Lionsgate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) came out on top this past weekend. According to Boxofficemojo, the studio's film The Forbidden Kingdom took in about $20.9 million at domestic movie theaters, driven perhaps by the star power of Jackie Chan. That's more than I thought it would do. (I should point out, though, that all the numbers discussed here are based on estimates -- finalized figures will be out at a later date.)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall, from General Electric's (NYSE: GE) Universal Pictures, was second with $17 million (I also thought this might do less). Jason Segel is the star of the TV series How I Met Your Mother and was also on one of my favorite TV shows, Freaks and Geeks. Then we have Sony's (NYSE: SNE) Prom Night, which came in third with $9 million. That was quite a drop from last week's $20 million debut. In fact, going back to the spiel about estimates vs. final numbers, when I covered the box office winners last week, Prom Night was originally credited with a $22.7 million take -- this was eventually reduced to $20.8 million. I went and saw the movie last Thursday afternoon by myself -- I literally walked into a completely empty auditorium, first time that ever happened in my life (it was a large auditorium, too). Talk about creepy. Nevertheless, I guess I can see why Prom Night is fading so fast (it wasn't that bad of a film, I should mention). Sony's 88 Minutes and News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Nim's Island took fourth and fifth places, respectively.

But the big story of the weekend could be found in Lions Gate's triumph. The little studio scored again. One has to wonder when one of the majors, or perhaps a consortium of private equity concerns, is going to finally step up to the plate and buy it out. Those speculating on such an outcome have been waiting a long, long time. I like to follow Lions Gate, and I'm waiting for its stock to break out at some point -- it's got to happen one of these days.

Disclosure: I own shares of General Electric; positions can change at any time.

Lionsgate conquered the multiplex over the weekend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker made it clear at a conference yesterday that GE (NYSE: GE) had no interest in selling the media business. Referring to GE CEO Jeff Immelt, Zucker said, "He has said numerous times that NBCU is not for sale. It is not for sale after the Olympics." Some press reports have indicated that GE would take the big money from the sports event and then dump the business on some sucker.

It is odd that the head of a GE division should have to make this kind of comment at all. The head of the locomotive division probably wouldn't make comments about the future of his business. Meanwhile, NBC Universal can go on operating as usual whether Wall Street thinks it is for sale or not.

The argument for selling NBC is that the unit does not fit with the conglomerate's industrial and financial operations. That is true, but owning a network does mean tickets to the Super Bowl and the Oscars.

NBC is a $15 billion business with operating income running about $2.5 billion, making it a modest part of GE's overall earnings. Still, the business is about the size of CBS (NYSE: CBS), which has a market cap of $21 billion and debt of $7 billion.

For the $28 billion enterprise value of CBS, GE would sell NBC tomorrow.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor of 247wallst.com.

NBC is probably not for sale originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Las Vegas Sands (LVS), Universal Studios look to Singapore for new parks, resorts originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) CFO Keith Sherin defended his company's continued holding of NBC Universal and gave the media conglomerate a surprisingly high valuation of between $40 billion and $45 billion.

GE has been getting plenty of flack about holding on to NBC since it is not #1 or #2 in its market, as previous CEO Jack Welch would have wanted it to be. Sherin pointed out during a lunch meeting with me, my fellow blogger Jon Ogg and a few other writers that NBC is "priceless waterfront property." Sherin argued that Welch had picked up NBC from RCA at a relatively low price -- increasing its value from $3 billion to $10 billion. And in 2004, after forming NBC Universal with Vivendi Universal, the new entity was worth $32 billion. Sherin now estimates that NBC Universal is worth between $40 billion and $45 billion, although I am not sure I understand how he arrived at this figure.

Continue reading BloggingStocks Interview: GE CFO talks up NBC Universal

BloggingStocks Interview: GE CFO talks up NBC Universal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Spoiler alert - if you have not yet read the conclusion to the Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, you may want to skip this post, in which the ending is discussed.

For companies such as publisher Scholastic Corp. (NASDAQ:SCHL), the US publisher of the books, Time Warner (NYSE:TWX), whose Warner Brothers Studios produces the hugely profitable Harry Potter movies, and General Electric's (NYSE:GE) Universal Studios, which will open a Harry Potter theme park in 2009, the seventh and final Harry Potter book must have come as a great relief.

Despite rumors to the contrary, the title character did not die, and thereby cast a pall on the series and its offshoots. Rather, as I expected, Harry prevailed, and in general the core cast lived happily ever after. Even Snape, as I predicted, achieved redemption, but at a mortal cost.

In the coda to the novel, Harry Potter and his wife, the former Ginny Weasley, watch their children depart for Hogwarts. Also placing their children on the Hogworts train are Harry's best friends, the married couple Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger.

This final scene, nineteen years after the climax of the book, will no doubt inspire a great deal of conversation, as it keeps open a couple of possibilities for future novels in the Potter universe. Harry is still young enough to have more adventures, perhaps as he takes on the role of the era's greatest wizard, much as Albus Dumbledore was in Potter's youth. Rowling could also, should she decide to continue the series, reboot the series with the next generation of Hogwarts students.

I don't expect her to return to the Potter storyline for a long time, if ever, but the lure will always be there; a huge, thirsty audience ready to demonstrate their devotion with their pocketbooks.

Gallery: Everybody loves Harry Potter

Rowling safeguards Potter empire originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Silverman's first step to rescue NBC: Story of hooker's pursuit of implants originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Summer is upon us, and for those of you who like to invest in companies you can examine up close, this is the perfect opportunity to expense some travel to the nation's amusement parks. For research, of course. One way to judge the quality of these stocks is how nauseous they makes you (in a good way, of course). For example, here are the 2006 top 10 steel roller coasters in the country as rated by The Internet Best Roller Coaster Poll.

1. Superman, Six Flags New England, Springfield, MA (Six Flags Inc., NYSE: SIX)
2. Millennium Force, Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH (Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., NYSE: FUN)
3. Nitro, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
4. Goliath, Six Flags Over Georgia, Atlanta, GA
5. SheiKra, Busch Gardens, Tampa FL (Anheuser-Busch, NYSE: BUD)
6. Superman, Six Flags America, Baltimore MD
7. Montu, Busch Gardens, Tampa FL
8. Phantom's Revenge, Kennywood Park, Pittsburg, PA (Kennywood Entertainment)
9. Superman, Darian Lake, Buffalo, NY (CNL Income Properties)
10. Dueling Dragons-Fire, Universal Islands of Adventure, Orlando, FL (General Electric, NYSE:GE)

Looking for a way to teach your children about stocks? A few shares in one of their favorite parks might capture their attention!

Roller coasters: More fun when they're not on the Dow originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Universal to create Harry Potter theme park originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The publicity machine is working overtime for General Electric Co.'s (NYSE:GE) Universal Studio's production Knocked Up.

The film, starring Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen, opens today. As part of the fanfare, Universal has created a web site where you can create a mashup showing how the offspring of you and anyone you choose might appear.

Unfortunately, this feature doesn't work as well as one might wish. For example, check out this result, supposedly the visage of a child from a coupling of yours truly and Miss Universe Rita Mori (I can dream, can't I?) Even given that my gifts are not physical, the alien creature that resulted doesn't serve as a good advertisement for the film.

Nonetheless, early reviews for the film are good, and gives Universal hope that this summer will offer strong returns. In a couple of weeks they will premiere another potential hit, Evan Almighty, the sequel to Bruce Almighty starring Steve Carrell (of the 40-Year-Old-Virgin, another film by Knocked Up Director Judd Apatow).

Continue reading Knocked Up and uuuuugly!

Knocked Up and uuuuugly! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Bloggingstockcast: our one year anniversary, Simpsons roller coaster, buy your friend a drink, Suze Orman's Caribbean finance cruise of debt, and more

Bloggingstockcast: our one year anniversary, Simpsons roller coaster, buy your friend a drink, Suze Orman's Caribbean finance cruise of debt, and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Universal Studios, a unit of General Electic (NYSE: GE) owned NBC, in collaboration with The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, has announced the creation of a virtual amusement ride experience based on The Simpsons, the popular television show.

Using an amusement park ride concept envisioned by The Simpsons, Krusty the Clown, theme park enthusiasts shall be dazzled with a full field of view, visual presentation which simulates the stimulation of a true motion experience. As riders view the surrounding scene in real time, their seats shall provide the appropriate shake rattle and roll affects and give the impression that riders are actually in the company of television's most beloved modern cartoon family while on an amusement ride. In reaction to the announcement, Bart Simpson was heard to say simply, "Kawabunga dude!"

Continue reading Universal Studios turns theme park over to Bart Simpson

Universal Studios turns theme park over to Bart Simpson originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.