Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, the company's A shares are down slightly as I write this by about 0.6%, and the B shares are just about flat. Like I say, if the broader indexes were in an uptrend this afternoon, we probably would have seen a pop in the stock.

Continue reading Viacom does well in Q3, but there is still work to be done

Viacom does well in Q3, but there is still work to be done originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) Q3 earnings beat by a penny but sales fell short of expectations; shares fell.
• AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR) reported a Q3 net loss and plunging revenue but also raised $4 billion in cash.
• BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) topped Q3 earnings expectations but said bad-loan provisions nearly doubled.
• Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) missed estimates and posted a Q3 loss due to delays for a couple of jet products.
• Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF) shares rose after it reported better-than-expected Q3 numbers.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) posted a better-than-expected Q3 profit but sales fell short, and shares fell.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Boeing, Coca-Cola, eBay, Microsoft, Pfizer, UAL, Yahoo! ...

Earnings highlights: Boeing, Coca-Cola, eBay, Microsoft, Pfizer, UAL, Yahoo! ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hasbro's top line contracted 2%, and earnings per share, even with some dilution from a joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA) and investments in Hasbro's virtual-studio initiative, increased 11% to 99 cents. Expectations were beat by six pennies. Gee, that was better than Mattel's performance. The maker of Barbie actually saw a per-share earnings decline and came in line with forecasts.

Continue reading Wall Street didn't want to play with Hasbro after Q3 results

Wall Street didn't want to play with Hasbro after Q3 results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hasbro Inc. (NYSE: HAS), the toy and game maker whose brands include Transformers, Playskool, Milton Bradley, and Wizards of the Coast, is scheduled to discuss its third quarter 2009 financial results in a webcast Monday at 8:30 AM ET. You can catch the webcast live or replayed on the company's website.

The three months that ended in September included Comic-Con, the release of the G.I. Joe movie, and the introduction of the Hasbro Studios management team. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect this Pawtucket, R.I.-based toy maker to report that earnings grew 4.3% from a year ago to $0.93 per share. Sales for the quarter are expected to be 1.7% higher to $1.3 billion.

Continue reading Hasbro earnings preview: Mild growth expected in Q3

Hasbro earnings preview: Mild growth expected in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First, here's the data. Sales decreased 8%. They were affected, in part, by currency translation. Earnings per share came in at 63 cents. This was two pennies below last year's income figure. According to Bloomberg, that profit performance misses expectations by a penny, but I've read other sources which report that Mattel met expectations. I think I'll call this one in line with projections.

Continue reading Mattel gets a bid on third-quarter news

Mattel gets a bid on third-quarter news originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hasbro: A high-risk play that's not for the squeamish

Hasbro: A high-risk play that's not for the squeamish originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Quentin Tarantino's new epic, Inglourious Basterds (sorry, spell-checker), was the top film at domestic theaters this past weekend, according to Boxofficemojo. Distributed by The Weinstein Company, Basterds took in around $37 million, as of early estimates.

Last week's number-one flick, Sony's (NYSE: SNE) District 9, dropped to second place this time around, but don't feel too badly for the project. The cumulative gross on it is well beyond $70 million at this point. A $100 million domestic take should be a lock. Then again, $100 million isn't what it used to be; still, the movie supposedly didn't cost a ton of money, so perhaps the studio will do okay financially (see my previous box-office article for a discussion on budgets, as well as an insightful comment from a reader on the subject).

Continue reading Quentin Tarantino and Weinstein Company succeed on box-office mission

Quentin Tarantino and Weinstein Company succeed on box-office mission originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Moviegoers were in the mood for allegorical science fiction this past weekend. According to Boxofficemojo, District 9, distributed by Sony (NYSE: SNE) and produced by Lord of the Rings helmsman Peter Jackson, grossed an estimated $37 million at domestic theaters.

Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, based on the famous Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) toy brand, was second with $22.5 million. And coming in third was The Time Traveler's Wife from Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), a romantic drama that captured $19 million in ticket sales.

Continue reading Sony's 'District 9' debuts in first place: A lesson for Hollywood?

Sony's 'District 9' debuts in first place: A lesson for Hollywood? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Viacom (NYSE: VIA) and Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) are living it up this summer. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is doing fantastic business. The sequel is on its way to a domestic take of $400 million. And now, just this past weekend, the two companies have scored with G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

According to Boxofficemojo, Joe came in first with about $56 million as of early estimates available at the time of writing. That was more than enough to beat the second-place film, Sony's (NYSE: SNE) Julie & Julia. The latter cooked up around $20 million. Disney's (NYSE: DIS) G-Force came in third with $9.8 million.

Continue reading Viacom's 'G.I. Joe' victorious at box office -- what about Hasbro?

Viacom's 'G.I. Joe' victorious at box office -- what about Hasbro? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

U.S. stock markets may be poised to rise, extending their gains from earlier this week, as traders bet that the worst of the steepest economic decline since the Great Depression is ending. Then again, they may end their recent winning streak.

It's one of those days.

S&P Futures expiring in September were little changed as investors digested the latest batch of earnings news. These recent quarterly reports have been largely viewed positively. Some investors may be worrying if stock valuations have gotten too rich.

Continue reading Before the Bell: U.S. stock markets unsettled

Before the Bell: U.S. stock markets unsettled originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ: JAKK) is in rough shape. Sure, the toy industry can be tough. Just ask Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) and Mattel (NYSE: MAT). Even with great brands stocking a powerhouse portfolio, getting, and then keeping, the attention of kids is a difficult task. Well, JAKKS Pacific not only has that challenge to contend with, it has others as well.

Let's start with the awful earnings report management released to the market after the bell on Tuesday. For the second quarter, the company lost 3 cents per share on an adjusted basis. This compares to a profit of 17 cents per share in the year-ago period. Revenues were flat and unexciting.

Continue reading JAKKS Pacific: A speculative buy after the awful Q2 report?

JAKKS Pacific: A speculative buy after the awful Q2 report? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) met Q2 earnings estimates but fell short of revenue expectations.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) lower Q2 results beat expectations, lifted by strength in non-cola beverages.
• Continental Airlines Inc. (NYSE: CAL) reported net loss was accompanied by a job cuts announcement.
• Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) surprised with a Q2 profit due mainly to a huge gain from debt reduction.
• Hasbro Inc. (NYSE: HAS) posted better-than-expected Q2 earnings due to Transformers and G.I. Joe toys.
• Hershey Co. (NYSE: HSY) posted strong numbers for Q2 and also raised its full-year guidance.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Amazon, Coca-Cola, Ford, McDonald's, Merck, Starbucks ...

Earnings highlights: Amazon, Coca-Cola, Ford, McDonald's, Merck, Starbucks ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: After 9 in a row, can tech make a 10 day run? (CSCO, CIT, HAS, HGSI, LVS)

Closing Bell: After 9 in a row, can tech make a 10 day run? (CSCO, CIT, HAS, HGSI, LVS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hasbro (HAS) posts better than expected earnings

Hasbro (HAS) posts better than expected earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT) is all about fun and games, but it doesn't play around when it competes against Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) and JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ: JAKK). In fact, the stock is up over 7% today as of this writing on the toy manufacturer's earnings news. According to Reuters, Mattel made 6 cents per share during the second quarter, beating estimates by a whopping five pennies.

Pretty good news for Mattel, considering it's been having trouble lately with its Barbie line. Mattel has also had problems with its top-line sales. They dropped 19% in Q2. Fluctuations in the value of the dollar helped to hinder the sales picture, but make no mistake -- Mattel has to step things up a couple notches to keep the top line healthy. Toys are a difficult category to sell during a recession. And when toys do sell, even during the Christmas retail period, they might not command top dollar. Hot toys do, of course, but an entire portfolio cannot necessarily be saved by a single fad item.

Continue reading Mattel up on earnings news, but its Barbie toys need help

Mattel up on earnings news, but its Barbie toys need help originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen took command of the domestic box-office weekend. No surprise after observing what the film did last Wednesday when it opened. According to Boxofficemojo, Fallen, as of early estimates, grossed $112 million during the three-day period starting Friday. The film has taken in over $200 million so far once the days leading up to the weekend are added in. Excellent business. Especially considering that the sequel is doing better than its predecessor at this point, according to a comparison chart (this chart includes a comparison with Iron Man as well, so just focus on the Transformers franchise).

Growth. You've got to love it. I'm sure Viacom does. Disney (NYSE: DIS) isn't doing badly, either. Although not a huge hit, The Proposal did respectable business. It came in second with $18 million. It should eventually reach $100 million.

Continue reading Viacom's 'Transformers' takes over the multiplex

Viacom's 'Transformers' takes over the multiplex originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Readers of this space know that the retail sector is not my preferred investment area, but there are exceptions, and Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is one.

In general, analysts see flat-to-slightly declining revenue for FY2009 for HAS, due to the "frugal consumer" era in the United States. Still, I'd argue that the forecast could be a tad low.

Continue reading Hasbro really likes Q4

Hasbro really likes Q4 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Playing the game with Hasbro

Playing the game with Hasbro originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) reported strong Q1 results easily beat expectations.
• Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings, helped by home refinancing.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) reported its first quarterly loss since 1992 and cut its revenue outlook.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) posted Q1 earnings that were in line with expectations, but shares fell.
• eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings despite a decline in sales.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Bank of America, Amazon, Coke, eBay, UPS, Yahoo!, IBM, and more

Earnings highlights: Bank of America, Amazon, Coke, eBay, UPS, Yahoo!, IBM, and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hasbro (NYSE: HAS), a toymaker that competes with Mattel (NYSE: MAT) and JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ: JAKK), reported results for the first quarter on Monday. They weren't that spectacular. No big earnings beat here. Net sales were down 6%, even excluding the effect of currency translation. Net income dropped 44% to $0.14 per share. According to this source, that number unfortunately merely met Wall Street expectations.

Of course, I suppose things could have been worse. Hasbro could have missed expectations by a mile. In this kind of economy, we probably should be glad that a company whose products can easily be cut from any discretionary family budget at least was able to keep up with prevailing wisdom.

Continue reading Hasbro meets expectations in tough Q1

Hasbro meets expectations in tough Q1 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.