Yet, when I look at the latest earnings report, I don't feel as upbeat as the market. According to the press release (the link goes to a .pdf file), revenues were flat for the third quarter and adjusted income dropped to 25 cents per share from the year-ago figure of 39 cents per share.

Continue reading CBS challenged in Q3, waiting for better advertising climate

CBS challenged in Q3, waiting for better advertising climate originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Unemployment must not be relevant (GE, ACOM, FNM, ZIOP, MOT, NVDA)

Closing Bell: Unemployment must not be relevant (GE, ACOM, FNM, ZIOP, MOT, NVDA) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Bernstein upgraded General Electric (NYSE: GE) to Outperform from Market Perform Thursday after the close. The firm sees an improved risk/reward on the stock and raised its price target to $19 from $18.
• Bernstein also upgraded Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) to Outperform from Market Perform as it believes sales growth and margin expansion expectations are too low. The firm raised its target on shares to $160 from $125.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded CBS (NYSE: CBS) to Neutral from Underweight following the company's Q3 results and raised its target on shares to $13 from $12.
• JPMorgan upgraded Macy's (NYSE: M) to Overweight from Neutral to reflect the company's improving comps. The firm has a $23 target on the stock.
• Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.
• Travelers (NYSE: TRV) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMZN, CBS, CVS, DE, GE, M, TRV ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMZN, CBS, CVS, DE, GE, M, TRV ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS), the big media conglomerate that competes with Disney (NYSE: DIS), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), and General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal, issued Q1 data on Wednesday after regular trading was over. Revenues declined 4%, but earnings per share went up 10% to 22 cents. According to Bloomberg, that was enough to beat analysts by four pennies.

That's pretty decent for the company, but there are a couple of spots in need of serious help. It goes without saying that the newspaper industry is having a rough time, so it's not so hard to understand why the news groups experienced a significant decline in operating income.

Continue reading News Corp. beats forecasts, but television business is weak

News Corp. beats forecasts, but television business is weak originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Adjusted earnings per share grew over 20% to 28 cents per share. According to our earnings preview, the market was looking for 25 cents per share. Operating cash flow increased a little under 3%, but free cash flow went up almost 20%, aided by a smaller amount of capital expenditures compared to the previous year's similar quarter. I'm sure shareholders are more than satisfied with the growth rate of the green stuff over the past three months. Comcast saw excellent expansion of free cash over the last nine months, too.

Continue reading Comcast grows free cash in Q3, but when will it do a deal?

Comcast grows free cash in Q3, but when will it do a deal? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, the company's A shares are down slightly as I write this by about 0.6%, and the B shares are just about flat. Like I say, if the broader indexes were in an uptrend this afternoon, we probably would have seen a pop in the stock.

Continue reading Viacom does well in Q3, but there is still work to be done

Viacom does well in Q3, but there is still work to be done originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The housing bubble and subsequent "Great Recession" have tarnished the stars of a good many of the world's financial wizards, such as the former heads at Lehman Bros. and Merrill Lynch. But one respected image remains -- perhaps unsurprisingly -- on top: Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO at Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A).

That's according to a recent quarterly poll of investors, traders, and analysts who subscribe to Bloomberg terminals, those somewhat cryptic news and data computers that are ubiquitous on Wall Street. Buffett, who received favorable nods from 25% of those participating in the poll, walked away with a plurality of the vote, Bloomberg News reported.

Continue reading Buffett's star shines brightest among world's financial gurus, poll shows

Buffett's star shines brightest among world's financial gurus, poll shows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I don't believe it. I never thought it could happen. Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) released Saw VI this past weekend. Surely the latest cinematic celebration of cruelty would be the number-one picture at domestic theaters, right? Saw is a big brand when it comes to torture movies. Jigsaw is a Freddy Krueger (and beyond) for the new generation. The teens would be out in full force to support all the latest traps and sequences of dismemberment and bloodletting for sure.

Well, Saw VI didn't come out on top. Instead, Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Paranormal Activity made the most money in the race for domination at the multiplex, scoring approximately $22 million according to early estimates from Box Office Mojo. The new Saw did come in second, though, so that was at least some consolation, correct?

Continue reading Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' plays Jigsaw's game -- and wins

Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' plays Jigsaw's game -- and wins originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A new executive team is trying to bring MySpace back to its former glory. By focusing on music, videos and games, it hopes to recapture some of its luster. With the MySpace refugees mounting, it's time for some new blood to make some brilliant, future-changing decisions. This week, the company is holding a conference for its global ad sales team to explore ways to bring in traffic and beef up ad spending.

MySpace is poised to haul in $495 million in ad revenue this year, down 15% from last year's $585 million, according to research firm eMarketer. In August, MySpace attracted 64.2 million unique visitors from the United States, off 15% from August 2008, according to comScore, while Facebook pulled in 92.2 million unique U.S. visitors - up more than 100% year-over-year.

Continue reading MySpace (still) refocusing on entertainment content

MySpace (still) refocusing on entertainment content originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) Where the Wild Things Are was number one over the past weekend at domestic theaters as of early estimates from Box Office Mojo. The film grossed well over $30 million. Coming in second was Law Abiding Citizen. If Wild Things wasn't in the market this weekend, that one definitely would have been tops at the multiplex. The revenge fest, from Liberty Capital Group's (NASDAQ: LCAPA) Overture Films, brought in $21 million.

Right on the heels of that project is the very cheaply made Paranormal Activity, courtesy of Viacom (NYSE: VIA). It made about $20 million. So far, Activity has generated over $30 million in total. And they say the little horror extravaganza cost less than $20,000 to produce!

Continue reading Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' continues to wow Hollywood

Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' continues to wow Hollywood originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) higher Q3 earnings topped expectations but revenue was in line.
• Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) posted better-than-expected Q3 results, but shares sold off.
• Allegheny Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ATI) was downgraded on concerns about its Q4 guidance.
• Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) shares fell after it posted a deeper-than-expected quarterly loss.
• Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) fell victim to profit taking despite reporting better-than-expected earnings.
• CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) better-than-expected Q3 earnings sent shares higher, despite a decline in revenue.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: C, GE, GOOG, HOG, INTC, IBM, JNJ, JPM, MAT, NOK ...

Earnings highlights: C, GE, GOOG, HOG, INTC, IBM, JNJ, JPM, MAT, NOK ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Not all earnings created equal (GOOG, BAC, GE, AMD, PMTI, JNJ)

Closing Bell: Not all earnings created equal (GOOG, BAC, GE, AMD, PMTI, JNJ) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading General Electric (GE) drops on disappointing Q3 revenue

General Electric (GE) drops on disappointing Q3 revenue originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Dow 10,000 is meaningless

Serious Money: Dow 10,000 is meaningless originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Stock futures lower after GE beats, BofA reports loss

Before the bell: Stock futures lower after GE beats, BofA reports loss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the advertising market could be ready for an upswing. Michael Morris, an analyst at UBS, is making a connection between improved sales at retail stores and a robust environment for commercials and the like. His reasoning is sound: if retail businesses are doing better, then they might want want to take advantage of new cash levels to invest in marketing initiatives aimed at bringing in traffic.

Indeed, the advertising industry has been in the dumps. Any good news is welcome. Media entities such as Disney (NYSE: DIS), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), Viacom (NYSE: VIA), CBS (NYSE: CBS), News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWS), and General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal, are counting on increased opportunities to sell their respective inventories at better prices.

Continue reading Will media companies benefit from a better advertising climate?

Will media companies benefit from a better advertising climate? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

General Electric's (NYSE: GE) studio division didn't have a great summer at the box office. This past weekend, though, the company's new comedy made waves at the box office.

According to Box Office Mojo, Universal's Couples Retreat, starring Vince Vaughn, took in about $35 million at domestic theaters as of early estimates, more than enough to capture the top slot. Sony (NYSE: SNE) took the next two spots on the chart with Zombieland, and the resilient cartoon Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, respectively. Don't get too cocky, though, Sony, because Disney (NYSE: DIS) was right behind you with its Toy Story 3D special release.

Continue reading GE's 'Couples Retreat' or Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' -- which is really No. 1?

GE's 'Couples Retreat' or Viacom's 'Paranormal Activity' -- which is really No. 1? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: The bull returns ahead of earnings (GE, WFC, FOLD, CIEN, VG)

Closing Bell: The bull returns ahead of earnings (GE, WFC, FOLD, CIEN, VG) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Printers of the world unite! Feeling the squeeze from the likes of Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), a group of magazine publishers is forming an industrywide joint venture ... for protection.

Led by Time Inc., a division of Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), participating companies would create a digital storefront for their content. In this way, they could peddle their goods without the hefty carve-outs that come with Amazon and Apple deals.

Continue reading Print pubs inch closer to the internet

Print pubs inch closer to the internet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• UBS upgraded Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $265 from $170, citing higher iPhone expectations, new partnerships, and likely upward revisions to Street estimates driven by gross margins.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) to Outperform from Market Perform. The firm views a possible deal between end General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal positively, as it thinks NBC will provide higher-margin growth for Comcast.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Michael Baker (AMEX: BKR) to Buy from Neutral after the company completed the sale of its Energy business. The firm raised its target on shares to $46 from $40.
• Jefferies assumed coverage of Endo Pharma (NASDAQ: ENDP) and upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold. The firm cites valuation, a strong base business, and solid cash flow for the upgrade, and has a $30 target price on shares.
• Marten Transport (NASDAQ: MRTN) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.
• U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AAPL, BAC, C, CMCSA, NOK, USB ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AAPL, BAC, C, CMCSA, NOK, USB ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.