Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) has pulled back from its 52-week high of $247.55. At the time of this writing, shares were exchanging hands for about $215. The 52-week low for the stock is $70.05.

We know that this company has been a great performer. Investors who bought at the lower end of the chart have been amply rewarded. But for those who don't own the name, is it time to buy? And, likewise, for those who do own it, is it time to sell?

Continue reading Netflix: Buy or Forget the Pullback?

Netflix: Buy or Forget the Pullback? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Netflix CFO Stepping Down

Netflix CFO Stepping Down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Say you have $20,000 to $100,000 to invest. You can put it in stocks, hope to make a 10% return over time, and if the market moves up, you could walk away with an extra $2,000 to $10,000 before taxes. Or, you could take that same investment, and put it into something that could generate far greater returns.

James Altucher, Managing Director of Formula Capital, says that a better way to reap big returns is to exploit your employer. (See video.)

Continue reading Exploit Your Employer for Big Returns (with Video)

Exploit Your Employer for Big Returns (with Video) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple September Media Event Points to New iTunes Strategy

Apple September Media Event Points to New iTunes Strategy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Viacom is now being blamed for secretly uploading copyright infringing content by YouTube's chief counsel, Zahavah Levine. This announcement comes as the court prepares to render a decision in the $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit Viacom (VIA) brought against Google's (GOOG) Internet video giant, YouTube.

Attorney Levine has stated in a blog post: "For years, Viacom continuously and secretly uploaded its content to YouTube, even while publicly complaining about its presence there."

Continue reading YouTube Attorney Alleges Viacom Set Up

YouTube Attorney Alleges Viacom Set Up originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Video chain Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) reported earnings earlier this week for the fourth quarter. While there were some positive aspects to the story, I can tell you that the stock is not a buy at all, at least not from where I sit.

Okay, let me throw some of the good stats out at you. According to the press release, Blockbuster's same-store sales, or comps, are doing well. In Q4, domestic comps rose well over 4%. Free cash flow was positive. And earnings on an adjusted basis calculated out to $0.40 per share. That was a huge beat, since analysts were looking for $0.25 per share.

Continue reading Blockbuster annihilates estimates, but I won't buy it

Blockbuster annihilates estimates, but I won't buy it originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When it comes to mergers and acquisitions, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is a pro. While some of its deals have failed, the fact remains that the company has built a global powerhouse via dealmaking.

However, last year was uncharacteristic for the aggressive Cisco; that is, the tech giant bought only four companies. Keep in mind that, in a typical year, the company will average a deal a month.

Well, things may change in 2009 (this is according to Barrons' Tech Trader Daily blog). All in all, it looks like Cisco will rev up the deal machine.

OK, so what might Cisco target? A key area is video.

This certainly makes sense. After all, video requires tremendous Net infrastructure. Plus, video is likely to be more attractive to corporate America. Ultimately, a video-meeting could be much more cost-effective than flying to meetings.

Oh, and it looks like the slowing economy may be a good thing. It should mean better valuations -- and more motivated sellers. And, Cisco has the firepower to get attention, with a whopping $27 billion in the bank.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Streetsmart Guide to Short Selling: Techniques the Pros Use to Profit in Any Market. He is also the founder of BizEquity, a valuation website.

Cisco to ramp up acquisitions? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Investors have been focusing on the shortcomings at Qwest Communications International (NYSE: Q), and to be sure, it has plenty," observes turnaround specialist George Putnam.

In his The Turnaround Letter, he adds, "But the company also has very valuable assets and strong cash flow. In addition, we believe the stock would command a good premium in a takeover." Here's his bullish review.

"Following its IPO in 1995, Qwest expanded via acquisitions and partnerships, and participated in the telecom bubble of the late 1990's.

"Unlike many of the other high-flying telecoms of that era, however, Qwest realized that in addition to a story you needed customers. In 2000, it went out and acquired US West, which gave Qwest the revenue base to survive the bursting of the telecom bubble

"Although the company survived, the shareholders have had a rocky ride during the current decade. The stock peaked around 60 in 2000, dropped to just above 1 in 2002, rebounded to 10 in 2007 and then declined to its present level.

"Management's challenge is too maximize the value of its assets. One of Qwest's greatest assets, and biggest challenges, is its huge traditional landline telephone business. The landline business is in a slow but steady decline as customers move to wireless or Internet telephony.

Continue reading Qwest (Q) for profits: Turnaround or takeover?

Qwest (Q) for profits: Turnaround or takeover? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

David Einhorn's picks and pans originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 May 2008 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While at the recent Digital Hollywood conference, I heard much talk about online video. And the main question was: How can you make money from it?

Well, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is trying to find some ways. In fact, this week, the company agreed to purchase Origin Digital (the amount was not disclosed).

The privately-held firm calls itself a "global video applications service provider." That is, the company helps with the key elements of managing, syndicating and reporting digital content - across various platforms, such mobile, VOD, IPTV, broadband, and so on.

Accenture already has a Digital Media Service division. But, with Origin Digital, there will definitely be much more heft as well as opportunities for cross-selling.

All in all, this seems like a good fit for Accenture. After all, Corporate America realizes that online video has many benefits in terms of obtaining customers, education, and branding. Yet, it's a process that does require some deep domain expertise.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

Accenture bulks up with video originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 May 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Investing in yourself: Effective strategies for getting a raise originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A video message for the kids at Bear Stearns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Back in 2000, a variety of dot-coms - like Pets.com, LastMinuteTravel.com, Monster.com (Nasdaq: MNST) and so on - spent gobs of money on Super Bowl commercials. Of course, it marked the height of the bubble. Since then, upstart companies have been mostly afraid of producing commercials.

Hey, take a look at this classic ad from Pets.com (now defunct), during the 2000 Super Bowl:

But don't be afraid. While I'm not suggesting that you shell out $2.7 million for a Super Bowl ad, I still think things are different. After all, it's fairly cost-effective to advertise on local cable channels. What's more, online video is also surging.

So how can you crank out a top-quality 30-second spot?

Let's take a look:

Production: Technology is making it incredibly cheap to create commercials. "All you need is an Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Mac laptop and the iMovie software that comes with the computer," said Rob Frankel, who is the author of The Revenge of Brand X and has his own marketing firm. "And just about any MiniDV camera can produce broadcast-quality video."

That's all he needed to create this spot:

To spice things up, you can use stock footage and music clips (which may even be free). "A simple Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) search will find a lot of stock content," said Frankel.

Crafting the right message: It's temping to be too cute or cutting-edge when putting together a 30-second spot. Unfortunately, the result is that your audience ignores things - or is just confused. Some tips:

• Focus on one idea (that's easy to understand). Clutter is your enemy.
• Avoid special effects and location shoots.
• Don't star in your own commercials.

"Notice that some of the best commercials these days offer one central image or theme with even stark or simplified backgrounds," Rachel Weingarten, who is the president of GTK Marketing Group. "It might be wiser to spend more on the concept and come up with a very clever and catchy phrase or theme or even sweepstakes or promo that can drive people to your website, retail location or some other call to action."

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

Entrepreneur's Journal: When spending some money on TV advertising makes sense originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google's YouTube steps up mobile availability originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) will bombard its customers with content. It is opening a new business that will offer its cable subscribers a massive library of films and TV shows that they can also watch on the internet. Comcast hopes to offer up to 6,000 movies.

According to The New York Times, "Comcast is already the world's largest buyer of content, and it is spending about $4.5 billion a year to assemble content from around the world to offer on demand."

While Comcast's TV offerings will be only available to subscribers, its internet video site will be open to the public. But how does that help the company? Comcast is up against established internet video sites, ranging from YouTube to the higher end Hulu. There is abundant video material already on the web.

From a cable VOD standpoint, most consumers only watch the most popular films. Having thousands of extra films is hardly likely to bring in extra subscribers.

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

Comcast's new on-demand video business originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Indicating reduced profitability in the video display market, Fujitsu (OTC: FJTSY) has announced its departure from the production of high end plasma televisions. This news comes via ars technica and is indicative of a major trending pattern. Much is astir among Japanese electronics manufacturers as companies there take a turn for the lean and are engaged in forming manufacturing power alliances.

Much is being affected by the near total domination of liquid crystal display technology within a tightening, yet deepening image display sector. Take further evidence of change by considering Brian White's post about the exit from rear projection television by Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE). The LCD field is currently saturated and for it's improvement it needs to thin out.

Strides are still being made in regard to making LCD displays thinner and engineers are working on reducing power consumption. Little can be done however, to improve LCD profitability with so many companies cranking out cheap displays. What's needed now is for some of the remaining display manufacturers to aggressively address some considerable quality issues.

Gary Sattler does not knowingly hold financial interest in the companies he blogs about.

Fujitsu announces exit from plasma display market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Best Buy challenges YouTube? With pay site??? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When Sequoia Capital does a venture deal, people listen. The firm has backed such companies as Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and YouTube.

Well, Sequoia is making another play in the video space; that is, it has arranged a $4 million investment in TokBox.

With TokBox, you can make video calls - for free. Also, the platform is completely web-based. You don't even have to register for the service. There is also a cool feature that allows you to embed TokBox on a blog or social network.

I had a chance to interview Chase Norlin on the matter (he is the CEO and founder of Pixsy, which is a video search engine). According to him:

"Tokbox is in a very interesting space that has yet to produce a clear winner. The pioneer and current leader of the space is Paltalk, the main difference being that they're a downloadable app. The recent funding of TokBok brings back a lot of memories of eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY)'s Skype in the early days: Find a breakthrough technology, get mass distribution, then figure out how to monetize it later. Hopefully these guys will figure out that last part quicker than Skype has."

If you want to check out other venture fundings, click here.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.

Sequoia Capital backs Tokbox: YouTube redux? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yahoo! (YHOO) displaces Google (GOOG) with DivX deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Amazon's (AMZN) Unbox video service turning into Apple (AAPL) iTunes competitor?

Amazon's (AMZN) Unbox video service turning into Apple (AAPL) iTunes competitor? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.