24/7 Wall St. » ERTS

Reality Setting in on Zynga (ZNGA, SOCL, ATVI, ERTS, COOL)

Jon C. Ogg — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:33:33 +0000

Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is getting shelled after the social gaming company’s first earnings report as a public company. This sell-off is actually one that is deserved. We also wonder just how much the earnings and guidance would have had to be to generate another round of buying.

At issues is that ad revenues basically tripled while its active users grew, but sales were barely up overall from the quarter before. The company made $37.1 million in adjusted earnings as sales grew 26% on a year-over-year basis to $307 million.

The biggest issue is that the Facebook halo-effect was the key driver in the recent two weeks. Before word came out that Facebook was going to formally file for its IPO, this was a $9.50 or so stock and technically a busted IPO because it was under the $10 IPO price. Before today’s drop of 14% to $12.31, the stock had hit a new high of $14.55 and the market value was nearing the $10 billion mark.

$10 billion? So what if ‘social gaming is becoming the new television’ as the company suggested? Will it have the same revenues from advertisers? What happens if and when consumers lose their interest in social gaming? WHat happens when one of the large game publishing houses overpowers Zynga with a cooler game? And what happens when investors realize that they effectively have no vote whatsoever with the multi-class share structure, even if the entire floated class is out in the market?

It is possible that one day in the future people may quit playing games with virtual farm animals. Maybe they will play poker endlessly, but there are probably hundreds of online venues in which they can play poker.

It is surprising that the Global X Social Media Index ETF (NASDAQ: SOCL) is not getting hit more as its shares are down only 1.5% at $14.97. And here are the valuations of the video game competitors:

Activision Blizzard, Inc (NASDAQ: ATVI) is worth $14 billion and its quarterly sales are over $1 billion if you smooth out the weak and strong quarters.

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) is worth $5.9 billion and its quarterly average in sales is somewhere around $900 million if you smooth out the weak and strong quarters.

Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL) has been partially rewarded for its move into app-style games and “freemium” small games, and its sales are generally more than $30 million per quarter on average. It has a market capitalization rate of only $107 million.

Analysts downgraded the stock after earnings:

R.W. Baird cut the rating down to Neutral from Outperform in part on a disclosure over paying subscribers.
Barclays cut the rating to Equal-weight from Overweight.
Another firm named Evercore Partners cut the rating down to Underweight from Equal-weight.

Zynga’s drop is one which could have been expected. The flip-side is that investors could have cheered the stock higher had the numbers been more robust. What if this is close to as good as it gets?

JON C. OGG

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Analyst Calls, Entertainment, Internet, Media, Video Games Tagged: ATVI, COOL, ERTS, SOCL, ZNGA

The Force: Star Wars Franchise Worth Over $30 Billion and Growing

Jon C. Ogg — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:17:35 +0000

24/7 Wall St. has decided to calculate the total value of the Star Wars franchise ahead of the release of the 3D film “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” and while its ‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’ MMORPG video game is going strong. Calculating a total value for a franchise this large and spanning 35 years is no easy task. Our projections and figures are based upon existing data and also consider some loose projections ahead. If you use the publicly available figures for Star Wars and consider more recent events, the total value is already over $30 billion.

Sources vary from all over the web, and mainstream media articles often have different figures when they are close together in time. Official sales data is not updated all the time. Still, the $30 billion franchise value is heading up now because of the 3D launch of ”Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” as the (probable) first but not last of the Star Wars remakes coming in 3D.

The relaunch of the movie franchise in 3D is likely to boost the franchise’s value much more when you count ticket sales, and then tally up merchandise sales, new media sales, product sales and more. Box Office Mojo noted that The Phantom Menace in 3D is going to appear in 2,655 theaters. Throw in the intellectual property values and future sales, and the value will head far north of $30 billion.

It was just in 2007 that Forbes noted, “Star Wars’ initial release was followed by another five blockbuster films and a mini-industry of tapes and DVDs, toys, video games and books. Taken together over its 30 years of cultural dominance, the Star Wars franchise has earned more than $22 billion.” Another figure in late 2011 put the total Star Wars franchise value at a whopping $27 billion from Statistic Brain (using Forbes and Lucasfilm data). We also have gathered more recent data than those prior calculations.

Star Wars creator George Lucas is now a multi-billionaire. The Forbes wealthiest 400 list puts Lucas at a net worth of $3.2 billion in its September 2011 report and that is lower than the $3.6 billion in a prior report.

Another 2007 figure used by Forbes was a monstrous $9 billion in toys with another $1.6 billion at the time having been generated by Star Wars video games. More toys have sold since then, and more video game sales have been seen.

Brand new data from Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) shows over 2 million MMORPG have sold of ‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’ through the end of January with some 1.7 million online users. Taking just half of the users with a two-month average life of subscriber dollars comes to $180 million in total revenues between sales and subscriptions in just the first quarter of 2012. Then there will be the tail revenue stream from loyalists and those in the next upgrade coming soon, generating millions of dollars more each month. If the success remains, a business mind would easily predict another MMORPG sale in the future.

Lucas Licensing of Lucasfilms has noted over $20 billion in consumer sales worldwide. This includes Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) and Kenner toys, merchandise sold, over 100 million books sold (with over 80 New York Times best sellers), museum exhibitions, apparel, consumer electronics, housewares, and the endless lines of other products. The $20 billion figure has been used for quite some time as well by Lucasfilm on its site. Imagine the sales that will soon be counted if you just looked at the major retail store websites: Toys R Us had 603 items; WalMart had 539 items; and Target had 800 items.

The Total Value of Star Wars Today…

$4.27 Billion in worldwide box office sales (See full chart below), not adjusted for ticket price hikes in today’s dollars
$20 billion in Licensing sales (toys, books, apparel, consumer products, and on)
$3 billion in video games (over 100 million units sold)
$2.5 billion, and climbing, in DVD sales
$800 million (or more) and climbing in movie rentals (going from DVD back to VHS and even Betamax)

THE GRAND TOTAL… $30.57 BILLION, and growing…

Forget about the $30.5 billion in total sales so far. That assumes that all sales suddenly stop in the next few weeks. We will not count the $3.2 billion in net worth of George Lucas because that is a personal net worth even if there is overlap in some of the areas we would cover.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Banking & Finance, Cable Companies, Compensation, Consumer Goods, Consumer Product, Corporate Governance, Economy, Editor's Picks, Entertainment, Internet, Media, Mergers & Acquisitions, Mergers and Buy Outs, Personal Finance, Private Equity, Product Review, Retail, Special Report, Video Games Tagged: ERTS, HAS, NWSA

Media Digest (12/21/2011) Reuters, WSJ, FT, Bloomberg

Douglas A. McIntyre — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:14:13 +0000

Prosecutors raid Olympus to gain data in a probe of the accounting scandal at the company. (Reuters)

Bank of Japan says it will hold to current policies as the economy in the Asian nation has weakened. (Reuters)

Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) considered buying Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM). (Reuters)

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) puts a large investment into its new Star Wars: The Old Republic. (Reuters)

The Federal Reserve offers new rules to cut risk-taking by U.S. banks. (Reuters)

Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) misses estimates and shares fall 8%. (Reuters)

AT&T (NYSE: T) may buy Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) or Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) now that its T-Mobile bid is over. (Reuters)

HTC begins to test new models after a patent suit loss to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). (Reuters)

Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) buys HSBC’s (NYSE: HBC) Japan private bank. (Reuters)

Chinese hackers hit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (WSJ)

Some $200 million may have been transferred from MF Global accounts to JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM). (WSJ)

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) considered a bid for RIM. (WSJ)

Wendy’s (NYSE: WEN) may pass Burger King in sales. (WSJ)

Honda (NYSE: HMC) to shift more production to the North America. (WSJ)

A lack of action by Congress could raise payroll taxes to 6.2% and eliminate long-term unemployment payments. (WSJ)

Fund Starboard Value attacks Aol (NYSE: AOL) for its ongoing plans to invest in content. (WSJ)

LightSquared pushes the FCC to approve its service, which some think interferes with GPS devices. (WSJ)

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission says firms must disclose data on trading over-the-counter securities. (WSJ)

Bill Gross’s Total Return Fund will have its first outflow since 1987. (WSJ)

Spain’s borrowing costs drop as it auctions new bonds. (WSJ)

EU banks probably will take advantage of new European Central Bank loans. (FT)

Troubled EU banks sell more mortgage securities. (FT)

French banks will try to raise $48 billion to satisfy debt needs. (Bloomberg)

Douglas A. McIntyre

Filed under: Media, Press Digest Tagged: AAPL, AMZN, AOL, CLWR, CS, DISH, ERTS, HBC, HMC, JPM, MSFT, NOK, ORCL, RIMM, T, WEN

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell (GOOG, IAG, ERTS, STX, ONXX, CRZO, GIL, BKS, LULU, ISLE, KR, TLB, PEIX, LAVA, CLWR, STNG, HOVNP)

Paul Ausick — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:05:52 +0000

Equity markets opened slightly lower this morning, following yesterday’s big share price increases. For most of the day stocks traded slightly lower, although they have moved to a very slight gain in the final hour of trading. China’s purchasing managers index was weaker than expected, which is probably the reason for the slow start this morning, and then new US unemployment claims were higher than expected adding more pressure on prices. The dollar has traded weaker relative to the euro, but strengthened against the yen. Crude oil is trading down marginally at $100.18/barrel and gold is also down slightly at $1,743.870/ounce.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down more than 25 points to 12,020.48 (-0.21%), the NASDAQ rose nearly 6 points (0.22%) to 2,626.20, and the S&P 500 fell -0.19% or more than 2 points to 1,244.58.

There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) raised to ‘buy’ at Citigroup. Other ratings action included IAMGOLD Corp. (NYSE: IAG) started as ‘outperform’ with a $25 price target at Credit Suisse; Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) raised from ‘neutral’ to ‘buy’ at Citigroup; Seagate Technology PLC (NYSE: STX) raised to ‘buy’ at Argus; Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) cut from ‘buy’ to ‘neutral’ at BofA/Merrill Lynch; and Carrizo Oil & Gas (NASDAQ: CRZO) reiterated ‘buy’ with a new price target of $49 at Canaccord Genuity.

Here are today’s big post-earnings news reactions with prices during the last half-hour of trading: Gildan Activewear Inc. (NYSE: GIL) is down -30.8% at $16.53, after setting a new 52-week low of $16.52; Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is down -16.9% at $14.50; Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) is down -4.8% at $47.34; Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISLE) is down -8.5% at $4.51; The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) is up 1% at $23.41; and The Talbot’s Inc. (NYSE: TLB) is down -17.1% at $1.65, after posting a new 52-week low of $1.63. We have more details on Lululemon’s earnings and on the November sales reports from a number of retailers, including Talbot’s.

Several other standouts from today are as follows…

Pacific Ethanol Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX) is up 26.7% at $1.33. The ethanol maker has regained compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements and has increased ownership of its four ethanol production plants to 27%.

Magma Design Automation Inc. (NASDAQ: LAVA) is up more than 25% at $7.16. The design automation firm has agreed to be acquired by Synopsys Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS) for $7.35/share.

Clearwire Corp. (NASDAQ: CLWR) is up more than 17% at $2.09. The wireless broadband provider received a $1.6 billion investment from its majority owner Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) that will enable Clearwire to meet its $237 million debt payment. We have more details here.

Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE: STNG) are down more than -20% at $5.31. The Monaco-based petroleum shipping company priced a secondary offering this morning at $5.50/share.

Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: HOVNP) is down more than -14% at $1.31. The homebuilder has been batted around for nearly a year now, and even improving news on construction spending can’t stop the slide.

Stay tuned for Friday. We have noted speeches due from Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher, Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser, and Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren. Here’s another noteworthy event scheduled for tomorrow (all times Eastern):

8:30 a.m. – Non-farm payroll report

Paul Ausick

Filed under: Active Trader, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: BKS, CLWR, CRZO, ERTS, GIL, GOOG, HOVNP, IAG, ISLE, KR, LAVA, LULU, ONXX, PEIX, STNG, STX, TLB

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (AGN, CRZO, XRAY, DWA, ERTS, IAG, GOOG, LLTC, ONXX, STX, SIG, VRSN, YHOO, DGI, GEOY)

Jon C. Ogg — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:34:55 +0000

Source: Jon Ogg

These are some of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls this Thursday morning.

Allergan Inc. (NYSE: AGN) Raised to Buy at Argus.
Carrizo Oil & Gas (NASDAQ: CRZO) is named as a top small cap idea with multiple ways to win and with a “valuation too tepid” and firm reiterated a Buy rating and gave a new target of $49.00 by Canaccord Genuity.
DENTSPLY International (NASDAQ: XRAY) named as Bull of the Day at Zacks.
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NASDAQ: DWA) Cut to Average at Caris & Co.
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) Raised to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup.
IAMGOLD Corp (NYSE: IAG) Started as Outperform with $25.00 price target objective at Credit Suisse.
Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) Raised to Buy at Citigroup.
Linear Technology Corporation (NASDAQ: LLTC) named as Bear of the Day at Zacks.
Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) Cut to Neutral from Buy at BofA/Merrill Lynch.
Seagate Technology PLC (NYSE: STX) Raised to Buy at Argus.
Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE: SIG) named as value stock of the day at Zacks.
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) named as aggressive growth stock of the day at Zacks.

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) maintained Buy with an $18.00 price target objective at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

In the field of satellite imaging, Canaccord Genuity cut its ambitions due to austerity cuts: DigitalGlobe (NYSE: DGI) was maintained at Buy but the target was cut to $23.50; GeoEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEOY) was maintained as Hold and the target wass lowered to $22.00 per share.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Analyst Calls Tagged: AGN, CRZO, DGI, DWA, ERTS, GEOY, GOOG, IAG, LLTC, ONXX, SIG, STX, VRSN, XRAY, YHOO

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (AMR, CAB, CPN, ERTS, GT, GMCR, HD, LEAP, NAV, NFLX, EDU, NMR, OVTI, STP, RIG, WSH)

Jon C. Ogg — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:25:29 +0000

Source: Jon Ogg

These are some of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls this Wednesday morning.

AMR Corporation (NYSE: AMR) Cut to Sell at Citigroup.
Cabela’s, Inc. (NYSE: CAB) named as Bull of the Day at Zacks.
Calpine Corporation (NYSE: CPN) Cut to Hold at Jefferies.
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) Raised to Buy at Citigroup.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT) named as value stock of the day at Zacks.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) Reiterated Buy with $94 target at Canaccord Genuity.
Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) Reiterated Buy with $46 target at Argus.
Leap Wireless International Inc. (NASDAQ: LEAP) Raised to Outperform at RBC Capital.
Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV) Raised to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) Cut to Underperform at Wedbush.
New Oriental Education & Technology Group (NYSE: EDU) Started as Outperform at Credit Suisse.
Nomura Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NMR) Started as Neutral at Credit Suisse.
OmniVision Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI) maintained Buy on valuation but cut target to $12 at Canaccord Genuity.
Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd (NYSE: STP) Reiterated Hold at Argus.
Transocean Ltd. Co. (NYSE: RIG) Cut to Hold at Argus.
Willis Group Holdings, Plc (NYSE: WSH) named as Bear of the Day at Zacks.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Analyst Calls Tagged: AMR, CAB, CPN, EDU, ERTS, GMCR, GT, HD, LEAP, NAV, NFLX, NMR, OVTI, RIG, STP, WSH

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell (GOOG, GILD, RIMM, GDOT, ERTS, CSTR, TIF, OVTI, BHO, CMC, LUNA, MHR, RGDX, CX)

Paul Ausick — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:09:19 +0000

Reported strong consumer spending over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend pushed stocks up sharply at the opening this morning and gains have been held throughout the day. New home sales figures were slightly less than expected, but better than the previous month. There is also a belief that a solution to the European financial troubles may be in sight. Today’s best gains came in natural resources stocks. Crude oil is up about 1%, at $97.73/barrel after spending much of the morning around $99/barrel. Gold is up more than $6, at $1,691.60/ounce and silver is up more than 3%, at $32.06/ounce.The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA up more than 291 points to 11,523.01 (2.59%), the NASDAQ rose nearly 86 points (3.52%) to 2,527.34, and the S&P 500 rose 2.92% or nearly 34 points to 1,192.55.There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) raised to ‘buy’ at Citigroup. Other ratings actions included Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) raised to Conviction Buy List at Goldman Sachs; Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) cut to ‘neutral’ at Sterne Agee; Green Dot Corp. (NYSE: GDOT) started as ‘outperform’ at KBW; Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) raised to ‘buy’ at Citigroup; and Coinstar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR) raised to ‘overweight’ at JPMorgan.

There are no major earnings announcements today, but on tap for tomorrow are Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), OmniVision Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI), and B+H Ocean Carriers Ltd. (AMEX: BHO).

Several standouts from today are as follows…

Commercial Metals Co. (NYSE: CMC) is up nearly 23%, at $14.08. The company has received a takeover offer from Carl Icahn for $1.73 billion, or $15/share.

Luna Innovations Inc. (NASDAQ: LUNA) is up nearly 22%, at $1.29. There has been no news on the company today.

Magnum Hunter Resources Inc. (NYSE: MHR) is up more than 13%, at $4.28. The small oil & gas firm has had several insiders purchasing both common and preferred shares in the past 60 days.

Response Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: RGDX) is down more than -24%, at $1.10, after posting a new 52-week low of $0.92 earlier today. The company has received a de-listing notice from Nasdaq for failing to maintain a minimum market value of $35 million.

Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: CX) is up about 17.5%, at $4.09. The jump is likely due to investors’ belief that the share price is at a bottom and that construction will pick up based on today’s developments in Europe.

Stay tuned for Tuesday. There are speeches scheduled from two Federal Reserve Bank presidents, Janet Yellen and Narayana Kocherlakota. Here’s a list of other noteworthy events scheduled for tomorrow(all times Eastern):

9:00 a.m. – Case-Schiller housing price index
10:00 a.m. – Conference Board’s consumer confidence index
10:00 a.m – Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) house price index
10:00 a.m. – State Street investor confidence index

Paul Ausick

Filed under: Active Trader, Analyst Calls, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: BHO, CMC, CSTR, CX, ERTS, GDOT, GILD, GOOG, LUNA, MHR, OVTI, RGDX, RIMM, TIF

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (AEM, AVL, BRCD, CSTR, EV, ERTS, FINL, GILD, GOOG, GDOT, MRH, RIMM, SLXP, WEN, WYNN)

Jon C. Ogg — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:21:05 +0000

These are some of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls this morning.

Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. (NYSE: AEM) Cut to Hold at Canaccord Genuity.
Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (AMEX: AVL) Started as Buy at Citigroup.
Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BRCD) Reiterated Hold at Argus.
Coinstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR) Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan.
Eaton Vance Corporation (NYSE: EV) Cut to Underperform at Credit Suisse.
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) Raised to Buy at Citigroup.
The Finish Line, Inc. (NASDAQ: FINL) named Value stock of the day at Zacks.
Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) Raised to Conviction Buy List at Goldman Sachs.
Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) Raised to Buy at Citigroup.
Green Dot Corporation (NYSE: GDOT) Started as Outperform at KBW.
Montpelier Re Holdings (NYSE: MRH) named as Bear of the Day at Zacks.
Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) Cut to Neutral at Stern Agee.
Salix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SLXP) named as Bull of the Day at Zacks.
The Wendy’s Co. (NYSE: WEN) Reiterated Hold at Argus.
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) Raised to Buy at KeyBanc.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Analyst Calls Tagged: AEM, AVL, BRCD, CSTR, ERTS, EV, FINL, GDOT, GILD, GOOG, MRH, RIMM, SLXP, WEN, WYNN

Media Digest (11/2/2011) Reuters, WSJ

Douglas A. — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:24:29 +0000

George Papandreou convinces the Greek cabinet of the virtues of a national referendum on budget cuts, but he now faces the leaders of France and Germany. (Reuters)

The FBI may investigate the fall of MF Global (NYSE: MF). (Reuters)

Sony (NYSE: SNE) cuts its annual profit forecast by 90%. (Reuters)

PIMCO’s Bill Gross says U.S. banks must raise more capital. (Reuters)

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) drops a plan for $5 a month debit card charges. (Reuters)

Facebook continues to struggle to attract large branded advertisers, which use member pages to generate interest. (WSJ)

Banks across the world begin sharp cost cuts. (WSJ)

Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) discusses a plan with PE firms that would allow them to take a modest interest but not gain control of the company. (WSJ)

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) begins to compete with Zynga. (WSJ)

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) will market branded Lipitor after the drug goes off patent. (WSJ)

U.S. auto sales rise 7.5% in October, which is below expectations. (WSJ)

Many wealthy Chinese want to leave the country. (WSJ)

Transocean (NYSE: RIG) increases legal action against BP (NYSE: BP) from events arising from Deepwater Horizon. (WSJ)

New data show that the News Corp.’s (NYSE: NWS) Wall Street Journal had the largest circulation in the U.S. in the most recent half year measured, followed by Gannett’s (NYSE: GCI) USA Today and New York Times Company’s (NYSE: NYT) flagship paper. (WSJ)

Many S&P 500 companies issue weak Q4 guidance. (WSJ)

The most distressed commercial real estate begins to draw investors. (WSJ)

A vocal minority in Greece want the nation to return to its own currency. (WSJ)

Douglas A. McIntyre

Filed under: Media, Press Digest Tagged: BAC, BP, ERTS, GCI, MF, NWS, NYT, PFE, RIG, SNE, YHOO

The Best Performing S&P Stocks of 2011 (SPY, OKE, AN, ROST, LTD, GR, TSO, EQT, ERTS, WFM, RL, TDC, RRC, MA, HUM, CMG, VFC, ISRG, BIIB, EP, COG)

Jon C. Ogg — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:08:23 +0000

October may have been one of the best months of many of our lives in equities. The SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) rose by 10.9%. in October, but the year-to-date gain has been a mere 1.2% from the December 31, 2010 close to the close on October 31, 2011. 24/7 Wall St. wanted to see which stocks are up the most in percentage gains so far in 2011 in data provided by Capital IQ. This is a year-to-date move through the close of October 31, 2011. We have shown the S&P 500 Index gainers in order from lowest to highest. Another representation is how much implied upside there is to the Thomson Reuters consensus analyst price target as well. Those which are trading above their consensus price target have been given a “caution” ahead of the pricing data.

ONEOK Inc. (NYSE: OKE) 37.1% year-to-date; at $76.05 the consensus price target is $76.60.

AutoNation Inc. (NYSE: AN) 38.1% year-to-date; caution: at $38.94 the consensus price target is $31.28.

Ross Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) 38.7% year-to-date; caution: at $87.73 the consensus price target is $85.00.

Limited Brands, Inc. (NYSE: LTD) 39.0% year-to-date; at $42.71 the consensus price target is $44.71.

Goodrich Corporation (NYSE: GR) 39.2% year-to-date; This is being acquired, so no color.

Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO) 39.9% year-to-date; at $25.94 the consensus price target is $20.31.

EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) 41.6% year-to-date; at $63.50 the consensus price target is $72.28.

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) 42.6% year-to-date; at $23.35 the consensus price target is $25.63. This was previously listed as our top pick for the best video game stock for 2011.

Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ: WFM) 42.6% year-to-date; at $72.12 the consensus price target is $74.47.

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) 43.2% year-to-date; caution: at $158.79 the consensus price target is $150.00.

Teradata Corporation (NYSE: TDC) 44.9% year-to-date; at $59.66 the consensus price target is $60.56.

Range Resources Corporation (NYSE: RRC) 53.0% year-to-date; at $68.84 the consensus price target is $76.50.

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE: MA) 54.9% year-to-date; at $347.24 the consensus price target is $374.82. It seems odd to see one financial stock here.

Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) 55.1% year-to-date; at $84.89 the consensus price target is $88.71. Health insurance has not been as bad of a business as the administration was looking for.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) 58.1% year-to-date; caution: at $336.12 the consensus price target is $328.45. The growth continues, but it is at or close to being fully valued.

V.F. Corporation (NYSE: VFC) 60.4% year-to-date; at $138.22 the consensus price target is $144.33.

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG) 68.3% year-to-date; caution: at $433.86 the consensus price target is $419.27. DaVinci sales remain robust as more surgeons are looking for robotic surgery capabilities.

Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) 73.5% year-to-date; caution: at $116.36 the consensus priced target is $115.22. Here is how this compared to the rest of its peers before earnings season.

El Paso Corp. (NYSE: EP) 81.8% year-to-date; being acquired so no color.

Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE: COG) 105.3% year-to-date; ; at $77.72 the consensus price target is $91.32.

JON C. OGG

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