Top Media Stocks For 2014

Today was a big day for Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) . For the past week, investors have been scratching their heads wondering what the social network would unveil today at its media event, with the only clue being that it would have something to do with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) Android.

The company introduced Facebook Home, a layer of services that sits on top of Android phones. Shares are up almost 3% following the event, so investors are welcoming Home with open arms (and buy orders).

Facebook Home isn't just an app; rather, it's a set of Facebook's services and features that gets integrated into Android devices. Mark Zuckerberg noted that smartphone usage is predominantly app-driven today. Even when you want to see what your friends are doing, you have to access various apps. Home seeks to put people first.

The company will accomplish this by replacing the home screen and lock screen with what it calls the "Cover Feed," which displays what friends are currently doing. There will also be integrated messaging and notification capabilities. There is still a familiar app-launcher, but friends will take the spotlight.

Top 5 Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Invest In 2015: Comcast Corporation(CMCSA)

Comcast Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications products and services in the United States and internationally. Its Cable Communications segment provides video, high-speed Internet, and phone services to residential and business customers. As of June 30, 2011, its cable systems served approximately 22.5 million video customers, 17.5 million high-speed Internet customers, and 9.1 million phone customers. The company?s Cable Networks segment operates cable entertainment networks, such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Style, G4, Chiller, Sleuth, and Universal HD; news and information networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and CNBC World; cable sports networks comprising Golf Channel and VERSUS; regional sports and news networks; international entertainment, and news and information networks, such as CNBC Europe, CNBC Asia, and Universal Networks International portfolio of networks; cable television production oper ations; and digital media properties consisting primarily of brand-aligned Websites and other Websites, such as DailyCandy, Fandango, and iVillage. Its Broadcast Television segment operates the U.S. broadcast networks, NBC and Telemundo; 10 NBC and 15 Telemundo owned local television stations; broadcast television productions; and related digital media properties. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment operates Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television, and other distribution platforms. Its Theme Parks segment operates Universal Studios Hollywood park and Wet ?n Wild water park, as well as licenses intellectual properties and provides services to third parties that own and operate Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore. Comcast Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  www.fox.com"Gotham" stars Ben McKenzie as Jim Gordon, a mentor to Bruce Wayne. Everyone's favorite troubled superhero, Batman, has come to the aid of a great many people over the course of his 75-year existence. Now, in the form of the new prequel series, "Gotham," he's battling to save an entire network: Twenty-First Century Fox's (FOX) Fox Broadcasting. Fox is one of the four powerful incumbent broadcast television networks. However, like its peers -- Disney's (DIS) ABC, Comcast's (CMCSA) NBC, and CBS (CBS) -- it's fighting against an ever-growing slate of shows from cable networks and streaming services such as Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon.com (AMZN). Unlike its fellow incumbents, however, Fox isn't doing brilliantly against the rising competition. Fallen 'Idol' Fox needs a heroic boost help because its big hits over the last few years are losing viewers, while its more recent offerings haven't scaled the heights of popularity. For years, the network's money show was "American Idol," which became part of the cultural zeitgeist following its debut at the beginning of this century. But the most recent season finale of the singing competition attracted only 10 million viewers. The finale two seasons ago drew twice that number, while Idol's record audience (for the season two finale) topped over 38 million. In contrast to CBS, NBC and ABC, Fox's audience shrank on a year-over-year basis in the second week of the fall TV season. Its viewership numbers for that week declined by a steep 29 percent. For example, a pair of new Fox offerings -- the sitcom "Mulaney" and reality show "Utopia" -- barely topped 2 million viewers. Meanwhile, the sophomore season of cop comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" snared just over 4.5 million viewers in its latest airing. That didn't come close to its non-sports competition. The one-hour dramas "Madam Secretary" on CBS and ABC's "Once Upon a Time" reached 11.5 million and 7.7 million sets of eyeballs, respectively. Saving the Day? So

Top Media Stocks For 2014: Liberty Global Inc.(LBTYA)

Liberty Global, Inc. provides video, broadband Internet, and telephony services primarily in Europe and Chile. The company offers broadband services over cable distribution systems, including video, broadband Internet, and telephony; and video services through direct-to-home satellite, or through multichannel multipoint distribution systems. Its analog video services comprise basic and expanded basic programming; and digital cable services include basic and premium programming, digital video recorders, and high definition programming, as well as pay-per-view programming, such as video-on-demand and near video-on-demand. In addition, the company offers voice-over-Internet-protocol and circuit-switched telephony services, as well as mobile telephony services using third-party networks. Further, it owns programming networks that provide video programming channels to multi-channel distribution systems owned by the company and the third parties. As of December 31, 2011, the com pany owned and operated networks that passed 33,262,100 homes; and served 18,405,500 video subscribers, 8,159,300 broadband Internet subscribers, and 6,225,300 telephony subscribers. Liberty Global, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is based in Englewood, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Breaking news

  Loews (NYSE: L) reported a 59% rise in its third-quarter earnings. Loews posted a quarterly profit of $282 million, or $0.73 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $177 million, or $0.45 per share. To read the full news, click here. BankUnited (NYSE: BKU) announced today the commencement of an underwritten offering of 9,000,000 shares of its common stock by certain of its existing stockholders, subject to market and other conditions. To read the full news, click here. Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA) announced today an agreement to sell substantially all of its international content division Chellomedia to AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX).To read the full news, click here. Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ: MYGN) today announced that validation data for the Myriad myPlan Lung Cancer test showed that it significantly predicted patients' risk of death from early-stage lung adenocarcinoma within five years of being diagnosed. To read the full news, click here.

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Top Media Stocks For 2014: News Corporation(NWSA)

News Corporation operates as a diversified media company worldwide. Its Cable Network Programming segment produces and licenses news, business news, sports, general entertainment, and movie programming for distribution through cable television systems and direct broadcast satellite operators primarily in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment produces and acquires live-action and animated motion pictures for distribution and licensing in entertainment media, as well as produces and licenses television programming worldwide. Its Television segment operates 27 broadcast television stations in the United States. The company?s Direct Broadcast Satellite Television segment distributes programming services via satellite and broadband directly to subscribers in Italy. Its Publishing segment provides newspapers and information services, such as publishing national newspapers in the United Kingdom, approximately 146 newspapers in Australia, and a metropolitan and a national newspaper in the United States; book publishing services, including the publishing of English language books worldwide; and integrated marketing services comprising the publishing of free-standing inserts, which are marketing booklets containing coupons, rebates, and other consumer offers, as well as provides in-store marketing products and services, primarily to consumer packaged goods manufacturers in the United States and Canada. The company also sells advertising, sponsorships, and subscription services on the company?s various digital media properties and outdoor advertising space on various media primarily in Russia and eastern Europe; and provides data systems and professional services that enable teachers to use data to assess student progress and deliver individualized instructions. News Corporation was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  News Corp. is a media and information services company that has recently spun-off of its very profitable entertainment segment. The company�reported its first quarterly financial results after splitting from 21st Century Fox. The stock has seen progress but is now pulling back as investors book gains. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been on the rise, which has left investors optimistic about the company. Relative to its peers and sector, News Corp. has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what News Corp. does this quarter.

Top Media Stocks For 2014: CBS Corporation(CBS)

CBS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mass media company in the United States and internationally. The company?s Entertainment segment distributes a schedule of news and public affairs broadcasts, sports, and entertainment programming; produces, acquires, and distributes programming, including series, specials, news, and public affairs; produces and distributes theatrical motion pictures across various genres; and operates online content networks for information and entertainment. Its Cable Networks segment owns and operates multiplexed channels that offers subscription program services, including recently released theatrical feature films, original series, documentaries, boxing, mixed martial arts and other sports-related programming, and special events; and CBS College Sports Network, a 24-hour cable program service related to college sports. This segment also owns and manages Smithsonian Networks, which operates Smithsonian Channel, a basic cab le service in the United States. The company?s Publishing segment publishes and distributes adult and children?s consumer books in printed, audio, and digital formats. Its Local Broadcasting segment owns 29 broadcast television stations; owns and operates 130 radio stations in 28 U.S. markets and related online properties; and owns local Websites that combine television and radio local media brands online to provide the latest news, traffic, weather, and sports information, as well as local discounts, directories, and reviews. The company?s Outdoor segment sells advertising space on various media, including billboards, transit shelters and other street furniture, buses, rail systems, mall kiosks, stadium signage, and in retail stores. CBS Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake Mann]

  This is evident in an array of statistics. Last season, NFL regular-season viewership on CBS� (NYSE: CBS  ) and�Fox (NASDAQ: FOX  ) �grew an average of 7% from 2012, and�NBC Sunday Night Football was prime time's top show for the fourth straight year. Beyond TV, the usage of fantasy football apps also rose 15% in 2013, Nielsen reports.

Top Media Stocks For 2014: Discovery Communications Inc(DISCA)

Discovery Communications, Inc. operates as a non fiction media and entertainment company worldwide. The company provides original and purchased programming across various distribution platforms. Its content covers science, exploration, survival, natural history, sustainability of the environment, technology, docu-series, anthropology, paleontology, history, space, archaeology, health and wellness, engineering, adventure, lifestyles, forensics, civilization, and current events. The company owns and operates nine national television networks in the United States, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Military Channel, Planet Green, Discovery Fit & Health, and Velocity. Discovery Communications also has interests in Oprah Winfrey Network, a pay-television network and Web site; The Hub that features original programming, game shows, and live-action series and specials; and 3net, a three-dimensional network. In addition, it o ffers network branded Web sites, and mobile and video-on-demand services; and distributes various national and pan-regional television networks. Further, the company develops and sells curriculum-based products and services to public and private K-12 schools, such as access to an online VOD service that includes curriculum-based tools, professional development services, and student assessment and publication of hardcopy curriculum-based content; and postproduction audio services to motion picture studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies, and interactive producers. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 150 distribution feeds in 40 languages. The company is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Harold L. Vogel]

  *Includes AMC (AMCX), Cablevision (CVC), Charter, Comcast Cable (CMCSA) and networks, Discovery (DISCA), Disney (DIS) cable networks, Time Warner Cable (TWC) and cable networks, Viacom (VIAB) networks.

• [By Tom Taulli]

  Still, BCE has a strong brand and substantial financial resources, as well as a top-notch network that reaches more than 70% of Canadians. BCE also has the advantage of owning premium content, with rights to programming for Discovery (DISCA) and Viacom’s (VIAB) MTV. Its prospects also look bright with concern to mobile, where the company has invested heavily in its payments solutions.

Top Media Stocks For 2014: Charter Communications Inc.(CHTR)

Charter Communications, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications solutions to residential and commercial customers in the United States. The company offers cable video programming services, such as basic and digital video, premium channels, OnDemand, pay-per-view, high definition television, digital video recorder, and online video services; Internet services; Charter.net, which provides multiple e-mail addresses, as well as various entertainment, games, news, and sports content; and telephone services. It also provides broadband communications solutions, such as Internet access, data networking, fiber connectivity to cellular towers and office buildings, video entertainment services, and business telephone services under the Charter Business brand name to business and carrier organizations. As of December 31, 2011, the company served approximately 4.1 million video customers; approximately 3.5 million Internet customers; appr oximately 1.7 million telephone customers; and approximately 476,200 commercial primary service units. Charter Communications, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Analysts at Barclays maintained an Equal-weight rating on Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) with a price target lowered to $127 from a previous $133. Separately, analysts at Northland Securities upgraded shares to Outperform from Market Perform with a $146 price target. Shares gained 0.16 percent, closing at $126.84.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  The cable-television M&A chatter is making its rounds again, this time with Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR), Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE:TWC), and Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) pegged as the three points of the ever-changing parties of a never-ending love triangle. The buzz is, well, was that CHTR was first in line to nab TWC. Today, however, it's starting to look like CMCSA is more seriously interested in Time Warner Cable than first thought. TWC shares jumped on the doubly-good news that it may well become the prize in a bidding war between Charter Communications and Comcast Corporation. Meanwhile, CMCSA shares have jumped (albeit not quite as firmly) on the prospect of its ownership of TWC. What's interesting - and perhaps telling - is the fact that not only have CHTR shares not soared in the wake of what would normally be viewed as good news, but Charter shares have actually stumbled heading into the possible bidding war. Might this be an omen of what's actually in store for Charter Communications?

• [By Tim Brugger]

  Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC  ) , Comcast, and Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR  ) , have all been on the other side of the Internet subscriber fence. Phone companies such as AT&T�and Verizon began losing customers to these and other cable Internet providers some time ago, largely because of speed and connectivity issues. And now along comes Google Fiber with an alternative that blows the doors off anything Comcast, Time Warner, or Charter can offer, and often for the same or less money. If the cable industry isn't worried, it should be.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Although Maffei did not say as much, swallowing Sirius gives Liberty access to the satellite radio provider�� free cash flow of about $625 million to use in pursuit of Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC). Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR), in which Liberty holds a 27% stake, has been trying to put together the financing to make an offer for much larger Time Warner. For its part, Time Warner, the nation�� second largest cable provider, is trying to put together a deal with the nation�� largest cable provider, Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA), that would shut Liberty out.

Top Media Stocks For 2014: Time Warner Cable Inc(TWC)

Time Warner Cable Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a cable operator in the United States. It offers video, high-speed data, and voice services over its broadband cable systems to residential and commercial customers. The company provides a range of video services, including on-demand, high-definition (HD), and digital video recorder (DVR) services; residential high-speed data services with connection to the Internet; wireless mobile broadband Internet services; and digital phone services to residential customers. It offers video programming tiers and music services; high-speed data, networking, and transport services; and commercial digital phone service to small and medium-sized businesses under the Time Warner Cable Business Class brand. Further, Time Warner Cable Inc. sells advertising to various national, regional, and local customers. As of June 30, 2011, the company served approximately 14.5 million residential and commercial customers in the New Yor k State, the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California, and Texas. Time Warner Cable Inc. is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  Time Warner Cable provides entertainment, voice, and high-speed data services to a growing customer base in the United States. Charter is willing to push Time Warner Cable hard for a deal. The stock has been moving higher over the past several years but is currently trading sideways. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been on the rise. However, investors have had conflicting feelings about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its peers and sector, Time Warner Cable has been an average year-to-date performer. Look for Time Warner Cable to OUTPERFORM.