3-D films hit some speed bumps. Is conventional wisdom off target?

This article originally appeared on SNL Kagan on April 6, 2010. The two most recent 3-D releases have not lived up expectations set by Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. Theater owners probably don’t care but should studio owners? The North American box office continues to chug along, up over 10.9% according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. Most of […]

Will DVDs Bite An Otherwise Good Outlook for Dreamworks Animation?

Analysts and investors are rightly looking ahead to 2010 when deciding how to invest in Dreamworks Animation (DWA). The company has three films coming out next year including two originals and Shrek 4. 2009 is in the books and although Monsters vs. Aliens produced disappointing international box office and will not be a new franchise […]

Monsters vs. Aliens Falling Short

I’ve written catuious commentary since Monsters vs. Aliens opened to $59 million in North America, in line with analyst estimates. The second weekend saw a drop of 45%, which is on the high side. The film is tracking close to Ice Age 2 over the past week but is $10 million behind overall. Ice Age […]

Monsters vs. Aliens Sets Up Two Way Trading in DWA

The next film from Dreamworks Animation (DWA) arrives in theaters on Friday. Monsters. vs. Aliens will easily be the #1 film this weekend and will drive the box office to very positive comparisons But for investors the more pertinent questions are whether the film has a strong enough opening to drive DWA shares higher or […]

Sold Dreamworks as Weak Quarter Raises Long-Term Issues

Despite my hopes that Dreamworks Animation (DWA) had a good set up going into last night’s earnings reports, the stock is going to trade down sharply this morning. Adjusted for a one-time tax benefit, EPS missed estimates due to higher costs associated with new ventures to diversify revenue (TV, virtual worlds, Broadway) and an adjustment […]

Dreamworks Animation Earnings Preview

Several of Northlake’s long positions report this week beginning tonight with Dreamworks Animation (DWA). DWA has been very weak as the collapse in DVD sales has crushed estimates and compacted long-term valuation. However, the stock may be a good setup for a rebound. Getting past the earnings report could allow investors to look forward where […]

Both Dreamworks in the News

Dreamworks is in the news. First, Dreamworks SKG, the privately held, live action movie studio that is home to Steven Spielberg, is changing plans and will use Disney (DIS) as a distribution partner as opposed to Universal Pictures (owned by GE). Second, Dreamworks Animation (DWA), the publicly held animation company, was the subject of a […]

Dreamworks Animation is Relative Safety in Media

There seems to be no place in media to hide as estimates continue to fall and no signs of recovery in advertising or other key revenue drivers is apparent. One stock that largely avoids the potholes in media is Dreamworks Animation. The company is vulnerable on DVD sales but has no advertising exposure. In the […]

Why You Should Own Dreamworks Animation

This will be the first in a new series of columns I will write titled “Why You Should Own…” The first stock is Dreamworks Animation (DWA) . DWA is currently trading at $21, a new 52-week low. The 52-week high was $32.73 on Sept. 2. The market cap is $1.9 billion. At the end of […]

Update on DWA Trade

After sharp sell-off earlier this week, Dreamworks Animation shares reversed hard yesterday and are up again today even as the market trades to its daily lows. I got long DWA recently because of my confidence that (1) Madagascar 2 will exceed analyst estimates for domestic box office, and (2) Kung Fu Panda DVD sales will […]