to Reuters, the estimate was 20 cents per share. Besides the beat, cash from operations was a lot better in the current six-month period. In the comparable frame, cash was used to fund operating activities.

Continue reading News Corp. Reports Fantastic Second Quarter

News Corp. Reports Fantastic Second Quarter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Did you think Mel Gibson had a chance this past weekend? Probably not. By now, we're all used to seeing News Corp.s (NWS) Avatar take the top spot. And for those keeping score, this is the seventh victory in a row for James Cameron (who, by the way, may offer lessons for entrepreneurs, according to Tom Taulli).

According to early estimates from Box Office Mojo, Avatar made another $30 million at domestic theaters over the past three days. At the time of this writing, the worldwide gross was just under $2 billion (it will definitely go over $2 billion, don't worry). Time Warner's (TWX) Edge of Darkness, starring the aforementioned Gibson, wasn't even close to a challenge for the 3-D aliens. Give it some credit, though: It came in second with $17 million.

Continue reading News Corp.'s 'Avatar' Isn't Ready to Step Down

News Corp.'s 'Avatar' Isn't Ready to Step Down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:30:00 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.