Tuesday, May 27, 2014

5 Best Media Stocks To Own Right Now

Bloomberg L.P., the financial data and news empire controlled by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, laid out Wednesday its expansion strategy under new media group chief Justin Smith, targeting a broader audience with new topic-specific websites, international licensing of its magazines and more video.

In a blog post, Smith, who came on board last year as CEO of Bloomberg Media Group, said his unit needs to maximize "a series of unique corporate advantages," including a business model that doesn't rely on advertising. "Bloomberg Media's greatest potential has yet to still be realized," he wrote. "As our traditional competitors buckle under their own legacy weight, we are unencumbered."

While it employs more than 2,400 journalists, nearly all of its revenue -- about $8.3 billion in 2013 -- comes from selling data-rich desktop terminals to time-sensitive finance professionals. "Seizing this opportunity will require long-term investment and a large appetite for transformation, risk, as well as a tolerance for intermittent failure," wrote Smith, who gained his digital-media guru reputation at Atlantic Media.

5 Best Media Stocks To Own Right Now: DIRECTV(DTV)

DIRECTV provides digital television entertainment in the United States and Latin America. The company provides direct-to-home (DTH) digital television services, as well as multi-channel video programming distribution services in the United States. It offers various channels of digital-quality video entertainment and CD-quality audio programming directly to subscribers' homes or businesses, as well as video-on-demand services; and approximately 160 national high-definition television channels and 4 3D channels. The company also provides premium professional and collegiate sports programming, such as the NFL SUNDAY TICKET package, which allows subscribers to view the NFL games. In addition, it offers DTH digital television services in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. The company provides its local and international programming under the DIRECTV and SKY brand names. As of December 31, 2010, it served approximately 19.2 million subscribers in the United States; and 8.9 million subscribers in Latin America. The company was founded in 1990 and is based in El Segundo, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Emerson]

    At the time, NDS Group was 80% owned by News Corp (NWSA) and they were providing the smart cards for all Direct TV (DTV) receivers. Further, they were one of only three smart card providers and one of their competitors, Canal Plus a Vivendi subsidiary, was struggling with maintaining the security of their smart card systems which they were providing to non-News Corp television companies throughout Europe. It seems that the access codes on their systems were turning up on the internet and bootleggers were stealing the signals. EcoStar, which would later be spun off by DISH, was making the same claims back in the 1990s. Both companies maintained that News Corp, acting through its subsidiary NDS Group, was the culprit. To make a long story short, Canal Plus filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against News Corp and later on EcoStar would follow suit.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So, Comcast (CMCSA), consider yourself flattered, because Time Warner Cable (TWC) is copying off your homework. A couple of weeks ago, we told you about Comcast's "Great New Secret Cable Plan" to try to halt the exodus of subscribers from its services. The Comcast plan allows subscribers to sign up for: A menu of 45 or so of the most-watched, most useful cable channels The premium pay-TV channel HBO -- plus included HBO GO service for mobile devices High-speed Internet access at speeds up to 25 Mbps A subscription to XFINITY Streampix, Comcast's service for streaming video of complete seasons of popular television shows from recent years past... ... all for the low, low price of just $40 or $50 a month (depending on location). The plan was "secret" because Comcast didn't make much of an effort -- or really effort -- to publicize it. There's hardly even a mention of the plan on the company's website. In other words, it seems like Comcast would prefer to keep the new plan hush-hush so you continue paying for one of their more expensive bundles. However, word of Comcast's under-the-radar new plan get out -- nearly 5,500 DailyFinance readers printed, emailed, commented on, Tweeted, or Facebooked our story on Comcast's "Internet Plus" bundle last month. So Comcast competitor Time Warner did what any good competitor does: It copied the model and, this week, began offering a similar plan of its own: Dubbed "Starter TV with HBO," Time Warner's plan is an even more slimmed-down version of Comcast's idea. It features: "20+" cable channels, including the five biggies -- ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and PBS HBO and HBO GO and... well, actually, that's about it. At $30 a month, Time Warner handily undercuts Comcast's Internet Plus offer on price. And yet, it's hard not to wonder if customers aren't still overpaying. For one thing, Time Warner's Starter TV with HBO offer

  • [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

    DirecTV is a digital television entertainment company that offers satellite services to consumers and companies across the nation. Despite multiple reports on Thursday saying the NFL and DirecTV have reached a new agreement to keep the exclusive Sunday Ticket package on satellite television, the league says no deal has been reached. The stock has been trending higher in recent years and is now trading slightly below all time highs. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been rising, leaving investors pleased about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its peers and sector, DirecTV has been an average relative performer year-to-date. Look for DirecTV to OUTPERFORM.

5 Best Media Stocks To Own Right Now: Comcast Corporation(CMCSA)

Comcast Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications products and services in the United States and internationally. Its Cable Communications segment provides video, high-speed Internet, and phone services to residential and business customers. As of June 30, 2011, its cable systems served approximately 22.5 million video customers, 17.5 million high-speed Internet customers, and 9.1 million phone customers. The company?s Cable Networks segment operates cable entertainment networks, such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Style, G4, Chiller, Sleuth, and Universal HD; news and information networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and CNBC World; cable sports networks comprising Golf Channel and VERSUS; regional sports and news networks; international entertainment, and news and information networks, such as CNBC Europe, CNBC Asia, and Universal Networks International portfolio of networks; cable television production oper ations; and digital media properties consisting primarily of brand-aligned Websites and other Websites, such as DailyCandy, Fandango, and iVillage. Its Broadcast Television segment operates the U.S. broadcast networks, NBC and Telemundo; 10 NBC and 15 Telemundo owned local television stations; broadcast television productions; and related digital media properties. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment operates Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television, and other distribution platforms. Its Theme Parks segment operates Universal Studios Hollywood park and Wet ?n Wild water park, as well as licenses intellectual properties and provides services to third parties that own and operate Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore. Comcast Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Michael Calia]

    Comcast Corp.(CMCSA) is much more likely to work with Charter Communications Inc.(CHTR) on a bid for Time Warner Cable Inc.(TWC) than to pursue an offer on its own, said a person familiar with the situation–a major boost to Charter’s hopes of winning the takeover battle.

  • [By Tim Beyers]

    There's reason to be optimistic. Grimm is an audience favorite -- a 2012 People's Choice award nominee, to be specific -- that's also a draw for Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) NBCUniversal, capturing nearly 7 million viewers per episode last season. AMC Networks has enjoyed similar (OK, greater) success with the comics-sourced hit�The Walking Dead.

Top 5 Beverage Companies To Buy For 2015: Thomson Reuters Corp(TRI)

Thomson Reuters Corporation provides intelligent information for businesses and professionals worldwide. The company allows market participants to connect, access content, and trade in a secure environment through Thomson Reuters Eikon desktop, Thomson Reuters Elektron network, content integration and management technology, content feeds and databases, and transactions infrastructure solutions that support buy- and sell-side customers to trade in foreign exchange, fixed income and derivatives, equities, exchange-traded instruments, and commodities and energy markets. It also offers information, analytics, workflow, and technology solutions to buy-side and off-trading floor customers; access to liquidity in over-the-counter markets, trade execution, and connections for market participants and financial professionals? communities; and a suite of solutions offering informed outcomes to regulated industries and law firms. In addition, the company provides critical information , decision support tools, and software and services to legal, investigation, business, and government professionals; integrated tax compliance and accounting software and services for accounting and law firms, corporations, and government professionals; intellectual property and scientific resources that enable its customers to discover, develop, and deliver innovations; and data analytics, and performance benchmarking solutions and services to healthcare sector. Further, it offers coverage of global, regional, and national news in 20 languages covering politics, business, finance, entertainment, lifestyle, technology, health, science, and sports; and engages in advertising-supported direct-to-consumer publishing activities of Reuters.com and its network of Websites, mobile applications, and electronic out-of-home displays. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Wolfe]

    Thomson Reuters (TRI)

    On Feb. 11, Thomson Reuters declared a dividend of $0.330 per share, representing 3.80% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on March 17 to shareholders of the record at the close of business on Feb. 24, 2014.

5 Best Media Stocks To Own Right Now: Time Warner Inc.(TWX)

Time Warner Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Networks, Filmed Entertainment, and Publishing. The Networks segment provides domestic and international networks, premium pay and basic tier television programming services, and digital media properties, which primarily consist of brand-aligned Websites. Its premium pay television services consist of the multi-channel HBO and Cinemax premium pay television services. This segment provides programming to cable system operators, satellite service distributors, telephone companies, and other distributors; sells advertising; and licenses original programming to domestic and international television networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces and distributes feature films, television and other programming, and videogames; distributes home video products; and licenses rights to its feature films, television programming, and characters. T he Publishing segment publishes magazines and books; and operates various Websites, as well as engages in marketing services and direct-marketing businesses. This segment publishes magazines on style and entertainment, lifestyle, news, and sports. The company?s brands include TNT, TBS, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time. Time Warner Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter -- a notorious bear who's been burned with his $65 price target on Netflix that he recently raised to $80 -- argued on Yahoo!'s Breakout last week that Netflix isn't a fitting rival to Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX  ) HBO because it doesn't own its original programming the way HBO does with Game of Thrones or The Sopranos.

  • [By Roger Conrad]

    They've again, outspent the next—AT&T has outspent numbers three through 15 in the US communications market, and that three through 15 includes companies like Comcast (CMCSA), Sprint (S), T-Mobile USA (TMUS), Time Warner (TWX), so some rather large companies that have been making a lot of noise in the press, but AT&T continues to outspend them, outspend pretty much everybody except for Verizon—they're pretty much neck and neck.

  • [By Tim Beyers]

    At a venue well known for dramatic revelations, Man of Steel director Zack Snyder made what might be the biggest reveal of all at this year's San Diego Comic-Con: Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) will bring Batman and Superman together in 2015.

  • [By Tim Beyers]

    Promise: The bigger idea, of course, is to use television to expand the range and scope of the DC Cinematic Universe so that when Wonder Woman appears in 2015's Batman vs. Superman, a significant portion of the mythos will have already been established elsewhere. That, in turn, should make it easier for studio parent Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) to focus on epics rather than origin stories.

5 Best Media Stocks To Own Right Now: Time Warner Cable Inc(TWC)

Time Warner Cable Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a cable operator in the United States. It offers video, high-speed data, and voice services over its broadband cable systems to residential and commercial customers. The company provides a range of video services, including on-demand, high-definition (HD), and digital video recorder (DVR) services; residential high-speed data services with connection to the Internet; wireless mobile broadband Internet services; and digital phone services to residential customers. It offers video programming tiers and music services; high-speed data, networking, and transport services; and commercial digital phone service to small and medium-sized businesses under the Time Warner Cable Business Class brand. Further, Time Warner Cable Inc. sells advertising to various national, regional, and local customers. As of June 30, 2011, the company served approximately 14.5 million residential and commercial customers in the New Yor k State, the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California, and Texas. Time Warner Cable Inc. is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Will Ashworth]

    The proposed merger of Comcast (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (TWC) will create a cable distribution colossus with 30 million subscribers. That’s almost seven times as many customers as its next biggest rival. Content providers worry that a bigger Comcast means less room for negotiation when it comes to fees.�For bigger firms such as Disney (DIS), it could actually be a blessing rather than a curse.

  • [By Charles Sizemore]

    AT&T�� purchase of DirecTV is very much a ��e too��merger following the $45 billion union of Comcast (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (TWC) to form a TV and internet juggernaut. From the looks of things, it looks as if AT&T�� motivation was a fear of being left behind by its larger rivals. The move will massively expand AT&T�� pay TV presence; at 20 million, DirecTV has roughly four times as many TV subscribers as AT&T.

  • [By Louis Navellier]

    Comcast, as you probably know, is a huge player in media, entertainment and communications. It is perhaps best known for Comcast Cable, which beats out Time Warner Cable (TWC) as the largest cable operator in the U.S.

  • [By Steven Russolillo]

    By comparison, retail giant Target Corp.(TGT) has a $39 billion market cap, Yahoo Inc.(YHOO) has a $41.1 billion market value and Time Warner Cable(TWC) has a market cap of $37.6 billion.

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