Two weeks ago, Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS ) Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo told a group of analysts at the Nomura Global Media & Telecom Summit that Disney's operating income, cable network affiliate fees, and parks revenue could suffer in the fiscal third quarter. The stock ended that week lower by 3.68% after falling 2.69% on May 30, the day the comments were made.
A Goldman Sachs analyst quickly released a report indicating that the market overreacted to the comments, the quarter wouldn't turn out to be as bad as the company made it sound, and Rasulo's comments were primarily reiterations of prior comments.
Well, if Rasulo was just repeating what the company had previously said, then the stock decline was an overreaction and shouldn't have happened. But the question I have is why management makes these sorts of comments at all.
The most likely reason is to appease Wall Street. Talking to analysts also may make some management teams feel important or help them fulfill some sort of ego-driven need. Now, I'm not saying that's the case with Disney, but in my opinion, these sorts of comments aren't helping anyone, and I'd prefer management teams to just stop talking until their quarterly results have been released and we know the actual numbers.
Top 5 Railroad Companies To Invest In 2015: Telecom Italia SpA (TIT)
Telecom Italia SpA is an Italy-based company engaged in the communications sector. It operates in the fixed and mobile national and international telecommunications sector. Its activities are divided into five business units. The Domestic unit provides telephone and data services on fixed line and mobile networks for retail voice customers and wholesale operators, as well as develop fiber optic networks. The Brazil unit offers mobile services using Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technologies. The Argentina unit operates in fixed telecommunications through Telecom Argentina and in mobile telecommunications through Telecom Personal, and in Paraguay it operates in mobile telecommunications through Nucleo. The Media unit produces of multimedia music platforms, satellite channels and television broadcasting platforms. The Olivetti unit operates in the sector of office products and services for Information Technology. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tom Stoukas]
Telecom Italia SpA (TIT), Italy�� biggest telephone company, added 3.9 percent to 55 euro cents. A gauge of telecommunications operators climbed 2.8 percent. BT Group Plc, the biggest fixed-line phone company in the U.K., increased 4 percent to 338.2 pence.
- [By Zahra Hankir]
Brazil�� Ibovespa extended its weekly decline to 3.3 percent. Mobile carrier Tim Participacoes SA (TIMP3) sank after parent Telecom Italia SpA (TIT)�� chief executive officer said its Brazilian assets are strategic, damping speculation the local unit will be sold.
- [By Amy Thomson]
Vodafone�� cash pile alone, including the Verizon Wireless proceeds, would be worth more than the combined market capitalization of France�� Orange, at $27 billion, and Telecom Italia SpA (TIT), at almost $12 billion. Liberty Global, which has cable operations in countries including Germany and the Netherlands, is valued at about $30 billion.
Hot Telecom Companies To Watch For 2014: Sprint Corp (S&LS)
Sprint Corporation, incorporated on May 10, 2012, offers a range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumers, businesses and government users. On July 10, 2013, the Company, SoftBank Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corporation (Sprint Nextel) completed the merger. In the Merger, Sprint Corporation was merged into Sprint Nextel, New Sprint became the parent company of Sprint Nextel, with Sprint Nextel becoming its direct wholly owned subsidiary, and Sprint Nextel changed its name to Sprint Communications, Inc.
The Company develops, engineers and deploys technologies, including the first wireless fourth generation (4G) service from a national carrier in the United States; offering mobile data services, prepaid brands, including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities, and a global Tier 1 Internet Service. The Company also offers unlimited data services.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon]
Since Wilmers & Co. took over M&T Bank in 1983 the bank has acquired 23 banks and Savings and Loans (S&Ls) ��expanding from a single state to seven ��and assets have grown from $2 billion to $110 billion. M&T's branch count has grown from 60 to over 870. The bank currently boasts a customer base of over 2 million retail household customers and nearly 220,000 commercial customers.
Hot Telecom Companies To Watch For 2014: IN Media Corp (IMDC)
IN Media Corporation, formerly Tres Estrellas Enterprises, Inc., incorporated on March 5, 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company focuses on providing integrated Internet protocol television (IPTV) services for platform providers for any device from large screen televisions to handheld mobile phones. It provides a combination of hardware, software, manufacturing and content services for platform providers to either complete their offerings or provide an all-in-one solution. On October 16, 2009, the Company executed an agreement between In-Media Corporation (In-Media) and the Company, subsequent to which In-Media was merged into the Company.
The Company�� partnerships with platform providers, such as Comcast, AT&T, DirecTV, provide an installed base of customers, as well as allowing platform providers to be the billing and service interface to customers. The Company is focusing on its first implementation in China through its Chinese distributor, which will include provision of set top boxes (STB)-related system support, reference platforms and technology, and access to over 4,000 titles of Hollywood and Bollywood movies.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Small cap stocks IN Media Corp (OTCMKTS: IMDC), Epazz Inc (OTCMKTS: EPAZ) and Polaris International Holdings (OTCMKTS: PIHN) have been busy developing new devices/products or making acquisitions. Moreover, at least two of these small cap stocks have been the subject of paid promotions or investor relations types of activities. Keeping that in mind, will new devices/products or acquisitions help these small caps along with their investors or traders? Here is a closer look:
Hot Telecom Companies To Watch For 2014: j2 Global Inc (JCOM)
j2 Global, Inc., incorporated on December 14, 1995, is a provider of services delivered through the Internet. The Company provides cloud services to businesses of all sizes, from individuals to enterprises. The Company operates in two segments: Business Cloud Services and Digital Media. The Company's Digital Media business segment consists of the Web properties and business operations of Ziff Davis, Inc. (Ziff Davis). The Company�� cloud services and solutions include fax, voice and unified communications, email and customer relationship management, online backup, global network and operations, and customer support services. In February 2013, it acquired IGN Entertainment, Inc. On November 9, 2012, the Company acquired Ziff Davis. Effective March 18, 2013, it acquired MetroFax Inc. In April 2013, the Company acquired Backup Connect BV.
Business Cloud Services
The Company's eFax and MyFax online fax services enable users to receive faxes into their email inboxes and to send faxes via the Internet. eVoice and Onebox provides the Company's customers a virtual phone system with various available enhancements. The Company's FuseMail service provides the Company's customers email, archival and perimeter protection solutions, while Campaigner provides its customers email marketing solutions. KeepItSafe enables the Company's customers to securely backup their data and dispose of tape or other physical systems. The Company's CampaignerCRM business provides customer relationship management solutions designed to increase the Company's customers' sales and increase efficiency. The Company also generates Business Cloud Services revenues from patent licensing and sales and advertising. The Company�� Business Cloud Services and solutions are of two types: direct inward-dial number (DID) -based, which are services provided in whole or in part through a telephone number and non-DID-based, which are its other cloud services for business. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had DIDs issued! to approximately 2.1 million paying subscribers.
The Company's services allow individuals to receive and send faxes as email attachments. In addition to eFax , the Company offers online fax services under a variety of alternative brands, including MyFax , eFax Plus , eFax Pro, eFax Corporate and eFax Developer . eVoice is a virtual phone system that provides small and medium-sized businesses on-demand voice communications services, featuring a toll-free or local company DID, auto-attendant and menu tree. With these services, a subscriber can assign departmental and individual extensions that can connect to multiple United States or Canadian DIDs, including land-line and mobile phones and Internet protocol (IP) networks. These services also include advanced integrated voicemail for each extension, unifying mobile, office and other separate voicemail services and improving efficiency by delivering voicemails in both native audio format and as transcribed text. Onebox is a unified communications suite. It combines the features of many of the Company's other branded services, plus added functionality, to provide a virtual office. Onebox includes a virtual phone system, hosted email, online fax, audio conferencing and Web conferencing.
FuseMail offers hosted email, email encryption and email archival services to businesses. These solutions are hosted offsite and seamlessly integrated into a customer's existing email system. The services include hosted email, VirusSMART virus scanning, CypherSMART encryption services, SpamSMART SPAM filtering and VaultSMART / PolicySMART archiving, which delivers a secure, scalable email archiving and customizable compliance tool to correspond with a company's retention policy. Campaigner is an email marketing service that enables businesses to easily create and send personalized one-to-one email communications to subscribers and customers to build better relationships. Campaigner also helps businesses increase the size of their mailing lists, compl! y with em! ail regulations like CAN-SPAM and get more emails to more inboxes. CampaignerCRM is a cloud-based CRM solution specifically designed to help small/medium-sized businesses close more deals, reduce the sales cycle and sell larger deals. CampaignerCRM has a sales checklist capability that gives sales representatives a step-by-step plan to closing a deal. With CampaignerCRM's Social CRM capabilities, companies can seamlessly integrate a customer's latest information from Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook directly into their Contact profile. KeepItSafe provides managed and monitored online backup solutions for businesses, using its ISO-certified platform.
The Company's Business Cloud Services business operates multiple physical Points of Presence (POPs) worldwide, a central data center in Los Angeles and several remote disaster recovery facilities. The Company connects its POPs to its central data centers through redundant, and often times diverse, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) using the Internet. The Company's network is designed to deliver value-added user applications, customer support and billing services for the Company's customers anywhere in the world and a local presence for its DID-based service customers from thousands of cities in 49 countries on six continents. The Company offers DIDs covering all major metropolitan areas in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, and such other major cities as Berlin, Hong Kong, Madrid, Manila, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Rome, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo and Zurich. The Company has customers located throughout the world.
The Company's Business Cloud Services customer service organization supports the Company's cloud services customers through a combination of online self-help, email communications, interactive chat sessions and telephone calls. The Company's Internet-based online self-help tools enable customers to resolve simple issues on their own, eliminating the need to speak or write to the Company's customer service re! presentat! ives. The Company's Business Cloud Services segment customer service organization provides email support seven days per week, 24 hours per day to all subscribers. Paying subscribers have access to live-operator telephone support seven days per week, 24 hours per day. Dedicated telephone support is provided for corporate customers 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Live sales and customer support services are available in nine languages, including English, Spanish, Dutch, German, French and Cantonese.
Digital Media
The Ziff Davis portfolio of Web properties, including PCMag.com, ExtremeTech.com, Geek.com, ComputerShopper.com, LogicBuy.com and Toolbox.com features reviews of technology products, technology-oriented news and commentary, professional networking tools for IT professionals and online deals and discounts for consumers. The Company generates Digital Media revenues from the sale of display advertising targeted to in-market technology buyers and from the sale of customer leads to online merchants and business-to-business leads to IT vendors. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Digital Media Web properties attracted 345 million visits and 1.1 billion page views.
PCMag is a trusted online resource for laboratory-based product reviews, technology news and buying guides. Toolbox.com is a network of online communities that allows experienced technology professionals to share collective knowledge and collaborate to resolve problems more efficiently. Toolbox.com includes professional networking tools, blogs, collaboration tools and reference guides. Geek.com is an online technology resource and community for technology enthusiasts and professionals. Its gaming site includes IGN.com and men's lifestyle site includes AskMen.com.
The Company competes with Google AdSense, DoubleClick Ad Exchange, AOL's Ad.com and Microsoft Media Network.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on j2 Global (Nasdaq: JCOM ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Hot Telecom Companies To Watch For 2014: Telstra Corporation Ltd (TLSYY.PK)
Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra) telecommunications and information services company providing telecommunications and information services for domestic and international customers. The Company operates in nine segments: Telstra Consumer and Country Wide (TC&CW); Telstra Business (TB); Telstra Enterprise and Government (TE&G); Telstra Wholesale (TW); Telstra Media Group; Telstra International Group; TelstraClear; Telstra Operations and Other. On July 6, 2011, Telstra announced changes to its organisational structure. Effective August 1, 2011, the entire sales and retail customer service workforce, was unified in a single business unit, Telstra Customer Sales and Service, responsible for sales and services to all segments, including consumer, business, enterprise and government customers. On March 27, 2012, the Company sold its 67% shareholding in Dotad Media Holdings Limited, and on July 21, 2011, it sold its 64.4% shareholding in Adstream (Aust) Pty Ltd. On 17 May 2012, the Company acquired an additional 11% interest in Autohome Inc. Effective August 22, 2013, Telstra Corp Ltd acquired NSC Group, a provider of industrial automation services. In November 2013, Telstra Corporation Limited increased its Autohome shareholding from 66% to 71.5%. Effective January 21, 2014, Telstra Corp Ltd acquired O2 Networks, a developer of data networking and network security software.
Telstra Consumer and Country Wide
The TC&CW segment is responsible for providing the full range of telecommunication products, services and solutions (across Mobiles, Fixed and Wireless Broadband, Telephony and Pay TV) to consumer customers in metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. This is achieved through inbound and outbound call centres, Telstra Shops (owned and licensed), Telstra Dealers and Telstra Digital. Telstra Digital is responsible for delivering self service capabilities for all Telstra customers, across all phases of the customer experience from browsing to buying and bill ! and service requests.
Telstra Business (TB)
TB is responsible for providing Australia's small to medium enterprises. It provides a range of telecommunications products, services and solutions, including the latest in cloud computing.
Telstra Enterprise and Government (TE&G)
TE&G is responsible for provision of network services and applications and integrated voice, data and mobile solutions. It provides these solutions via Telstra Next Generation Services to enterprise and government customers.
Telstra Operations (TOps)
TOps is responsible for overall planning, design, engineering and architecture of Telstra networks, technology and information technology; construction of infrastructure for its Company's fixed, mobile, Internet protocol (IP) and data networks; delivery of customer services across these networks; operation, assurance and maintenance, including activation and restoration of these networks, and supply and delivery of informationtechnology solutions to support its products, services, customer support functions and its internal needs. It also delivers network-centric professional services, managed services and outsourcing services for Telstra customers.
Telstra Wholesale (TW)
TW is responsible for the provision of a range of telecommunication products and services delivered over Telstra networks and associated support systems to non-Telstra branded carriers, carriage service providers and Internet service providers. Telstra Wholesale also provides services to NBN Co Limited.
Telstra Media Group (TMG)
TMG is responsible for the management and growth of the domestic directories and advertising business, including print, voice and digital directories, digital mapping and satellite navigation, digital display advertising and business information services. This includes the management of Yellow Pages, White Pages, Whereis, Citysearch, 1234 and Quotify. It also mana! ges of it! s investment in Digital Media content, services and applications, including Trading Post, Telstra Advertising Network, BigPond content including music, movies, sport and games, Internet Protocol television (IPTV), online portals and the FOXTEL partnership.
Telstra International Group (TIG)
TI is responsible for managing Telstra�� assets outside Australia and New Zealand. It includes CSL New World Mobility Limited, which is its 76.4% owned Hong Kong-based subsidiary in, responsible for providing full mobile services, including handset sales, voice and data products to the Hong Kong market. These services are delivered over CSL�� third generation (3G) and 4G Long Term Evolution networks. Its mainland China business provides digital media services in auto, IT and consumer electronics (this includes the Autohome and Sequel IT businesses). Its managed services and international connectivity business, provides managed network services, international data and voice, and satellite across Asia Pacific, China, India, Europe, and Africa.
TelstraClear
TClear is the Company�� New Zealand subsidiary. TClear is responsible for providing full telecommunications services to the New Zealand market.
Telstra Innovation, Products and Marketing
TIPM is responsible for innovation, product, promotion and pricing across Telstra. TIPM is also responsible for the overall brand, sponsorship, promotion and advertising direction of Telstra, as well as maintaining industry analyst relations and embedding market-based management across the Company. This is done by delivering data-driven customer insights that put the customer at the centre of everything Telstra does.
Corporate areas
Corporate areas provides operational and strategic legal support and advice across the Company; manages Telstra's public policy and communications; provides the functions of corporate
planning, accounting and administration, treasury, risk ma! nagement ! and assurance, investor relations, mergers and acquisitions and corporate strategy. The segment also supports in organisational design and change, implementation of people and culture initiatives, leadership development, talent and succession management, health, safety and wellbeing, professional development, workplace relations and all employment and remuneration policies. The segment provides the functions of credit management, billing and procurement.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Hunkar]
Current Dividend Yield: 4.91%
Company: Telstra Corp Ltd (TLSYY.PK)
Sector: Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
Country: ItalyCurrent Dividend Yield: 6.43%
Sector: Telecom
Country: Australia
Hot Telecom Companies To Watch For 2014: QSC AG (QSC)
QSC AG is a Germany-based telecommunications provider that offers enterprise customers and resellers a range of broadband communication services, from site networking to voice and data services. The Company operates in three business segments: Direct Sales; Indirect Sales, and Resellers. The Direct Sales segment (former Managed Services) focuses on larger and mid-size enterprises, and includes the business of subsidiaries INFO AG and IP Partner. The Indirect Sales segment focuses on regional partners that offer a portfolio of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products, solutions and services, including Internet Service Providers (ISP), as well as voice and data services. The Resellers segment focuses on ISPs and telecommunication carriers that do not have an infrastructure of their own and primarily address residential customers. The Resellers segment also includes conventional voice business. In August 2013, it merged with INFO AG. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Morgan]
QSC AG (QSC), a provider of telephony and data services to small and medium-sized businesses, jumped 9.5 percent after posting an increase in quarterly net income. Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1) retreated 2.7 percent after Equinet Bank AG downgraded the shares to sell.
Hot Telecom Companies To Watch For 2014: United States Cellular Corporation(USM)
United States Cellular Corporation operates as a wireless telecommunications service provider in the United States. The company offers wireless voice and data services to retail consumer and business customers. It provides wireless services in postpaid service plans with voice, messaging, and data services; and prepaid service plans with minutes, messaging, and data services for a monthly fee. The company also offers various additional features, including caller ID blocking, call forwarding, voicemail, call waiting, and three-way calling; and data usage features consisting of Web browsing, email services, instant messaging, text messaging, and picture and video messaging. As of December 31, 2010, it provided wireless voice and data services to 6.1 million customers in 26 states. In addition, the company operates retail stores that sell a range of wireless devices, including handsets, modems, and tablets, as well as accessories, such as carrying cases, hands-free devices, b atteries, battery chargers, memory cards, and other items to consumers and small businesses. Further, it sells wireless devices to agents and other third-party distributors for resale; operates service facilities that provide servicing and repair for wireless devices; and enables customers to activate service and purchase wireless devices online. The company?s business customers include small-to-mid-size businesses in various industries, including construction, retail, professional services, and real estate. It offers its products and services through retail sales and service centers, direct sales, and independent agents. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. United States Cellular Corporation is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Radovsky]
T-Mobile US (NYSE: TMUS ) has agreed to purchase 10 MHz of Advanced Wireless Services spectrum from U.S. Cellular (NYSE: USM ) for $308 million, T-Mobile announced today.
- [By Evan Niu, CFA]
Wireless carrier U.S. Cellular (NYSE: USM ) will get Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL ) iPhone "later this year," the company has announced.
- [By Reuters]
Michael Sohn/APSprint CEO Dan Hesse Sprint has been ranked last among U.S. cellphone service operators in a customer satisfaction survey by the influential Consumer Reports organization, scoring dismal marks for measures ranging from voice to 4G reliability. No-frills carrier Consumer Cellular received the highest overall score of 88 out of 100, followed by U.S. Cellular (USM) with 75. Sprint received the lowest score of 59, faring the worst in terms of value, voice, text and 4G services. The annual ratings were based on a September survey of 58,399 cellphone service subscribers by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, which publishes widely followed surveys and reviews of everything from cars to refrigerators. In last year's survey, Sprint (S) trailed only Verizon Wireless among the four major carriers. Verizon Wireless (VZ) (VOD) ranked highest again this year with a score of 71. T-Mobile US (TMUS) rated 65 and AT&T (T) 64, according to survey results released Thursday. The rankings are based on ratings for voice, text and 4G, taking into account the occurrence of problems and adjusted for frequency of use. Sprint has been revamping its network after years of customer losses. The company, which is 80 percent owned by SoftBank, warned in October that customer defections would remain high in coming quarters. The company reported a decline in third-quarter revenue as it lost more subscribers than expected following the shutdown of its older network. "Our latest cell service satisfaction survey revealed a somewhat precipitous decline by Sprint that shuffled the rankings of the major standard service providers," Glenn Derene, Electronics Content Development Team Leader for Consumer Reports, said in a statement.
Mint made the Mac App Store's Best of 2012 list for a reason. This simple, clean app shows how much you are spending in each category of your budget by monitoring all of your transactions. We love signing in and getting a quick,
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