ESPN Concerns Trump Star Wars and Theme Parks For Now

Disney (DIS) reported excellent December quarter earnings driven the massive success of Star Wars.  Star Wars not only drove the studio but also boosted consumer product sales.  Theme parks also had a very strong quarter.  Despite a big beat to consensus EPS estimates, investors focused on slightly disappointing growth in affiliate fess earned by DIS’s […]

Facebook Offers Opportunity After Good Earnings

Facebook (FB) is a new buy for Northlake clients. The social networking giant operates its original namesake product, as well as other widely used and fast-growing services including Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. The company’s most recent quarterly results demonstrate strong user engagement and strong ad sales trends. This momentum is largely due to FB’s successful […]

Core Google Shows Accelerating Growth

Alphabet (GOOG/GOOGL) reported excellent 4Q15 results.  Revenue trends accelerated for the second consecutive quarter and operating profit margins expanded.  It appears that Google is finally benefitting from the transition to mobile internet.  There have been long standing concerns about whether search on mobile could maintain its high growth rate and profitability.  The worries related to […]

Have Apple Shares Fully Reset for No Growth 2016?

Apple reported December quarter results in line with recently lowered Wall Street expectations.  A much greater focus for investors was guidance for the current quarter.  Apple released guidance that was below Wall Street analyst estimates but similar to the much lower expectations held by large investors like hedge funds and mutual funds.  It is not […]

After Rough Stretch CBS Stabilizing

CBS reported a mixed quarter against low expectations.  The highlight of the quarter is the company is returning to growth on the operating income line with a big accelerating ahead on 2016 on the back of political advertising.  CBS shares have perfomed poorly this year as earnings estimates moved steadily lower.  At one point, Northlake […]

Disney Reassures with Good Quarter and Commentary

Disney (DIS) reported better than expected 4Q15 earnings, a great relief to investors following the controversial 3Q 15 report in August that send DIS and other media stocks into a spiral of declines ranging from 20-30% in just a few weeks.  The issue in August was a lowering of guidance due to foreign currency hedges […]

All Quiet On Liberty Front For Now

It was a quiet quarter for the Liberty Media family of companies owned in Northlake client portfolios.  We could get some fresh news on these event driven stocks later this week when Liberty hosts its annual analyst meeting in New York.  We will be attending this year. Liberty Media (LMCA) remains tied to its 60% […]

Activision: The New KING of Mobile

Activision Blizzard (ATVI) announced strong quarterly results that beat street estimates on sales and earnings per share while raising full year guidance. The updated full year guidance is slightly below street consensus estimates, but seems understandably conservative ahead of ATVI’s launch of the next iteration of their most important franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops […]

Boring Apple Quarter Good Enough For Now

Northlake clients have owned Apple (AAPL) since early 2005, a period now covering over 40 quarterly earnings reports and conference calls.  The most recent report and quarter ahead guidance issued earlier this week was the closest match to Wall Street estimates so far.  Granted when Tim Cook took over as CEO, the company changed its […]

Holding Hilton, Selling La Quinta Amid Lodging Challenges

Hilton Worldwide (HLT) and La Quinta Holdings (LQ) reported 3Q earnings in line with current expectations.  HLT expectations had come in slightly as concerns about the health of the lodging industry grew over the summer and early fall.  HLT’s results were fairly good against the lowered expectations and the company’s growth profile appears to be […]