Dow Jones Shows Signs of Life

Dow Jones (DJ) reported better than expected 2Q06 earnings. EPS rose 15% to 39 cents, ahead of the consensus estimate of 35 cents. Revenues actually came in a little light of expectations, growing just 6%, but margins expanded and operating income rose over 16%. This quarter showed evidence of the operating leverage that investors expect […]

Motorola Comes Through and the Stock Climbs

Beat and raise. That is what investors have demanded from MOT to reward the stock. Last night’s earnings report did the trick. EPS of 34 cents were better than 31 cents expected. Revenues of $10.9 billion were $600 million ahead of estimates. Handset shipments of 51.9 million easily beat the 48 million target and the […]

Crisis Events Can Be Bullish Once They End

My pals at Ned Davis Research (NDR) provided a reminder about how the markets respond well to crisis events. I’m not sure the latest phase of the decline that began in mid-May was necessarily triggered by the Mideast crisis but I think the blow-up in Lebanon does qualify as a crisis event. NDR has identified […]

New York Times: Still Struggling

New York Times (NYT) reported adjusted EPS of 46 cents in line with guidance. Most key financial measures closely matched analyst estimates including revenues, costs, and margins. As with Gannett (GCI) and Tribune (TRB), advertising and circulation trends were weak and there is no sign of an upturn. NYT and its peers continue to effectively […]

Another Dull Quarter From Gannett

2Q06 earnings and commentary from Gannett (GCI) can best be described as more of the same. Neither the numbers nor the Q&A provided significant new insights. GCI remains stuck in a no-growth environment with no prospects for a pickup. The only bull case is that the stock is getting cheap on a historical basis and […]

Some Thoughts Ahead of Apple’s Earnings

I wrote the following before my Barron’s showed up on Saturday with a bullish cover story on Apple Computer (AAPL). Barron’s has previously written negatively on AAPL so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that AAPL shares have firmed up this week. The story is consistent with what I have been writing about AAPL. I’ll […]

Disney Pulls Back But Its Not Due To Pirates

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (POTC) continues to rule the box office. Nevertheless, Disney (DIS) shares have sold off since the movie was released. I wouldn’t chalk that up to any disappointment over the film, however. In the early part of last week, before catching a downgrade on Thursday, DIS shares actually outperformed […]

Motorola Earnings Preview

Motorola (MOT) reports after the close on Wednesday, July 19th. Despite weak stock price performance and negative datapoints from the supply chain, analysts expect MOT to post a good 2Q. In fact, recent analyst commentary has had an improving tone as it relates to the quarter. This is probably because other handset vendors have reported […]

Analyzing Disney’s Pirates Treasure Chest

The daily box office results for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (POTC) continue to be astounding. After its record breaking opening weekend, POTC easily set mid-week daily records, and now has the 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10-day records. The film appears headed toward $400 million domestic and over $900 million worldwide, ahead […]

Taking A Look At Regal’s Ownership of National Cinemedia

Regal Entertainment (RGC) was one of the only green stocks on my monitor yesterday and has held up extremely well against the losuy market envrionment over the past few months. Yesterday,the stock benefited from an upgrade by Bear Stearns, even if the upgrade was only from sell to neutral. Previously, a firming box office and […]