I was checking out one of my favorite blogs yesterday (UniWatchBlog.com - operated by the obsessive Paul Lukas) and I found myself with a subject for this week's JockStocks. Is the NFL a monopoly? Should the league be exempt from the Sherman Antitrust Act?

This all stems from a suit by a company known as American Needle, which sued the NFL in 2000 when the league selected Reebok to be the exclusive provider of licensed NFL apparel. American Needle sued the NFL, stating that the Reebok deal violated antitrust statutes becasue the league and Reebok "conspired to stifle competition and inflate prices."

Continue reading JockStocks: Should the NFL Receive Antitrust Exemption?

JockStocks: Should the NFL Receive Antitrust Exemption? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hasbro: A high-risk play that's not for the squeamish

Hasbro: A high-risk play that's not for the squeamish originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's iPod/iTunes ecosystem could be called a monopoly. It commands the lion's share of the digital music player and downloading market and customers just can't stop buying the hardware and software. Does that make Apple a monopolist? After all, by some measures, Apple's market share is now larger than Wall Street darling Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). Does Apple's 11% share of the PC market make it a monopolist? Does this smaller market share even suggest that? On the surface, no. But Apple's influence extends way beyond that hardware market share figure. Its control of entire market segments would suggest Apple may resemble what Microsoft looked like 10 years ago.

Continue reading Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT): A monopolist role reversal?

Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT): A monopolist role reversal? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mattel (NYSE: MAT), a toy company that competes with Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) and JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ: JAKK), got some good news earlier this week. Its stock was upgraded by analyst Gerrick Johnson of BMO Capital Markets, according to the AP, although it wasn't necessarily an overwhelming vote of confidence. The analyst is switching the rating from "underperform" to "market perform," and if you check out the AP piece, you'll see that he basically is saying that while he doesn't see a big reason to sell the stock, he doesn't see a big reason to buy it either. This was a call based on simple valuation.

I was glad when I read this clarification because, when I first spied this headline, I was a bit flummoxed. I honestly didn't expect Mattel to receive some huge upgrade at this point, even though I agree that the stock is certainly cheap. My main reason for this hinges on the best-of-breed character of Mattel's colleague Hasbro. I just wrote about this company and the strength of its stock at the beginning of the week, and if I were to buy any toy business right now, it probably would be the maker of Monopoly and Mr. Potato Head. Hasbro's got the brand strength as well as the stock strength, it seems, and even though Mattel packs a dividend-yield punch at over 4%, this market might be too tough to go with companies that are nowhere near a bullish trend.

Long-term, the maker of Barbie will rebound. Short-term, it may languish. So you'll have to consider your timeframe when taking a look at Mattel and Hasbro. Mattel does have a nice yield, but Hasbro and its product portfolio could be better positioned come the holiday season. It's going to be an interesting battle between these two rivals once the weather turns cold...

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned here; positions can change at any time.

Mattel receives an upgrade, but I'm not ready to buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CNNMoney over the weekend reviewed the first half of the year for the markets. Among its lists of winners and losers, one stock got my attention.

Believe it or not, Hasbro (NYSE: HAS), a competitor of Mattel (NYSE: MAT) and JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ: JAKK), was up quite nicely through the end of June. How nice? The stock increased in value by almost 40%. That's impressive, but is it persuasive? What I mean is, should one believe that the company's first-half strength is an undeniable indication that the trend will continue for the rest of the year?

I have been bullish on Hasbro and I think it's a great company that should benefit from the upcoming holiday season, but should doesn't necessarily imply would. We are in what I would call an all-bets-are-off market. The bears, and their claws, are slashing their way through the hallowed halls of Wall Street, and if the negative-wealth effect really gets going, thus further damaging consumer confidence, then one would have to wonder how Hasbro will fare in the second half of the year.

Without a doubt, though, put Hasbro on your watch list and perform some due diligence on the company. It's got some great brands in its portfolio like Monopoly and Transformers, and keep in mind that its Star Wars line is due to receive a nice catalytic jolt from the upcoming Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated project. Hasbro's stock dropped almost 7% in the last month. This followed a lot of up months. If the stock experiences a further pullback, and the dividend yield rises, it may become attractive.

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned; positions can change at any time.

Will Hasbro's stock continue to perform? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the last few days, bookselling giant Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) has made a few more enemies in the publishing world by forcing the little-known group of print-on-demand (POD) publishers to either submit to using its POD subsidiary, Booksurge, or risk being prohibited from selling on its industry-leading website. No matter the cost and complications of breaking off relationships with other vendors, reformatting books and a host of other problems, Amazon laid down the law, saying convert -- and do it quickly -- or face the consequences.

What's more disconcerting is that an official press release was made public only after smaller publishers like Angela Hoy of Booklocker.com started writing publicly about blackmail-type phone calls from Booksurge representatives. Fearful of losing their businesses literally overnight, many POD publishers such as iUniverse and Lulu have capitulated while strong willed publisher PublishAmerica refused to give in -- and was quickly made an example of when Amazon disabled the buy buttons on their book titles!

As an author selling my own critically-acclaimed POD book An American Hedge Fund on Amazon, outrage has compelled me to write about how unethical and more importantly, monopolistic this all is.

Continue reading Amazon bullying raises monopoly and business concerns

Amazon bullying raises monopoly and business concerns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Is Apple, Inc. (AAPL) the new monopolist? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Justice Department came to an agreement with Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) in 2002 to regulate what the government saw as non-competitive actions by the big software company. According to Reuters: "Microsoft was found to have unlawfully used its monopoly in personal computer operating systems to discourage computer manufacturers from loading non-Microsoft software on their machines."

Now, the feds are saying Microsoft is doing just fine playing with others and the issue of competition has receded. Not so, say several state attorneys general. They don't believe that Gates & Co. have done much to mend their evil ways.

It is hard to say how the states measure this. Does Linux have a better footprint in the server market? Yes. Is the PC market more open to operating systems outside Windows? No. But until Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) makes its OS broadly available there are not any other alternatives.

Microsoft is certainly using the OS to help it in other areas, like keeping its browser in first place. But areas like web video are now dominated by Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE)'s Flash platform. That was not true five years ago. PC software security is dominated by Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC).

If there hadn't been a federal case against Microsoft, the landscape might remain the same as it was throughout the 1990s. But, with competition from Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and other large software companies, it is hard to say that conditions have not changed.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

Feds, states at odds over Microsoft originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Monopoly Extreme -- Why should players be allowed to stroll uninhibited down Boardwalk and Atlantic Avenue, when the game could be much more interesting in a Grand-theft- Auto-type world? Imagine shooting your way out of Marvin Gardens, highjacking a Reading Railroad train, and trolling Baltic Ave. for a hooker.
• Chutes and Ladders -- In the video world, falling into a chute would cost the player much more than a few squares - perhaps even a visit the Hell! Ladders, on the other hand, could lead to greater rewards, such as a front row seat at a Barry Manilow show in Las Vegas. Or do I have those backwards?
• Bratz - the Hilton version. Dress up your Bratz from an endless variety of skanky outfits (underwear tonight- yes, or no?), take her partying in the hottest Hollywood clubs, indulge her in the very best drink and toot, and check her in to the most exclusive rehab clinics. Accumulate points every time she manages to smack a paparazzi with her purse.
• Scrbl - txt vrsn. Txtrs cmpt 2 c who cn use t fwst ltrs 2 spl wrds.
• Easy-Bake Iron Chef - No more light bulbs and tasteless cakes. In the virtual world, mini-chefs can compete with gamers around the world to create monster desserts, exotic entrees or even cook up batches of meth.

Electronic Arts (ERTS) to game up Hasbro (HAS) brands originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Regulators going after cable companies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Starbucks quashes the competition? Not in my neighborhood

Starbucks quashes the competition? Not in my neighborhood originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 16:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

McDonald's millions: you are so not going to win originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Nov 2006 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A small retailer based in the affluent city of Bellevue, across Lake Washington from Seattle, has sued Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX), alleging that the Seattle coffee giant's ambition which the suit characterizes as "insatiable and unchecked" results in an effective monopoly of the industry.

Often, when I spy a headline somewhere about another lawsuit against Starbucks, it's generally along the lines of a customer with a scorched lip -- or defective cup lid, as in one which a judge just threw out. But competitors sues Starbucks, as do labor, consumer, and other groups.

The lawsuit du jour is initiated by Penny Stafford, owner of Belvi Coffee and Tea Exchange. Stafford claims says she "was locked out of the best office space in Bellevue and Seattle by Starbucks' exclusive leasing agreements with landlords" according to a Seattle Times story. Such agreements for coveted food and beverage service space in high-rise office buildings are not uncommon. But Stafford's claims that 78% of Bellevue "Class A" office sites are effectively locked up for Starbucks.

Stafford did manage to rent space inside one deli to sell espresso, and found herself competing with free samples given out to customers by employees of the nearest Starbucks, who visited the deli as many a four times a day with samples, she claims. Stafford's deli business went under. She maintains her original location near that same site.

Stafford and her legal team aren't looking to go it alone. The lawsuit is seeking status as a class-action.

Starbucks lawsuit: "ambition, insatiable and unchecked" originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Sep 2006 06:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Today I posted a story focused on business strategy GOOGLE, APPLE use U.S. Marine's Constant Mission Improvement! and giving credit to Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL) for having a clear one, similar to what I perceived the U.S. Marines Corps would do. I mentioned many other companies too. First comments back came from eBay sellers. Seems no matter what the story, eBay sellers will relate it back to eBay and won't let go. I have noticed this with almost all of our posts. Should we start an eBay forum at AOL nicknamed 'Pit Bulls of the Web'?

I have written numerous articles about eBay from different perspectives and I have been supportive of the seller's point of view, but a question still remains for 'sellers'. If eBay has lost its magic, or is just plain lost, why not just move on and find another avenue to sell your wares? If you think it's the only game in town (monopoly), then have you petitioned the FTC, SEC, Justice Dept., not individually but collectively?

Continue reading Ebay sellers turning into pit bulls?

Ebay sellers turning into pit bulls? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.