Battle of the Brands: Canon vs. Kodak

Trey Thoelcke — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Products and Services, Eastman Kodak (EK), Battle of the Brands

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

Rochester, New York-based Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE: EK) was founded in 1892, and is well known for its wide range of photographic film products; it remains to this day the largest supplier of photographic films in the world. The company played a vital role in the invention and development of the motion picture industry, setting the standard of 35 mm film.

But times change. In 1999, Kodak entered into the consumer inkjet photo printers market in a joint venture with manufacturer Lexmark (NYSE: LXK). In 2004, Kodak announced it would stop producing traditional film cameras, beginning a multiyear struggle to refocus on digital photography and printing. Some of the results of that effort include the Kodak Smart Picture Frame, into which digital files are downloadable via a network connection. The Kodak Gallery is a website where users can upload photos into albums, print them out, and create mouse pads, calendars, and the like. And in 2006 Kodak announced that Flextronics (NASDAQ: FLEX) would manufacture and help design its digital cameras. Kodak also has long-term plans to sell ink jet printers and flat-panel displays.

Continue reading Battle of the Brands: Canon vs. Kodak

Battle of the Brands: Canon vs. Kodak originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Energizer (ENR) powers ahead

Joseph Lazzaro — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:11:00 EST

Filed under: Wal-Mart (WMT), Stocks to Buy

Energizer (NYSE: ENR) is a defensive stock that may end up posting growth stock-quality results in the immediate years ahead.

Again, Energizer is not a defensive play, strictly speaking, as one could argue that batteries are a discretionary purchase -- an option consumers can cut back on during tougher economic times.

Still, powerful cultural and secular trends belie the above thesis. Think: MP3 players, iPods, iPhones, the text messaging generation, cameras, and remotes for almost everything. The net result: More portable energy use, globally, in the years ahead, which means more revenue for Energizer.

Energizer has revenue streams in the alkaline, carbon, zinc, miniature and specialty battery lines, with an impressive +35% U.S. market share. The company sells batteries in more than 150 countries, a more-than-decent defense against U.S. economic doldrums. ENR's shares fell $1.15 to $110.86 in Wednesday afternoon trading.

The qualifiers? Intensifying competition, and a high concentration of sales, 18%, to its largest customer, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT). But so long as teenagers and downloads exist, and Apple (NYSE: AAPL)'s Steve Jobs is thinking of something new/portable/cool, these two negatives can be overlooked.

Technically, Energizer's chart is strong. With a P/E of 23 ENR is not cheap, but projected near-20% annual EPS gains account for that.

Stock Analysis: Energizer is a moderate-risk stock not suitable for low-risk investors. Investors with an investment horizon longer than one year should be rewarded from ENR's shares.

Energizer (ENR) powers ahead originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments