Scripps Looks Better Than Expected

E.W. Scripps (SSP) shares should rebound after the company reported better than expected 2Q06 EPS and provided guidance in line with current expectations. Most importantly, guidance for 2H06 advertising growth at Scripps Networks was not as bad as I and others had feared. Upside for SSP is limited, however, due to the premium valuation relative […]

NTL Update and Response to Sky’s “Free” Broadband Offer

NTL Holdings (NTLI), have been under severe pressure lately due investor fears about the intense competitive environment for broadband in the UK. As the largest cable company in the UK, NTLI has significant market share in broadband. Even though about 70% of its subscribers take the triple play bundle of cable TV, broadband, and telephony, […]

Confident Motorola Sharply Increases Share Buyback

Apparently, Motorola (MOT) believes its stock price is too cheap. The company just announced that it will complete its prior $4 billion, three year repurchase plan 2 years ahead of schedule by immediately buying $1.2 billion in shares. Additionally, a new $4.5 billion, 3 year repurchase has been approved by the Board. According to the […]

Weekend Box Office Still Looks Good For Disney and Regal

After 17 days in theatres, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is the fastest grossing film in history. The movie remains comfortably on track to produce better than expected profits. In fact, benefits to Disney (DIS) relative to current expectations could begin as soon as the September quarter since the film seems likely to […]

Dell Blows Up – Little Impact on Apple

Apple Computer is trading off over 1% pre-market due to Dell Computer’s ugly preannouncement. While the health of the PC market is clearly in question, I would note this from Dell’s press release: “These estimates primarily reflect aggressive pricing in a slowing commercial market worldwide” For the time being AAPL’s fundamentals are driven by market […]

Some More Thoughts on Apple

My friend Jeff Bagley did his usual great job covering the Apple Computer (AAPL) earnings release and conference call. I fully endorse his bullish view but since I’ve written extensively on AAPL, I wanted to offer a few observations of my own. As I have been saying for some time, I think the key to […]

Apple is Back and There is More to Come

Thanks to my friend and fellow StreetInsight.com contributor, Jeff Bagley, for again allowing me to reproduce his excellent summary of Apple’s June quarter earnings report and conference call. All is well for Apple as I have been repeatedly saying despite all the gloom and the declining stock price. The shares have lots of upside left […]

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 […]