Media stocks kept tumbling this week dropping to new recent lows yesterday in many cases after underperforming Tuesday’s rally. Lehman’s across the board downgrade of the big conglomerates got the latest drubbing started. Lehman’s opinion was based a new, more negative view of the risk to content creators form the transition to digital distribution. I […]
Comcast COO Stephen Burke spoke recently at an industry conference and had some interesting insights. I would have missed it if not for my subscription to SNL Kagan. Burke spoke optimistically of the possibility of picking up millions of basic cable subscribers in 2009 due to the transition to digital TV. Kagan calculates that as […]
AdAge.com posted an article analyzing census data from the perspective of marketers. The data was interesting although I guess not all that surprising once it was laid out. I think that the implications go far behind marketing. Here are the key conclusions: (1) the US is aging with the average age for the head of […]
The media biz never rests. Even on a holiday weekend. NBC Universal is buying The Weather Channel for $3.5 billion from privately held Landmark Communications. With NBCU buried in General Electric, the stock impact stretches to other media companies. First, Time Warner at one time was in the running. TWX has tons of cash coming […]
There were no changes again this month to Northlake’s Market Cap and Style models. The signals continue to flash mid cap and growth. As a result, I am maintaining client and personal positions in the S&P 400 Mid Cap (MDY) and the Russell 1000 Growth (IWF) that are dedicated to this strategy. Both signals weakened […]
Yesterday, I noted that Zenith Optimedia raised its global ad forecast for 2008 due to strength in developing markets. Central and Eastern Europe was one of the regions with particularly good growth for 2008, with a forecast of 17%. With growth in CEE markets holding steady despite some initial impacts from the global credit and […]
Yesterday, I noted that Zenith Optimedia raised its global ad forecast for 2008 due to strength in developing markets. Central and Eastern Europe was one of the regions with particularly good growth for 2008, with a forecast of 17%. With growth in CEE markets holding steady despite some initial impacts from the global credit and […]
I want to make sure everyone saw that Zenith Optimedia reduced its forecast for 2008 US advertising growth. Zenith presents its year ahead forecast each December at the UBS Media and Communications Conference. I attend that conference most years and have always been impressed by the Zenith presentation. The new forecast calls for a gain […]
A whirlwind weekend had me all over the place so just a brief comment on another great weekend for the box office this morning. But first, major props to Providence, RI where I dropped my daughter off for a summer in the Early College program at Rhode Island School of Design. The city has done […]
Dreamworks Animation (DWA) shares popped yesterday afternoon. I presume it was due to a report from Jessica Reif of Merrill Lynch which I received after the close. Jessica raised her 2Q08 and 2008 EPS estimates from below to above consensus on the basis of the strength in the Kung Fu Panda box office. She noted […]
