If you took a look at the very recent movement in Nintendo's (NTDOY) American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), you would probably come away thinking that they could be a buy. Hey, they very well could be.

However, if you took a look at a recent Reuters article, you might suddenly question the idea of stocking up on those very same ADRs. That's because, simply put, the cultural status of the Wii seems to be further weakening. Not only that, but the extremely popular Nintendo DS handheld system is facing increasing competition from other devices.

Continue reading Nintendo: Buy or Sell?

Nintendo: Buy or Sell? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Video Game Industry Remains Challenged

Video Game Industry Remains Challenged originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nintendo Has Sold a Lot of Wii Systems: Does It Matter to Stock?

Nintendo Has Sold a Lot of Wii Systems: Does It Matter to Stock? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This winter should be an exciting time for video game companies. Unfortunately, at the moment fan favorite Nintendo (NTDOY) is powering down.

Nintendo announced revenues of only ¥189 billion, much lower than the consensus estimate of ¥212 billion. Earnings came in at a ¥197 loss, widely missing the consensus estimate of ¥34 billion.

Continue reading Nintendo Powering Down Ahead of 3DS Launch

Nintendo Powering Down Ahead of 3DS Launch originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Will New Video-Game Technology Help Microsoft?

Will New Video-Game Technology Help Microsoft? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nintendo Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NTDOY) is an entity I've been cautious on. I've made money on it before, but to be honest, even though it has done very well for some market players in recent months, I find the ADRs difficult to buy. They are currently priced at $42.45. I would really like to see them a lot lower before entertaining a trade.

Problem is, I'm not sure when, or if, they will go lower (not in the short term, anyway). They're currently near a 52-week high, and after a news item I just read, I have to admit I'm feeling more and more bullish on the business.

Continue reading Is Nintendo a Buy?

Is Nintendo a Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 May 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

However, net profit rose over 80% because of currency issues. This was pretty cool, since the effect of the yen had been a previous concern. Also cool was the fact that Nintendo came in ahead of estimates.

Continue reading Nintendo: Not Necessarily a Buy After Report

Nintendo: Not Necessarily a Buy After Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The video-game sector is getting scary. We've all been hearing reports about slowing sales and stagnant stock prices in the industry. Wait, did I just say stagnant stock prices? How about plunging stock prices?

I myself have been hit by bad news in this area. Earlier today, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) fired a shot at competitor GameStop (GME). Looks like some kind of pricing war could erupt. Great for consumers, bad for my portfolio! I am currently in a trade with GameStop, and I am not happy.

Continue reading Nintendo down today as video-game sector gets scary

Nintendo down today as video-game sector gets scary originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Morale has plunged among military personnel in Afghanistan as a result of record violence in the war, according to the U.S. Army. A battlefield survey found that the situation is particularly problematic for soldiers on their third and fourth combat tours, and junior enlisted soldiers are most likely to experience marital problems because of deployment. Though it's not a complete solution, the study did find that limited doses of technology - either through video games or internet access - can help.

The study, obtained by NBC News, revealed that more than 20% of soldiers are experiencing combat stress, and half of them are having difficulties getting professional help. Combat Stress units in Afghanistan, the report says, are "undermanned," and this type of unit has no presence in the southern part of Afghanistan, where most of the combat is taking place.

Continue reading Internet holds the answer to combat stress, but in small doses only

Internet holds the answer to combat stress, but in small doses only originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Adjusted revenues were up a scant 2%. Earnings per share, excluding items, actually showed a profit of 6 cents. This was a lot better than the loss of 6 cents per share seen in the year-ago frame. The company also managed to generate a small amount of cash from operations in the quarter instead of using a whole bunch like it did last time around.

Continue reading Electronic Arts not popular with investors after Q2 report

Electronic Arts not popular with investors after Q2 report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Aflac Inc. (NYSE: AFL) reported strong Q3 results, declared a dividend, and offered guidance for Q4.
• Avon Products Inc. (NYSE: AVP) Q3 earnings slumped and revenue was hurt by currency translations.
• BP (NYSE: BP) shares leaped higher after it reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings.
• Daimler AG (NYSE: DAI) reported that it returned to profitability in Q3 but warned of decreasing revenue.
• General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD) Q3 earnings beat expectations and it lifted its earnings outlook.
• Hershey Co. (NYSE: HSY) posted strong Q3 earnings and expects full-year earnings ahead of forecasts.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Aflac, Avon, BP, Hershey, Kellogg, Nintendo, P&G, Sprint ...

Earnings highlights: Aflac, Avon, BP, Hershey, Kellogg, Nintendo, P&G, Sprint ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If the Wii were still cool, Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) wouldn't have had to take a heavy hand to its full-year earnings forecast. The company's profit fell 52% year-over-year for the past quarter, due in large part to a decline in the game's popularity. Demand has slipped, with Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) gaining ground with the core market of zealous gamers. Also, it's seen its position eroded by Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone, which is picking up some momentum as a gaming platform.

Nintendo's Q3 operating profit dropped to JPY64 billion ($709 million), falling far short of the analyst estimate of JPY90 billion. For the year ending March 2010, the company has chopped its forecast to JPY370 billion, far lower than the analyst expectation of JPY442.8 billion.

After dominating the gaming industry for the past three years, Nintendo's Wii gave up its position in the top spot to Sony's PlayStation 3 last month. The company has also been hurt by an increase in the value of the yen, which has hurt all Japanese exporters. Yet, even by local standards, Nintendo isn't measuring up. Its stock price is down 28% this year, compared to a 14% increase in the Nikkei 225.

Wii dethroned, Nintendo profit halved originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You got to hand it to Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX). At a time when movie rental houses -- chief among them, rival Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI) -- are struggling to keep their doors open, Netflix is prospering, rolling out new initiatives and finding new ways for video-hungry consumers to watch movies.

On Thursday, co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings told investors on a conference call that the company will soon partner with another consumer-electronics maker to make streaming video available on more devices. That's on top of deals Netflix has already struck with Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) and its Xbox, which expires next month, and Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY), with its line of Insignia brand Blu-Ray disc players.

Continue reading On an earnings roll, Netflix eyes streaming video market as new frontier

On an earnings roll, Netflix eyes streaming video market as new frontier originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, it's been an exciting month for the video-game industry. Viacom (NYSE: VIA) and Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) released The Beatles: Rock Band to the market. Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) cut the price of the Wii in an effort to better compete with Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). And rumors of consolidation in the industry are getting heavy. The buzz on some corners of Wall Street is that perhaps a major media conglomerate might want to take over THQ (NASDAQ: THQI).

According to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), either Viacom or Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) might be interested in the publisher. There are plenty of reasons to believe this would be a logical move for either of those two. And there are plenty of reasons to suggest that buying THQ wouldn't make sense. I mean, take Viacom: wouldn't it rather concentrate on the Rock Band franchise? As for Time Warner, does it truly desire the hassle of integrating THQ? Right now, Time Warner's stock is in an upswing, and I don't think shareholders would want to ruin such momentum with the purchase of a software company that has been experiencing growth problems.

Continue reading THQ and the acquisition thesis

THQ and the acquisition thesis originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's finally happened. Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) has reduced the price of its Wii gaming console. What once was $250 is now $200 (or, technically, $199.99, the psychologically important way of designating the new cost).

Why did Nintendo do this? Because both Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Sony (NYSE: SNE) have cut the costs of their own entertainment systems. Plus, we're simply at that point in the latest video-game cycle when cuts are implemented. Hardware eventually becomes less expensive. When demand levels fall off, more casual, value-oriented consumers are courted with cheaper prices.

Continue reading Will the new cost of the Wii benefit Nintendo investors?

Will the new cost of the Wii benefit Nintendo investors? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fair or not, Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) has a reputation for a shallow pipeline of shareholder-enhancing software. It is known simply as the Grand Theft Auto publisher. There's more to Take-Two, of course. There are sports titles, for example. There's BioShock. How about the big hit for the Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) Wii, Carnival Games? What about Borderlands?

That's all well and good, but if you look at the company's latest earnings report, you'll have no choice but to conclude that the one-game reputation is firmly intact.

Take-Two's top line plummeted 68% during the fiscal third quarter. Net loss on an adjusted basis came to 66 cents per share. There was a huge profit of 93 cents per share in the year-ago period, driven by the fourth edition of Grand Theft Auto. Not a great comparison. At least the performance was a little better than expectations. According to Earnings.com, Wall Street was calling for a loss of around 68 cents per share.

Continue reading Take-Two Interactive reports Q3 loss

Take-Two Interactive reports Q3 loss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So you've heard the news I'm sure. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is not standing still in the video-game wars. It recently reduced the price of the Xbox 360 Elite system by $100. We now have parity between an Xbox 360 unit and a Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 3 console.

It's going to be interesting to see how hardware sales perform in the coming months. Intuitively, one would have to expect a bump in the number of units sold for both companies. But which one will win out?

Continue reading Microsoft, Sony, and the cheaper Xbox 360

Microsoft, Sony, and the cheaper Xbox 360 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, it had to happen sometime. Nothing lasts forever, right? Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) and its fabulous Wii system are no longer hot. To be certain, the Wii is still very, very popular. But from an investing/trading standpoint, you've got to sit up and take notice of the story and highlight not only how it's changed, but how it may change in the near future.

According to Bloomberg, Nintendo's top line decreased 40%, while the profit line tumbled a little over 60%. The Wii unfortunately took a huge hit to its momentum: sales of the console, which competes with Sony's (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xbox 360, plunged 57% in terms of units. Besides issues relating to the fad and its possible death, the yen, as expected, also had an effect on Nintendo's prospects.

Continue reading Nintendo and the Wii have tough quarter -- should investors stay away?

Nintendo and the Wii have tough quarter -- should investors stay away? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I was looking around today for a stock to buy. I came up empty-handed. One of my ideas was Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI). I was intrigued this week by reports that said the company wants to have the launch to end all launches for the next Call of Duty title. Quite frankly, I think there's a chance the company will succeed with this. So, naturally, my thoughts turned to shares of Activision Blizzard as a possible buy candidate. Although I already own the stock in a longer-term, taxed portfolio, I wanted a trade for my Roth IRA.

Well, I couldn't buy the company. It's up today (3% at the time of this writing), and I do not want to buy any stock when it's up. Not now, at any rate. The market has come too far too fast, in my opinion, and I want to trade carefully. But, while looking at Activision Blizzard, I came across this article from Ben Kuchera over at Ars Technica. He discusses comments made by the publisher's CEO, Bobby Kotick, on Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) and its PlayStation platforms.

Continue reading Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick needs to tone down rhetoric

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick needs to tone down rhetoric originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earlier in the week, I discussed Sony Corporation's (NYSE: SNE) new PSP system that is set to arrive in the fall. It didn't make me want to buy the stock. And I don't think the Nintendo DS has anything to worry about.

Now, I'd like to mention a smart move by Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY). According to reports, Nintendo is programming a new Super Mario Bros. adventure for the Wii. What's really cool about it is the fact that it isn't 3D. Now, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with 3D games. But I always think the idea of returning Mario to his 2D roots is a good one. That kind of environment is where Mario really shines; 2D is in the plumber's DNA, believe me.

Continue reading Will a new Mario game help Nintendo?

Will a new Mario game help Nintendo? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.