Top 10 Media Stocks To Buy Right Now

The giant in home-goods retail --�Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY  ) �-- surprisingly did not beat analysts' estimates for the third quarter of fiscal 2013 ended Nov. 30, 2013. Not only did Bed Bath & Beyond's performance disappoint analysts on Wall Street, but the company took the disappointment one step further, lowering its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings guidance, which as you can imagine did not sit well with investors.�

Immediate reaction
Bed Bath & Beyond released its third-quarter results for fiscal 2013 after market close on Wednesday, Jan. 8. During early morning trading the following day, reactions to the company's third-quarter earnings release were quickly made obvious to the public as the stock price for Bed Bath & Beyond dropped 12.4% from $78.46 the day before to $69.80. The news continued to shake up investors throughout the day, keeping the company's stock price below $70.

Neither wins the prize
Retail competitor in home organization The Container Store Group (NYSE: TCS  ) , which reported its third-quarter earnings one day earlier, stayed neck and neck with Bed Bath & Beyond. Both retailers increased their net sales and same-store sales over the same period a year ago, but results in other categories varied, as seen in the table below.

Top 10 Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch For 2015: 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 Johanna Bennett]

  Charter Communications (CHTR) and Comcast (CMCSA) are each also contemplating bids. The WSJ reported late�today that Charter is arranging $25 billionin debt to fund its bid.

• [By CNBC]

  Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Time Warner Cable's flirtation with potential merger suitors may include Comcast, which is seeking advice on possible regulatory hurdles if it should pursue a bid, sources told CNBC on Friday. Comcast (CMCSA) (CMCSK), the parent company of CNBC, is not in active discussions on deal terms with Time Warner Cable (TWC), these sources say, but is asking for guidance on antitrust and telecommunications-related issues. According to people familiar with the matter, TWC has made it clear that if it should sell itself, Comcast would be its preferred buyer. These people add that Comcast has been quietly mulling a merger with TWC for some time. The cable operator is on the verge of a bid from Charter Communications (CHTR), according to The Wall Street Journal, which said Charter is near an agreement with banks for the funds to make that offer. Analysts, however, say Time Warner's needs may be better suited with Comcast. "The synergies are very real, and Comcast would be a better fit," said Craig Moffett, founder and senior analyst at MoffettNathanson. He said that while the Department of Justice's anti-trust requirements may not pose an insurmountable challenge, the more stringent litmus test might come from the Federal Communications Commission.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) is reported to be preparing an offer to acquire larger competitor Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) at a price below $135 a share. Time Warner has reportedly indicated that it would likely accept an offer north of $150 a share, so if Charter comes in with its low-ball (a bear hug) offer the primary reason is that it wants to get the ball rolling.

Top 10 Media Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cablevision Systems Corporation (CVC)

Cablevision Systems Corporation provides telecommunications and media services. It operates in two segments, Telecommunications Services and Other. The Telecommunications Services segment is involved in television business, including video, high-speed data, and VoIP operations, as well as the provision of commercial data and voice services. The Other segment offers Newsday, a daily newspaper; amNewYork, a free daily newspaper; and Star Community Publishing, a group of weekly shopper publications; and newsday.com and exploreLI.com. This segment also engages in motion picture theatre business, Clearview Cinemas; provision of the News 12 Networks, a regional news programming services; and the MSG Varsity network, a network covering high school sports and activities, and other local programs, as well as cable television advertising. Cablevision Systems Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Bethpage, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anna Prior]

  Cablevision Systems Corp.(CVC) said it swung to a profit in the first quarter, driven by higher rates and advertising sales that boosted its cable revenue.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The analysts sound as if they believe CBS got the better of the deal-and the market appears to agree. Shares of CBS have gained 3.7% to $53.00, while Time Warner has gained 1.1% to $61.19. Shares of Disney (DIS) are little changed at $60.81, while shares of Cablevision Systems (CVC) have dropped 0.3% to $17.69.

• [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 Paul Ausick]

  SNL Kagan noted that cable outfits like Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and Cablevision Corp. (NYSE: CVC) saw subscriber losses double to 607,000. Cable�� share of the pay TV market has now fallen to 55.3%.

Top 10 Media Stocks To Buy Right Now: 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 Ben Levisohn]

  Another day, another market spent looking for direction, even as� stocks drop thanks to big declines in American International Group (AIG),�Merck�(MRK),� Discover Communications (DISCA), Target (TGT) and Twitter (TWTR).

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  If the market's had a great year in 2013, Discovery Communications (DISCA) has managed to do one better. Shares of the $30 billion TV broadcaster have rallied almost 32% year-to-date, stomping the performance of the S&P 500 by a wide margin.

  Still, investors hate this stock right now. With a short interest ratio of 10.7, it would take short sellers more than two weeks of buying at current volume levels to cover their positions.

  Discovery owns a handful of international cable TV channels, including the namesake Discovery Channel, TLC, Science Channel and Animal Planet, and positions in properties such as Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network, launched in 2011. Discovery's niche positioning gives it some big benefits -- the firm's channels focus on topics such as science, technology and history, and they're able to sell more targeted advertising as a result. That's helped push the firm's net margins far above those of more conventional network broadcasters.

  Discovery's channels are only part of the story. Content is king in the broadcast business, and so Discovery's 100,000 hour video library provides the firm with an extremely valuable asset -- especially now that streaming video firms such as Amazon.com (AMZN) and Netflix (NFLX) are falling all over themselves to license content.

  DISCA has some tailwinds at its back right now, and its hefty short interest gives it the potential to pop this summer.

Top 10 Media Stocks To Buy Right Now: DISH Network Corporation(DISH)

DISH Network Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides direct broadcast satellite (DBS) subscription television services in the United States. It offers programming that includes approximately 280 basic video channels, 60 Sirius satellite radio music channels, 30 premium movie channels, 35 regional and specialty sports channels, 2,800 local channels, 250 Latino and international channels, and 55 channels of pay-per-view content. The company also offers local HD channels in approximately 160 markets and 215 national HD channels; and receiver systems, including a small satellite dish, digital set-top receivers, and remote controls. In addition, it provides DISHOnline.com, which enables DISH Network subscribers to watch 150,000 movies, television shows, clips, and trailers; DISH Remote Access that enables subscribers to remotely manage their DVRs using compatible mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops through their broadband-connected receiver; and Go ogle TV that enables DISH Network subscribers to search the Internet, check email, interact with social media, and find additional online programming content while simultaneously watching television. As of March 31, 2011, the company had approximately 14.191 million customers. DISH Network provides receiver systems and programming through direct sales channels; and independent third parties, such as small satellite retailers, direct marketing groups, local and regional consumer electronics stores, nationwide retailers, and telecommunications companies. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Mora]

  Dish Network offers a television subscription service that provides national and local programming to consumers in the United States. The company has made positive changes to its spectrum that continues to produce great things for the company. The stock has been trending higher over the last few years and is now trading slightly below highs for the year. Over the last four quarters, investors have had mixed feelings about the company as earnings and revenues have been declining. Relative to its peers and sector, Dish Network has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for Dish Network to OUTPERFORM.

Top 10 Media Stocks To Buy Right Now: Gannett Co. Inc. (GCI)

Gannett Co., Inc. operates as a media and marketing solutions company in the United States and internationally. Its Publishing segment publishes 83 U.S. daily newspapers with affiliated online sites, including USA TODAY, a national, general-interest daily newspaper; USATODAY.com; USA WEEKEND, a magazine supplement for newspapers; Clipper Magazine, a direct mail advertising magazine; bi-weekly Nursing Spectrum and NurseWeek periodicals; and military and defense newspapers. This segment also includes 17 paid-for daily newspapers; approximately 200 weekly newspapers, magazines, and trade publications; and approximately 600 non-daily publications, as well as involves in commercial printing, newswire, marketing, and data services operations. The company?s Digital segment owns and operates CareerBuilder, an employment Web site, which offers online recruitment and career advancement services for employers, employees, recruiters, and job seekers; ShopLocal, which provides multicha nnel shopping and advertising services; Planet Discover, which offers hosted search and advertising services; PointRoll, which provides digital marketing services and technology; and Schedule Star, which offers scheduling solution for high school athletic departments. Its Broadcasting segment operates 23 television stations and affiliated Web sites, which produce local programming, such as news, sports, and entertainment programming. This segment also includes Captivate Network, a national news and entertainment network that delivers programming and full-motion video advertising on video screens located in elevators of office towers and select hotel lobbies in North America. The company has strategic business relationships with online affiliates, including Classified Ventures, ShopLocal.com, Topix, and Metromix LLC, as well as strategic marketing agreement with Microsoft. Gannett Co., Inc. was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By The Part-time Investor]

  The following stocks met the criteria in January of 2008 and were put into the initial portfolio:

  Abbot Labs (ABT)Advanced data processing (ADP)Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC)Bank of America (BAC)BB&T Corp. (BBT)Bemis Company (BMS)Anheuser Busch (BUD)The Chubb Corporation (CB)Clorox (CLX)Comerica Inc. (CMA)Diebold Inc. (DBD)Emerson Electronics (EMR)First Dollar Corp. (FDO)First Third BanCorp. (FITB)Gannett Co, Inc. (GCI)General Electric (GE)Hershey (HSY)Illinois Tools Works (ITW)Johnson and Johnson (JNJ)Leggett and Platt (LEG)Eli Lilly (LLY)La-Z-Boy (LZB)McDonald's (MCD)Marsh and Ilsley (MI)M&T Bancorp (MTB)PepsiCo (PEP)Pfizer (PFE)Procter & Gamble (PG)Pentair Ltd. (PNR)Regions Financial Corp. (RF)Rohm and Haas (ROH)RPM International (RPM)Sherwin Williams (SHW)Sysco Corp. (SYY)UDR Inc. (UDR)

  Historical quotes were taken from Yahoo Finance. $10,000 was put into each position, to the nearest whole share, so a total of $349,262.89 was invested. From 1/15/08 through 5/16/13 all dividends were reinvested back into the stock that paid them. If a dividend cut was announced, that stock was sold on the ex-div date of the new, lower dividend.

• [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  Gannett Co. (GCI) �shares shed 2.8%. USA Today on Monday said it reached a content and technology partnership with CineSport that will provide a video-technology platform as well as create video content.

Top 10 Media Stocks To Buy Right Now: DIRECTV(DTV)

DIRECTV provides digital television entertainment in the United States and Latin America. The company provides direct-to-home (DTH) digital television services, as well as multi-channel video programming distribution services in the United States. It offers various channels of digital-quality video entertainment and CD-quality audio programming directly to subscribers' homes or businesses, as well as video-on-demand services; and approximately 160 national high-definition television channels and 4 3D channels. The company also provides premium professional and collegiate sports programming, such as the NFL SUNDAY TICKET package, which allows subscribers to view the NFL games. In addition, it offers DTH digital television services in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. The company provides its local and international programming under the DIRECTV and SKY brand names. As of December 31, 2010, it served approximately 19.2 million subscribers in the United States; and 8.9 million subscribers in Latin America. The company was founded in 1990 and is based in El Segundo, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV  ) stock surged when the company announced earnings results earlier this week, easily beating analyst estimates and highlighting the importance of sports programming to TV providers in driving revenues and profits. In the earnings call that followed the release, CEO Mike White was cagey about the future of the company's relationship with the NFL that costs about $1 billion per year and is set to expire in 2015. The market reacted well to the news, driving up DIRECTV stock by nearly 7% on the news, and allowing it to reach its highest level in a decade.

• [By Chris Hill]

  DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV  ) hits a new all-time high, as the satellite-TV provider now has more than 20 million U.S. subscribers. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) hits a two-year high in the wake of a $1.7 billion settlement with mortgage insurer MBIA. MercadoLibre's (NASDAQ: MELI  ) first-quarter revenue rises 23% and shares hit an all-time high. And First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) loses some energy on lower-than-expected earnings. In this installment of�Investor Beat, our analysts talk about four stocks making moves.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Nati Harnik/AP There are all sorts of exclusive clubs on Wall Street -- and then there's Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A). On Thursday, it became the only member of the $200,000-a-share club. That's right: A single share of its Class A stock is trading for more than $200,000. And Berkshire is likely to remain the sole member of that club for a very long time. The next-highest priced stock is Tower Properties (TPRP), a real estate holding company that trades over the counter for $10,500 a share. Some critics have argued for years that Berkshire is overvalued, but it has marched steadily higher year after year. According to Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices, Berkshire has delivered an annual return of 22.6 percent (including reinvested dividends) ever since the stock topped $100 a share back in 1977. That's a record of consistently outstanding performance unmatched by any other Wall Street guru. $1,000 to $2 Million That means, if you invested $1,000 in Berkshire stock in May of 1977 and let it ride, your investment would be worth $2 million today. The stock is up 13 percent so far this year, well ahead of the 5.6 percent gain for the S&P 500 (^GSPC). Berkshire Hathaway is basically a mutual fund of Buffett's investments, including dozens of companies that he's bought and operated, as well as huge stakes in other publicly traded stocks. The company's biggest stock holdings are in Wells Fargo (WFC) (more than $23 billion worth of stock) and in Coca-Cola (KO) (more than $16- billion). Buffett has also placed big bets on financial companies American Express (AXP) and Goldman Sachs (GS), energy giants Exxon Mobil (XOM) and ConocoPhillips (COP), DirecTV (DTV), DaVita Healthcare (DVA), and many others. Buy and Hold Buffett has long preached a buy-and-hold investment strategy, and he's maintained investments in many of these companies for several decades. In addition to those stock market investments, Berkshir

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports including Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE: PFE) �and DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV).

Top 10 Media Stocks To Buy Right Now: 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. provides highly sought entertainment and information through a wide range of mediums to interested consumers and companies worldwide. The stock has been on a surge higher, in recent years, but is now digesting gains from the first half of this year. Over the last four quarters, investors have been optimistic about the company as earnings and revenue figures have been rising. Relative to its strong peers and sector, News Corp. has been a year-to-date average performer. Look for News Corp. to continue to OUTPERFORM.

• [By Pato Kehoe]

  Quality video content has continuously increased in value over the past years, and this firm has a made a point of following the money trail by producing and broadcasting an ample amount of high quality products. From award winning shows like ��odern Family��or ��he Simpsons,��to its popular sports programming, Twenty-First Century Fox has constantly satisfied the market's thirst for entertainment. The News Corp (NWSA) spin-off, for one, was a highly beneficial strategy for this company, setting it apart as a pure-play entertainment firm. By concentrating resources and management on the cable network business and shaking off Rupert Murdoch�� print segment, the firm was able to boost its EBITDA growth as well as its return on capital (ROC). The current metrics of 28.80% and 154% respectively are quite impressive and will be highly beneficial for investors if they can be sustained.