Viacom Inc

ViacomCBS (NASDAQ:VIAC) has struggled since it reported disappointing fourth-quarter results. The company reported revenue of $6.9 billion.

ViacomCBS investors have been disappointed. So far, the stock has fallen 36% YTD. However, ViacomCBS isn’t the only media company with struggling stock.

Netflix (NFLX) stock fell 0.6% on December 4, the day Viacom and CBS completed their merger to form a new entity, ViacomCBS (VIACA) (VIAC).

The CBD market is growing, and acquisitions are heating up. Real Brands is a top, under-the-radar investment candidate that should be on your radar.

Cord-cutting has greatly diminished Dish Network’s (DISH) core television broadcast business, and could continue to do so.

This week, Viacom (VIAB) and CBS (CBS) agreed to merge to form a new media entity, ViacomCBS. That merger could affect Netflix in several ways. With their merger, Viacom and CBS aim to become a major player in the video streaming market. Viacom CEO Bob Bakish, who is set to lead ViacomCBS, said in an […]

Netflix (NFLX) has long relied on international markets to drive its streaming video business growth.

Netflix (NFLX) hit a rough patch in the second quarter. The company’s number of US subscribers declined for the first time in nearly a decade.

AT&T (T) has reportedly failed to renew its carriage programming contract with CBS (CBS) amid disputes about higher fees.

CBS (CBS) and Viacom (VIAB) are progressing with merger talks, according to a report from Fox Business. Currently, the deliberations are quiet.

AT&T (T) is currently facing a carriage fee dispute with Nexstar Media as well as CBS (CBS).

The Wall Street Journal reports that at a recent meeting, CBS (CBS) directors discussed a potential merger with Viacom (VIAB).

Viacom (VIAB) seems to have quietly added itself to the roster of companies gearing up to launch subscription video services in the fall.

Netflix (NFLX) is struggling to dominate India’s online video market like it has in the US, where it boasts a subscriber base twice as large as that of its closest competitor, Hulu.

Viacom (VIAB) and CBS (CBS) are reportedly preparing to reopen merger talks this month.

Viacom (VIAB) recently sold some of its show formats to Comcast (CMCSA), according to a report by Variety.

If the outages of the Univision and AT&T channels on Dish’s platforms are anything to go by, cord cutting seems to have diminished the bargaining power of pay-TV providers.

Viacom (VIAB) recently beefed up its Pluto TV business by bringing its iconic channels to the platform.

Many analysts reportedly don’t believe Disney’s streaming service will threaten Netflix or Amazon Prime Video given their vast worldwide presences.

CBS made a profit of $561 million on revenue of $4.0 billion in the fourth quarter.

Viacom (VIAB) and T-Mobile (TMUS) this month announced a content distribution agreement where Viacom networks will be included in T-Mobile’s upcoming television service.

Roku (ROKU) stock fell more than 5% in premarket trading on April 8 after Citi downgraded its rating from a “neutral” to a “sell.”

Roku (ROKU) shares fell nearly 6% on April 4 to $64.49. Guggenheim analyst Michael Morris cut Roku’s rating to “neutral” from “buy.”

The streaming market in India (INDA) has picked up pace as a large number of Indians are increasingly shifting towards online streaming services.

Univision and Dish Network (DISH) reached a carriage agreement on Tuesday after undergoing one of the longest disputes between a programmer and distributor.

Dish Network (DISH) stock gained 2.97% on Tuesday and closed at $31.54 after DISH announced a long-term carriage contract with Univision Communications.

Media players Viacom (VIAB) and CBS (CBS) are again talking about a merger.

Viacom (VIAB) and CBS (CBS) returned to merger talks the day after Viacom settled its dispute with AT&T (T) and agreed on a carriage renewal contract on Monday.

Out of the 27 analysts covering Viacom (VIAB), nine analysts have rated the stock a “buy,” and only one analyst has given the stock a “sell” rating.

AT&T’s (T) DIRECTV and Viacom (VIAB) have finally resolved their dispute and agreed on a contract renewal deal.

The renewal deal with AT&T was significant for Viacom, which is struggling to produce consistent earnings.

One of the leading US mobile carriers AT&T (T) and media giant Viacom (VIAB) have finally reached an agreement.

Viacom (VIAB) (VIA) has completed the acquisition of Pluto TV.

Discovery recorded a 51% YoY increase in revenue to $2.8 billion in the fourth quarter.

Amazon (AMZN) stock fell 1.2% in March but has gained 7.9% on a year-to-date basis as of March 8.

Comcast (CMCSA) will continue to license its movies and shows to other digital video providers even as it gears up to launch its own video service next year, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Since before it split from Baidu (BIDU) and went public in 2018, iQiyi (IQ) has been stockpiling premium Hollywood films to help it stand out in China’s crowded video streaming market.

Altice USA (ATUS) carried $21.6 billion in debt at the end of the third quarter.

Viacom (VIAB) (VIA) announced in January a plan to acquire Pluto TV for $340 million in cash.

Viacom (VIAB) is another company that is also increasingly focusing on its direct-to-consumer strategy like The Walt Disney Company (DIS) in the United States (IYW).

Cord cutting is driving growth in digital video advertising. This trend is enlarging the growth opportunity for companies such as Snap.

AT&T (T) gained a number of assets through its acquisition of Time Warner including HBO, Turner, and Warner Bros.

Despite Viacom’s dispute with Netflix, the company isn’t going roll back its strategy of cooperating with video streaming providers.

There has been an issue between Viacom and Netflix. In October, Netflix hired a senior production executive from Viacom.

In February 2017, Viacom (VIA) (VIAB) detailed a plan to deleverage its balance sheet.

Viacom said the restructuring is meant to streamline operations of its media unit and enhance the ability of the media teams to coordinate programming and share resources.

CBS Corporation (CBS) now allows subscribers to its CBS All Access service to download shows for offline viewing, matching similar moves by rivals Netflix (NFLX) and Hulu.

The average target price for Disney is $120.54 as of September 24.

Comcast, which had $5.8 billion in cash at the end of the June quarter, intends to fund its Sky bid with cash.

Netflix (NFLX) has cut a deal with Sirius XM (SIRI) to create a comedy channel for the radio broadcaster.

Netflix’s (NFLX) subscriber additions in the second quarter disappointed the markets.

Netflix and Amazon foresee strong opportunities in India with its large customer base but are failing to expand with the dominance of local players.

India’s streaming market has picked up the pace as a large number of Indians are increasingly shifting to online streaming services.

In September 2016, National Amusements asked CBS and Viacom to explore a merger. Merger talks would be called off just a few months later.

Last month, Snap launched a startup accelerator program called Yellow, through which it intends to invest in and nurture the next big media business.

India has become an important battleground for Internet companies. The SVOD market there is still in early stages but is likely to boom.

Comcast’s advertising sales dipped in 2017, dragged down by low political ad spending. Advertising revenues dropped 8.8% to ~$2.3 billion.

Comcast (CMCSA) has a high level of capital spending since it’s focused on enhancing its network capacity.

On February 8, Viacom gained 7.2% and closed the day at $32.71. Viacom is part of the S&P 500 Consumer Discretionary sector.

DISH Network (DISH) is set to release its 4Q17 financial results before the market opens on February 20, 2018.

Leading cable and media conglomerate Comcast (CMCSA) is set to release its 4Q17 earnings results before the market opens on January 24, 2018.

Increased capital expenditure (or capex) and a higher number of share repurchases and dividend payments continue to drive Comcast’s debt levels.

On January 18, Viacom B gained 6.2% and closed the day at $33.95—the highest daily close since August 3, 2017.

Media conglomerate Twenty-First Century Fox (FOXA) continues to bolster shareholder wealth through regular dividend payments.

Twenty-First Century Fox’s (FOXA) operating margin in fiscal 1Q18 stood at 25.3% against 27.3% in the prior year’s quarter.

CBS (CBS) continues to witness growth in its debt level, which has been primarily driven by increased share buybacks and dividend payments.

CBS’s (CBS) Entertainment segment, which contributes nearly 57% of the company’s total revenues, reported $1.8 billion in revenues for the 3Q17.

Media conglomerate CBS (CBS) reported 3Q17 financial results that showed that its overall revenues rose 2.8% YoY (year-over-year) to nearly $3.2 billion.

Viacom’s ancillary division under its media networks segment posted revenue of $181 million in fiscal 4Q17, a rise of 4.6% YoY, due to strong demand for international consumer products.

Viacom’s (VIAB) home entertainment business, part of its filmed entertainment segment, reported revenue of $189 million in fiscal 4Q17.

Viacom’s MTV, a global youth culture brand that creates original music and pop culture content, has witnessed double-digit growth in its ratings for the first time in six years.

In the last five years, Viacom has returned ~$12.5 billion to its investors at an average of nearly $2.5 billion per year.

Viacom’s (VIAB) affiliate revenue business, part of its media networks segment, fell 1% YoY (year-over-year) to $1.2 billion in fiscal 4Q17.

Viacom’s (VIAB) advertising business under its media networks segment reported revenue of $1.2 billion in fiscal 4Q17, a rise of 6.4% YoY (year-over-year).

Comedy Central’s features Viacom’s (VIAB) Comedy Central, part of its Media Networks segment, has continued to gain popularity and followers. The channel carries comedy programming and is a leading platform for comedic talent. It features late-night, scripted, animated, and stand-up specials and series. The graph above shows Viacom’s media and advertising revenue growth over the last […]

Features of the deal Media conglomerate Viacom (VIAB) has continued to strengthen its ties with leading toymaker Hasbro (HAS) by entering into a new production and content distribution agreement connected with Hasbro’s huge brand portfolio. As part of the deal, original stories will be developed. The five-year deal will see the companies collaborating on live-action and animated […]

Nickelodeon’s growing user base Viacom’s (VIAB) Media Networks segment continues to gain, thanks to the popularity of its Nickelodeon channel and its growing number of followers. The network, which targets kids aged two to 17, witnessed television subscriber growth of 22% to 602 million in fiscal 2017, buoyed by the success of strong content such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, School of […]

In this series, we’ll take a close look at Viacom’s flagship brands and how they’re driving the company’s revenue.

Chesapeake Energy (CHK), an American petroleum and natural gas exploration and production company, was the top loser of the S&P 500 on December 27.

In this final series of our three-part series, we’ll be looking at the last seven stocks among the top 18 cheap stocks in the S&P 500 for 2018.

In 3Q17, Time Warner’s theatrical products unit, which is part of its Warner Bros segment, reported $1.69 billion in revenues—up 5.6% YoY (year-over-year).

Comcast (CMCSA) ended 3Q17 with long-term debt of $59.7 billion, compared with $55.6 billion in 3Q16.

Success of Lucasfilm Lucasfilm, a part of The Walt Disney Company (DIS), may boost the company’s film business with the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on December 15, 2017. The last film of the series, released at the same time last year, garnered more than $1 billion worldwide. Lucasfilm, popularly known for producing successful […]

Pixar’s historical success The Walt Disney Company’s (DIS) Pixar continues to boost its Studio Entertainment segment with hit movie releases. To date, Pixar has produced 18 films, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Cars. These movies have generated business of more than $11 billion for the company worldwide. Even its latest movie, Cars 3, released this year, […]

Methods to enhance shareholders’ wealth Media conglomerate The Walt Disney Company (DIS) looks attractive to investors, mainly due to its regular dividend payments and healthy share buyback goals. It continues to enhance shareholders’ wealth through such objectives. In fiscal 2017, the company returned ~$11.8 billion to its shareholders through buybacks and dividend payments, compared with […]

Share repurchase trends The Walt Disney Company (DIS) continues to boost shareholders’ wealth through huge share buybacks. The company aims to buy stock worth $6 billion in fiscal 2018, the same rate at which it has been purchasing shares for the last five years. In 4Q17, the company bought 33.6 million shares for $3.4 billion, and in […]

Affiliate fees are another major source of revenues for companies like Comcast (CMCSA), Time Warner (TWX), and Viacom (VIAB).

Comcast (CMCSA) expects its capex (capital expenditure) for Comcast Cable to remain flat at 15.0% in fiscal 2017.

On July 31, 2017, Discovery Communications (DISCA) announced the acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI) for $14.6 billion, or $90 per share.

Discovery Communications (DISCA) stock closed at $23.73 on August 4. The stock’s price has fallen 9.8% in the past one-year period.

Viacom expects that its affiliate fees in the United States and international territories could improve in fiscal 3Q17 on a quarter-over-quarter basis.

Viacom’s (VIAB) Nickelodeon is a key flagship brand for the company.

As video streaming services like Netflix become increasingly popular, media companies like Viacom and Time Warner are rethinking their content strategies.

Viacom has restructured its television networks portfolio to focus on five or six of its core television networks.

Earlier this year, Viacom and a few peers announced the launch of an OpenAP that would offer targeted advertising packages to advertisers.

Viacom (VIAB) is undergoing a transition toward a focus on its core flagship brands.

For media companies such as Time Warner (TWX), advertising is a key component of its revenues.

On June 23, Netflix (NFLX) had a forward EV-to-EBITDA (enterprise value–to–earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) multiple of 41.4x.

Netflix’s (NFLX) stock price closed at $158.03 on June 23. Netflix is trading 6.1% and 2% above its 100-day and 50-day moving averages of $149.00 and $155.00, respectively.

Viacom (VIAB) is in need of a turnaround, and it’s searching everywhere for it.