The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a distributor of business information and educational materials which counts Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL) as a related stock, issued third-quarter results earlier today. Sales contracted over 8%. Net income on a dollar basis dropped almost 14%. Earnings per diluted share decreased a very unlucky 13% to $1.07. At least expectations were taken out. Earnings.com indicates a beat of two pennies for per-share profit.

The declines are pretty understandable. When you think about McGraw-Hill, you understand fairly quickly that the company's business model is tied closely to the economy. Education markets must be tough given all the budget cuts happening in school systems across the country. Plus, spending by administrators is probably done these days very slowly and carefully.

Continue reading McGraw-Hill comes out ahead of estimates in Q3, but stock is having trouble

McGraw-Hill comes out ahead of estimates in Q3, but stock is having trouble originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) shares rose after it reaffirmed its full-year earnings and sales outlook.
• Automatic Data Processing Inc. (NASDAQ: ADP) will have low double-digit EPS growth, predicts one analyst.
• AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO) posted a decline in earnings but a small rise in sales, sending shares lower.
• Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) posted better-than-expected Q2 earnings and higher revenue.
• CarMax Inc. (NYSE: KMX) rallied to a new 52-week high after topping analysts' Q2 earnings expectations.
• Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) reported better-than-expected Q3 results and raised its full-year guidance.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: AutoZone, Carnival, CarMax, ConAgra, General Mills, RIM ...

Earnings highlights: AutoZone, Carnival, CarMax, ConAgra, General Mills, RIM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the publisher of the Harry Potter books, issued its first-quarter numbers on Thursday. Although things do seem to be improving, I can't say I was wholly enchanted by the data.

Net sales from continuing operations rose 14%. Okay, that's a good start. Double-digit rises are always respectable. But then we get to the bottom line. Scholastic, which is a related business to McGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP), lost 68 cents per share from continuing operations. Now, sure, the loss was considerably less severe than the year-ago black ink of $1.13 per share. But I always get nervous when I read about losses. Can't help it.

Continue reading Scholastic's Q1 doesn't cast magic spell -- or does it?

Scholastic's Q1 doesn't cast magic spell -- or does it? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Much of the focus this week will no doubt be on the FOMC meeting on interest rates and the subsequent decision, as well as on the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh, were the agenda will include bonuses for bank executives among other things.

Things will be fairly quiet again on the earnings front as the next earnings season has yet to ramp up. However, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters do have high hopes for a handful of companies that will release results this week.

Continue reading The week in preview: Eye on AutoZone, ConAgra, KB Home, Research In Motion ...

The week in preview: Eye on AutoZone, ConAgra, KB Home, Research In Motion ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Given the recent controversy over Obama's address to school children Tuesday, I was interested to see the speech released on the White House web site. While not all schools will be showing the speech, it is still likely to have a huge audience of many students across the nation. I looked to see which companies might benefit from this exposure.

Overall, Obama encourages kids to study hard, be responsible and overcome the many obstacles they face, while relating his own difficulties from school.

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) gets a positive mention as an example of the kind of company to strive to build.

The iPhone also makes it into the speech, to the benefit of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).

J. K. Rowling -- author of the Harry Potter series -- gets included, a plus for her publisher, Scholastic Corp. (NASDAQ: SCHL), and Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), which has released the movies based on the books.

Continue reading Which companies get extra credit in Obama's school address?

Which companies get extra credit in Obama's school address? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In his Validea newsletter, John reese explains, "Benjamin Graham -- considered the greatest investment guru by Warren Buffett -- built his reputation by using an extremely conservative, low-risk approach to investing." Buffett, incidentally, was Ben Graham's student.

Reese continues, "To Graham, preserving one's original capital was every bit as important as netting big gains. Having lived through the 1929 market crash, it's no surprise that the strategy Graham laid out in his classic book The Intelligent Investor was a conservative, loss-averse approach.

"To Graham, an investment wasn't something that could be turned into quick, easy profits; anything that offers such 'easy' rewards also comes with substantial risk, and Graham abhorred risk. In terms of specifics, Graham's approach limited risk in a number of ways, and my Graham-based model lays out several of those methods.

Continue reading Top 10 Benjamin Graham value plays: Men's Wearhouse, Carlisle, Movado and Scholastic make the grade

Top 10 Benjamin Graham value plays: Men's Wearhouse, Carlisle, Movado and Scholastic make the grade originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earnings reports continue to dribble in as the quarter winds down. Much of the attention this week will be on homebuilders KB Home (NYSE: KBH) and Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) as investors look for any sign that the housing sector has bottomed (home sales numbers are also due out this week; see below). Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial anticipate that both companies will report that they narrowed their losses in the most recent quarter.

KB Home's expected $1.25 per share loss, on revenue of $725.5 million, compares to the previous quarter loss of $3.30 and to a year-ago loss of $6.19. However, KB Home's losses in the past few quarters have been deeper than expected. The Los Angeles-based homebuilder's long-range earnings growth forecast is 10.5%, less than the S&P 500. Analysts continue to recommend holding KB Home, and have for at least 120 days. Shares, however, reached a new 52-week high of $31.69 on Friday, and they are up 10.5% year to date.

Lennar is expected to post a loss of 52 cents per share, on revenue of $1.1 billion. That compares to the previous quarter's per-share loss of 76 cents and to a year-ago loss of $3.25. While Lennar also has tended in the past few quarters to miss expectations, the Miami-based company managed a positive surprise in the first quarter of 2008. Lennar's long-range earnings growth forecast is 10.3%, about the same as KB Home's. Analysts also recommend holding Lennar. Friday, shares of Lennar also reached a 52-week high, $27.75, but they are down 6.4% year to date.

Continue reading The week in preview: A bottom for the housing sector?

The week in preview: A bottom for the housing sector? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Late summer bestsellers won't be enough to save the bookstores originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal's "Smartmoney Stock Screen" looks at eight companies whose valuations make them ripe to buy, and they also may be in the sites of corporate buyers. The big eight include Asbury Automotive Group Inc (NYSE: ABG), Crane Company (NYSE: CR), Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG).
• The Wall Street Journal's Walter Mossberg said in the "Personal Technology" column that he cannot recommend Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) MobileMe, as it has "too many flaws to keep its promises".
• The Wall Street Journal also speculated that the collapse this week of SemGroup LP, which is the parent of SemGroup Energy Partners LP (NASDAQ: SGLP), may have played a role in the 14% drop in crude oil over the past 10 days.
• In a move that could take advantage of the gap in the financing markets, The Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) raised $10B to invest in loans backing leveraged buyouts. The fund will reportedly buy senior loans, the Financial Times reported.

• Former American International Group Inc (NYSE: AIG) chief Hank Greenberg is reportedly in settlement talks with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo over charges that Greenberg improperly inflated corporate books to show improved profits, the New York Post said.

Newspaper wrap-up: Stocks to buy that might also be taken over originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As one quarter rolls over into the next, here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) beat fourth-quarter expectations and offered a positive outlook for fiscal 2009.
• CarMax Inc. (NYSE: KMX) beat Wall Street earnings estimates for the fourth quarter.
• Citi Trends Inc. (NASDAQ: CTRN) beat fourth-quarter estimates and offered a rosy outlook for fiscal 2009.
• Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) swung to a fourth-quarter loss but beat estimates.
• Family Dollar Stores (NYSE: FDO) beat second-quarter estimates but slashed its full-year outlook.
• Immucor Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUD) beat third-quarter expectations and offered a positive full-year outlook.
• Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON) beat second-quarter expectations but the full-year outlook disappointed.
• Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS) third-quarter earnings surged on strong demand and higher crop prices.
• Paychex Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) results on path to continue an 18-year earnings/revenue growth streak.
• Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT) posted solid fourth-quarter results on strength of JBoss and other offerings.
• Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) fourth-quarter earnings and revenue more than doubled.
• Ruby Tuesday Inc. (NYSE: RT) third-quarter earnings beat low expectations; full-year outlook is bleak.
• Scholastic Corp. (NASDAQ: SCHL) announced disappointing third-quarter results post-Harry Potter.
• UBS (NYSE: UBS) writes off $19 million for the first quarter and shows chairman the door.

Also, prospects look grim for some newspapers. The financial crisis in the U.S. prompted the IMF to cut its global growth forecast.

Upcoming results to watch for include Alcoa (NYSE: AA), Circuit City Stores (NYSE: CC), Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY), and General Electric (NYSE: GE).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: UBS, Best Buy, RIM, Monsanto, Family Dollar and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you have children in elementary school, then you know Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL), operator of the annnual school book fair. Scholastic does an excellent job publishing high-quality children's literature and other educational materials. If only it could do so at a profit. Scholastic has been the U.S. publisher for the Harry Potter series these past few years. But even during the height of Pottermania, Scholastic did not turn much of a profit. This year is no exception. The company recently released 3Q 2008 results. Revenue increased $12 million to $458 million, yet losses continue to widen to $4.6 million for the quarter in which there was no Harry Potter release.

YTD 2008 figures show revenue increased 20% and net income more than doubled due to the last Harry Potter release in the previous quarter. Yet YTD net loss now totals $9.3 million or $0.24 per share compared to net income of $20.5 million in the previous year. To be fair, Scholastic has taken huge losses -- $82 million in Q3 2008 alone -- to exit its direct-to-home sales channel. This led to a $77.5 million net loss in Q3. But even with all business segments "performing solidly," according to CEO Richard Robinson, the company continues to bleed money.

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, the British publisher of Harry Potter, recently reported robust sales and profit from Harry Potter books. Given that Scholastic also published this year's Caldecott Medal winner, Brain Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret, why is the company still drownding in red ink? S&P Equity downgraded the comapny from Buy to Hold.

Scholastic (SCHL) not so bright originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you have a child younger than high-school age, then you know about Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL), the world's largest publisher of children's literature and educational material, and the sponsor of the annual school book fair.

Not incidentally, Scholastic also is Harry Potter's publisher, which one would think would be a fairly lucrative revenue stream. Apparently not. Ellie Berger has been named President of Trade for Scholastic in part to figure out how to turn over a new (and hopefully profitable) leaf for Scholastic. Despite record-setting revenue in 1Q FY 2008, which included the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic still managed to post a loss. On revenues of $587 million, a 75% increase, Scholastic posted a net loss of $2.8 million for the quarter. But this loss is a huge improvement over the $47 million net loss a year earlier.

Continue reading Scholastic (SCHL) gets new president, but still no magic

Scholastic (SCHL) gets new president, but still no magic originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our Money Face-Offs feature. Let us know who you think comes out ahead in this head-to-head match-up, and check out our other Money Face-Off posts.

"I will take the Ring," he said, "though I do not know the way."
-- Frodo Baggins, The Fellowship of the Ring

"There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it."
-- Voldemort, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

In the late 1920s, J.R.R. Tolkien started writing a fantastical story about magical creatures known as hobbits, elves, and dwarves, in a made up world he called Middle Earth, for the benefit of his children. The work he completed, The Hobbit, became the prelude to one of the great literary masterpieces of all time -- The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Some 70 years later, J.K. Rowling started writing a fantastical story about a different set of magical creatures known as witches and wizards, in a not so made up world called England, for the benefit of her daughter. That book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone here in the States), and the six books that followed in the series, have made Rowling the wealthiest woman in the world.

The authors share many similarities. Both are British, use initials in place of their first names, are famous for one major literary contribution (although Rowling, having the benefit of still being alive, will have many years to change that), and have had cinematic empires based on their works.

Continue reading Money Face-Off: JRR Tolkien vs. JK Rowling

Money Face-Off: JRR Tolkien vs. JK Rowling originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Are share buybacks at risk? And is there a silver lining?

Are share buybacks at risk? And is there a silver lining? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Harry Potter ending: A water cooler cheat sheet

Harry Potter ending: A water cooler cheat sheet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It might seem hard to imagine, but the success of the Harry Potter franchise over the past decade has done little to bolster the fortunes of its publisher, Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL). With a market cap of $1.4 billion, the company may not be worth much more than the book's author J.K. Rowling.

But with Harry Potter on the way out as a huge source of income (although residual sales will, of course, continue to be strong), Bloomberg believes that the company "may face an exodus of shareholders if the company doesn't consider selling itself."

The stock looks cheap at .66 times sales the Bloomberg piece quotes analyst Drew Crum saying that shares could be worth a 48% premium to their current price if the company is sold.

But that means nothing if management doesn't want to sell, and CEO Richard Robinson controls the company through his ownership of Class A shares.

The most appalling quote from the Bloomberg piece is here:

Robinson, whose father Maurice founded the company in 1920, ``is not a seller,'' Chief Financial Officer Maureen O'Connell said in an interview. Through its ownership of Class A shares, the Robinson family controls four-fifths of Scholastic's board.

``I don't think Dick's going anywhere,'' O'Connell said. ``He's having too much fun right now.''

If Mr. Robinson wants to run the company for fun rather than the benefit of minority shareholders, he should take the company private himself.

Keep a close on this stock. If Scholastic continues to stumble, Robinson could face pressure to do the right thing and enhance shareholder value.

More Harry Potter news

Tom Barlow: The Harry Potter Finance Quiz
Gary E. Sattler: New York Times bestseller list leaves Harry Potter out
Tom Barlow: Harry Potter ending: A water cooler cheat sheet
Tom Barlow: Rowling safeguards Potter empire
Zac Bissonnette: Is the last book the end of Potter mania?
Tom Barlow: Harry Potter and the Pots of Gold
Barry Summerlin: Harry Potter doesn't even need Muggle marketing
Julie Tilsner: Not even Harry can save bookstores from their fate
Peter Cohan: Harry Potter and the Pot of Gold
Tom Barlow: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Will Rowling kill off Harry?

With Harry Potter done, is it time for Scholastic to sell itself? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:31:00 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.

BloggingStocks's Tom Barlow is pretty sure that Harry Potter isn't about to meet his untimely demise, but a lof of gamblers aren't so sure: According to Bloomberg, "William Hill Plc, a London-based bookmaker, closed bets on Harry sacrificing himself at 2/5 odds on July 17, cut from an original quote of 33/1 in early July. Lord Voldemort, who murdered Potter's parents, is at 9/4 to kill Harry, and Professor Severus Snape is at 4/1 odds to murder him. The bookmaker took more than 50,000 pounds ($100,000) in bets on Harry's fate, the first time in the company's history it had ever bet on a book."

This seems kind of inane: People are gambling about what will happen in a fictional story that they haven't read yet, and only the author and a few insiders know what's going to happen in the latest Harry Potter, set to be released tomorrow.

But maybe others really do know? There have been reports of pirated copies showing up on the internet and The New York Times and Baltimore Sun have already gotten copies, reportedly through bookstores.

The strong odds that gamblers are assigning to the death of Harry combined with a general belief in the wisdom of crowds lead me to a conclusion: By this time tomorrow, millions of bookworms will be mourning Harry's passing.

Readers wager on Harry Potter's suicide originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Harry Potter doesn't even need Muggle marketing

Harry Potter doesn't even need Muggle marketing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling is scheduled to be published by Scholastic Press (NASDAQ: SCHL) on July 21, and some fans are speculating that Harry will die. I am quite confident in telling you that he won't, for several reasons.

1. The artistic.
Experienced authors will tell you that a satisfying ending is one that, after it happens, readers will see as inevitable, even if they didn't see it coming. For example, the ending of Sixth Sense, while a shocker to many (including me), worked because it neatly tied up loose threads we'd momentarily lost sight of. The ending completed the Bruce Willis' character arc.

Rowling has not established the need for someone to sacrifice his life so that Voldemort might die. In fact, she has already given Harry's parents and Dumbledore to the cause. Harry's death would be gratuitous, and, most importantly, inconsistent with the rest of the saga. Harry is the viewpoint character, and it is our vicarious enjoyment of his overcoming obstacles that gives the series such impact. It's hard to enjoy the denouement of a dead character.

Most importantly, though, Harry is not a flawed character seeking redemption through sacrifice. He is an innocent predestined to conquer the wicked AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

2. The practical.
If Rowling were to kill off her hero in the final book, it would not only diminish sales of this volume, but horribly impact the future sales of the series. Knowing that Harry was to die, (and who on Earth would not know of this plot twist?), would change the reader's experience, robbing each bit of conflict of its gravitas. Plus, fans would revolt. Arthur Conan Doyle learned this lesson when he tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes -- some plot reversals fans will simply not accept.

3. The financial.
With two more films on the planning board (including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, due for release July 11th by Warner Brothers, a division of Time Warner, NYSE:TWX) and a theme park in development, I can't believe these companies would invest so much in a closed-end storyline. And while Rowling may have all the money she needs, keeping the tale open-ended is a much shrewder business decision.

So I'm not worried about Harry. My prediction -- he'll defeat Voldemort with Snape's help, assume Dumbledore's position as head of Hogworts, marry Jenny Ginny and stand as best man at Ron and Hermione's wedding.

Harry Potter can't die. Trust me.

Gallery: Everybody loves Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Will Rowling kill off Harry? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.