Investing in Marvel's Future.

[jrpstarwars]

Time Warner is the company to invest in.

 

[Advanced Dark]

TWX is ok and I have some but it has nothing near the growth potential of Marvel.

 

[jrpstarwars]

TWX is ok and I have some but it has nothing near the growth potential of Marvel.

Not so much as an investment but for the simple fact they control all the media and technology in the world. I may want a couple shares just for that fact alone.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Get Viacom as well then.

 

[YJ1]

Posted 2/24/06 ... Seriously. I love Marvel, but anyone with half a brain wouldnt invest in them now. Just cause your a fan and put a bunch of money in it, dont get mad cause other people did the smart thing and pulled out. X3 isnt going bring in that much. You really think something like Blade on Spike TV is going to raise revenue? An R-Rated movie like Ghost Rider? Its hardly as sure fire as Spider-man 3. Thats when you want to invest, a couple of months before SM3 comes out and all that merchandise is being sold. Lets be honest here. Marvel is a bad investment.

Did someone say half a brain? Bad investment?

February 1, 2006 Price: $16.17
February 1, 2007 Price: $28.50

But who in their right mind could've foreseen it?

Oh yeah...

Posted 2/23/06 ... I bought shares back in 2001 and have been grinning ever since. I made my profit and I'm still holding a majority of those initial purchases. Advanced Dark is absolutely right. Just ride out this current lull and/or buy more now. MVL will start to gain notice later this year and surge accordingly. I really like most of MVL's licensing and entertainment business moves. (The new Hasbro toy deal, the Paramount movie distribution deal, etc.)

 

[Advanced Dark]

Press Release

Source: Marvel Entertainment, Inc.


Marvel to Report Q4 Results and Host Webcast Monday, February 26th at 9:00 a.m. EST
Monday February 5, 11:34 am ET
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: MVL - News), a global character-based entertainment and licensing company, will release financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2006 prior to the market's opening on Monday, February 26(th). Marvel will then host a webcast at 9:00 a.m. EST that day to provide an overview of its financial results.
WEBCAST / REPLAY URL: www.marvel.com/webcasts or at www.earnings.com. An archived version of the webcast will be available for 30 days.
About Marvel Entertainment, Inc.
With a library of over 5,000 characters, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused on utilizing its character franchises in licensing, entertainment, publishing and toys. Areas of emphasis include feature films, DVD/home video, consumer products, video games, action figures and role-playing toys, television and promotions. Rooted in the creative success of over sixty years of comic book publishing, Marvel's strategy is to leverage its character franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world. More information about Marvel can be found at www.marvel.com.


Contact:
Jaffoni & CollinsRichard Land or David Collins, 212-835-8500[email protected]</SPAN>

Cha-Ching!

 

[Advanced Dark]

Did someone say half a brain? Bad investment?

February 1, 2006 Price: $16.17
February 1, 2007 Price: $28.50

But who in their right mind could've foreseen it?

Oh yeah...

This is just the beginning too. LOL Good post. There wasn't a single part of his post that was correct. R rated GR??? X3 won't make any money? I'm mad cause I didn't pull out? LOL

 

[Advanced Dark]

Newscorp's sales rise thanks to X-Men DVD

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/...=842c6c8a-ceea-4ce8-b38e-370876e53870&k=43042

 

[Advanced Dark]

This weekend proves the value of Marvel's brand and content. Ghost Rider looking to set many records for the weekend, nic cage, and the year so far.

 

[Chaos Bringer]

TWX is ok and I have some but it has nothing near the growth potential of Marvel.

well ... what rises falls and with Marvels new plans to make awful features of loved properties I doubt they'll stick around long. Live Action Iron Man HAS to be much greater than the dreadful animated version. Ghost Rider stank. I've literaly quit being a fan of Marvel so I'm jaded.

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ Don't be an idiot. Yeah Marvel has plans to make "awful features". That's they're business plan to fail that's why they have such horrible talent surrounding the Iron Man feature which is their first Marvel Studios film. Marvel's revenue isn't dependent upon whether you thought the film stank or not. It depends on whether or not the general public likes the product. The same general public that resulted in an increase over opening day on Ghost Rider by 12%.

 

[FlameHead]

Just postin' to subscribe. I've been thinking about doing this for years but have no freakin' idea about the stock market. This'll help. Thanks!

 

[Advanced Dark]

Anything worthwhile I'll post here, on my myspace, or at Yahoo Finance under MVL message boards. Though there's a load of short selling bashers there thinking they can make the stock go down. What they don't realize it there just helping the stock go up.

Earnings next week and Ghost Rider should be near 100 million by then.

 

[Donald Thomas]

^ Don't be an idiot. Yeah Marvel has plans to make "awful features". That's they're business plan to fail that's why they have such horrible talent surrounding the Iron Man feature which is their first Marvel Studios film. Marvel's revenue isn't dependent upon whether you thought the film stank or not. It depends on whether or not the general public likes the product. The same general public that resulted in an increase over opening day on Ghost Rider by 12%.

Aloha,
Great thread. I was an investor during the Bankruptcy days and recently got back into being an investor along with Hasbro and Electronic Arts.I definitley think that this is the way of the modern fan man or woman. We can moan and rant all we want, but the more we are a part of the company, the greater our potential to influence. Ghost Rider,FF,Punisher,Elektra,DD.Hulk,Punisher and of course Spidey and X-Men. Even if you think any of those movies were crap-Marvel got paid UP FRONT for the use of the character on top of other revenues.Iron Man will be Marvel's first Marvel Made product and it will be a barometer of Marvel's ability to produce it's own content.I've seen the stock rise steadily in the past few months. I'm in for the long haul.
Spidey rules

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ Thanks. It's pretty much the safest bet out there with such huge potential return. Content is King. I remember the MRV days when Perlman was in charge and the IPO at 21 zoomed up and split how many times. Perlman raped that company though and never utilized the characters as they should have been. There was no confidence in them at the time anyways and the technology just wasn't there for most of these characters to even be presented right. Fortunately for us fans Avi Arad grabbed Marvel and with his heart turned it into a Hollywood Heavy hitter. Up until now Marvel only got a small share of the studio profit...now we get it all from the Marvel Studios deal. Yeah the stock has gone up 7-10 fold since it first came out...but there was no confidence in the company and it was "TOO" low back then. It's almost doubled again in 12 months because it was undervalued and still people didn't have confidence. Shorts ruled this stock for the 2 years prior to this run-up. Now they're all screwed. This stock will see bumps here and there but I honestly think it'll triple or quadruple the value it's at now within 5-6 years and that's if it's not bought out first by Viacom, Newscorp etc...It's a great pure play. Very little risk even as they play studio because the financing is non-recourse and only movie rights of failed properties would be at risk in the worst case scnerio. It'll be at 30+ possibly as early as tomorrow but surely in the run-up to spidey, then after that FF2, but none of this is even big money till the revenue from Iron Man and Hulk come out. Those films don't need to make spiderman dollars for Marvel to make big money. Marvel only gets 5% of Spidey theatrical revenue...whereas they get it all on Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Avengers, Cap, etc...5% of 800 million is a lot less than 55%+ of 200-400 million.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

I owned Marvel stock back in 2002 when I bought a few hundred shares before the release of Spider-man at around $6/share. It shot up like a beast after SM exploded, and got up into the mid 20's. I put a stop loss order in if it ever went down to $21. Wouldn't you know, that happened while I was in the theater watching Hulk. Made a few thousand on the deal and was pretty pleased.

I thought about getting back in but up until very recently the stock market has sucked and Marvel was pretty range bound. I saw Marvel's had a nice rebound recently like certain other entertainment stocks have although I've gotten out of the stock market for the most part. There's much better investments elsewhere in some of the various mutual funds and futures. Last year I believe the market was averaging a 9% ROI which isnt all that great.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Marvel was bound range because they were stuck. They were just licensing everything out and the layering effect doesn't have huge compounded effects on revenue. When they started the studio division that changed everything. Marvel is NOT the same company it was 3 years ago. I too bought at 6.08 before the 3/2 split. I continued to buy all the way up to just a few weeks ago where I bought a couple hundred more shares at 28.24 or something like that. I have thousands and thousands of shares. Cost average around 13-14 range without factoring in that I sold and bought back cheaper a dozen times on the way up which would average my cost down more. All of that trading was in my IRA. I won't sell Marvel...period. Not until it's bought out or peaked. It's far far from that.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Anyone interested should read this:

http://www.marvel.com/company/pdf/marvel_studio_present.pdf

 

[Advanced Dark]

Just broke through $30.00 a share and we're still going now at $30.12. This stock is still cheap. And for those who say what goes up must come down take a look at 90% of the biggest company in each business sector as it's performed over it's lifetime...even over the last 30 years on the DOW or NASDAQ. So much for the "down" theory. Of course the stock doesnt' go straight up. There's dips, sell-off's etc...The TREND is your friend w/Marvel though and it's going up long long long term.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Hit a new all time high today of 30.87 and now it looks like Marvel might be relocating in NY to hopefully more state of the art offices.

News briefs: Marvel’s rent

§ Will Marvel have to move office again? According to this piece in the New York Observer, their office building has just been purchased by a new buyer who could be well advised to raise the well-below-market rents.



417 Fifth Avenue is an 11-story, 392,000- square-foot building at the corner of 38th Street and across the street from the Lord & Taylor. It’s a building that was constructed in 1912, and includes Atari and Marvel Entertainment as its main tenants.

The building also has 80,000 square feet of air rights available, which was included in the deal, a source said.

One of the first things that Mr. Moinian may want to do is push up rents, since they’re far below market now. The asking rent for the only available floor is $32 per square foot, according to CoStar (whereas average rents for class-B midtown south buildings are $40 per square foot, according to Cushman & Wakefield).

 

[Advanced Dark]

Quote from Zanos Feb 2006 in this thread:

I don't know much about stocks but I don't see marvel as a huge long term investment especially at their current price. By the time they start making their own films most of them will have been made by other studios already. Big hitters like Spider-man and X-Men will have been long done. All they'll be left with is a few crappy second or third tier superheroes. Who's the say the public will even embrace the genre anymore. This isn't to say you won't make some money but at 17 dollars a share forget it.

Marvel was at 17 dollars a share at that time.

Quote from Pickleweed Feb 2007 in this thread:

2007 doesn't seem to be that big of an up for marvel. back in 2000 or whenever you initially bought the stock, marvel was in the slumps. spider man hadn't hit, x-men didn't either. now they're an inflated company riding a trend of superhero pop revival. ghost rider isn't really a draw (even with nick cage), fantastic four isn't a top draw either. spider man is marvels bread and butter, and 3 is where the train stops. most of the creative personnel are gone after this one, and furthermore, can the american attention span hold for a couple more flicks? now im not saying spidey will flop, but as in an investment it's not as strong a buy as it would be in 2000. iron man is another good property, but honestly how many more quality lisences does marvel have?

in a nutshell - the time to buy was 6 years ago. this puppy peaked.

Quote from Shadowboxing Feb 2006 in this thread:

They peaked. They made on or two movies...got investors ravenous...and now they're sick of them. Investors don't give a sh** about what movies you're making...you obviously no nothing about the stock market.

If you were smart you'd never touch Marvel and focus on stable companies like Lowes, Home Depot, Steel and other manufactured goods. Those things never go "out of style". As I said "investors don't give a sh** about movies and toys". They only care about "the next big thing" and what is "always big". Short term investments are things like Marvel that experience big but fleeting moments of popularity. Long term investments would be something like steel companies. A product that is necessary and always needed (for the foreseeable future).

If you want to invest in Marvel 6 years ago was the time. If you like getting the quarterly reports invest 15 bucks....you'll still get em. I had 1000 dollars in their....now its down to the low 800s if that gives you any impression how great a long term investment it is. Invest in Marvel if you want to, don't go deluding yourself its some awesome stock though.

exactamundo....face it X3 will probably tank...especially in the face of SR.

Note the stock is up almost 100% since these posts and X3 made more than Superman Returns.

Quote from Jaydawg Feb 2006 in this thread:

Seriously. I love Marvel, but anyone with half a brain wouldnt invest in them now. Just cause your a fan and put a bunch of money in it, dont get mad cause other people did the smart thing and pulled out. X3 isnt going bring in that much. You really think something like Blade on Spike TV is going to raise revenue? An R-Rated movie like Ghost Rider? Its hardly as sure fire as Spider-man 3. Thats when you want to invest, a couple of months before SM3 comes out and all that merchandise is being sold. Lets be honest here. Marvel is a bad investment.

Again almost 100% gains since then.

Quote from Hippiehunter in April 2006 in this thread:

I wouldn't invest in Marvel yet. It's just not a smart decision. Marvel has been making some really stupid decisions with their comics lately and have allowed the competition to release a far superior product. Wait and see how Marvel's movie business if it is a success or not before investing in my opinion.

08/2006 Marvel's stock is worth less than $20. Being bought out over $30/share would be too overpriced. If Marvel sells it won't be anymore than $25/share.

09/2006 I made that comment when it's stock was under $20/share. They've been doing pretty well in the past couple of weeks. If this keeps up I can definetly see your prediction of $30/share.

Hippies got that right picture now.

^ Toldya! Note: I highlighted some of the comments in each post that was amusing to me.

If you guys think 30 is too high you're gonna crap your pants at the end of next year when it's at 50-60, and in 2009 when it's over 80/share. The only way that doesn't happen is if it's bought out.

 

[YJ1]

Earnings next week and Ghost Rider should be near 100 million by then.

....

none of this is even big money till the revenue from Iron Man and Hulk come out. Those films don't need to make spiderman dollars for Marvel to make big money. Marvel only gets 5% of Spidey theatrical revenue...whereas they get it all on Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Avengers, Cap, etc...5% of 800 million is a lot less than 55%+ of 200-400 million.

Do you expect a spike in the stock when Earnings is reported on Monday? From what I've read, Marvel should exceed estimates. Doesn't that always send the stock price up even if it is short term?

I remember reading that Marvel gets 5% of Spidey's theatrical revenue up to certain levels. After those levels are reached, I thought Marvel got a larger percentage. Everything over a certain total means a larger piece of the pie for Marvel. Wasn't a better deal for Marvel part of that Sony/Marvel lawsuit settlement?

Regardless, these revenue streams will still all be in place as Marvel creates their own films. Spider-Man, FF, etc. will still be in place and kicking them revenue even as Iron Man and Hulk look to land them higher profits. This seems like the best of both worlds to me.

 

[Advanced Dark]

I expect the to exceed earnings and possibly raise guidance for 07 a bit. I expect the stock "may" settle down for a day or two and then start rising up. Generally after good earnings with Marvel the stock settles down and then within a few weeks is up 10-15%. Last time though that didn't happen...the stock just kept going up. This is not the same Marvel as last year or the year before. It's a totally different company with the studio division. I think if they give a glimpse into 2008, talk about the success of GR2, things will be awesome. They should also talk about Spidey 4 as well which would really keep things hot. My honest thoughts are this stock will be over 40 before the end of the year, and by the end of 2008 it could be closing in on 50-60 range. After that the sky is the limit. It'll be over 100 one day if it's not bought out not counting splits.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Marvel stock: Still a hero?

Stock Spotlight: 'Spider-Man 3' is expected to spin a web around the box office this summer, but is Marvel's stock a buy?

By David Ellis, CNNMoney.com staff writer
February 23 2007: 8:41 AM EST


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Who knew that Wall Street could get this excited about a bunch of guys in superhero costumes?
With an impressive opening weekend at the box office for "Ghost Rider" and the third installment of the popular "Spider-Man" series hitting theaters in May, it's easy to see why there's a lot to love about comic book company Marvel Entertainment.

"Ghost Rider," starring Nicolas Cage, is the latest hit movie based on a Marvel comic book character.

More on media

Marvel Comics leaps into movie-making
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2006/05/01/8375925/index.htm The comic-book king is tired of taking a safe but small cut from licensing its characters for blockbuster films - so now it's going to make the movies itself. (more)


Video

More video

Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes talk about their new superhero film 'Ghost Rider.' (February 16)Play video




Spidey and Ghost Rider are both Marvel characters, and the company gets a cut of the box office for films based on its comic books.
This year alone, Marvel (up $0.02 to $30.49, Charts) shares are up about 13 percent, building upon the heroic run the stock's had since the release of the first "Spider-Man" film in 2002.
Investors will soon get a better idea of how the company is faring when it reports earnings for the last quarter of 2006 on Monday.
Marvel is expected to report profit of 10 cents a share on $72.5 million in revenue, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call - a big drop from 33 cents a share and $117 million in sales a year ago.
But 2007 is what really matters, and it's expected to be a banner year for New York-based Marvel. Profits are expected to more than double, to $1.47 a share, based on consensus estimates.
Still, trouble may be lurking. Some analysts say the stock is already factoring in the hype about "Spider-Man 3," while Marvel is about to undertake a big gamble by bankrolling many of its future films, instead of partnering, as it has in the past, with a major Hollywood studio.
'It's clobberin' time!'
It may be Marvel's performance at the box office that always seems to grab headlines, but the company's publishing business has also done well.
Its publishing division, typically known for slow, steady growth, booked revenue gains of more than 10 percent in the most recent quarter, helped by expansion into big chain bookstores Borders and Barnes and Noble and the success of such titles as "Civil War."
Toy sales, which have also been a big driver for the company, should only improve after Marvel kicks off a new deal with Hasbro (up $0.17 to $29.65, Charts) this spring, after ditching its previous partner Toy Biz Worldwide.
"I think it should certainly improve the business on the toy side," said Michael Kelman, an analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group. "Hasbro has a much broader international reach in terms of distribution and that should bode well for them."
But it is Marvel's licensing business that is really a money minting plant for the company. Right now, more than 50 percent of Marvel's sales and profits come from licensing the rights to its characters for use in movies, television shows, video games and other merchandise.
And if Marvel can successfully manage its stable of more than 5,000 characters, there is the potential for more and possibly bigger licensing deals, said Joe Hovorka, an analyst with Raymond James & Associates, pointing at the success Walt Disney Co. (up $0.02 to $35.16, Charts) has had promoting its cartoon characters.
Marvel gets ready for its close-up
It only took a couple bungled partnerships with Hollywood, but Marvel has finally realized its characters could be a celluloid goldmine.
Up to this point, Marvel has partnered with major Hollywood studios, getting anywhere between 2 and 7 percent of box office receipts. Sony (Charts), for example, is the studio behind "Ghost Rider" and the "Spider-Man" films.
But that's about to change as the company will both finance and produce its own films, starting with next year's "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk."
If successful, Marvel would no longer have to share the box office or DVD revenue with another studio.
But if the endeavor fails, Marvel stands to lose the theatrical rights to characters used in its upcoming films since the company used them as collateral for a $525 million financing deal.
Still, even if Marvel can't hack it in Hollywood, they can continue to put out comic books based on its characters or skip the big screen altogether and go direct to DVD with its films.
"The way they have it structured, they were really able to take out a lot of the risk and still maintain the upside," said Steve Roberts, director of research for the Troy, Mich.-based money management firm NorthPointe Capital, which recently sold its stake in Marvel to cash in on some gains in the stock.
And then there's the web slinger.
Right now, most of Wall Street is expecting "Spider-Man 3" to blow away the box office after the first two films pulled in $403.7 million and $373.6 million in the U.S. alone.
Susquehanna's Kelman, who has a positive rating on the stock, admits that some of those expectations have nudged up the stock. But investors also realize there will be some fierce competition for box office dollars this summer as "Shrek the Third" and the latest "Pirates of the Caribbean" are both slated for release later in May.
"It's a relatively crowded line up for family friendly feature films right around that time," said Kelman. "I think that's baked into expectations as well."
Swing ahead on Marvel
Since 2006 was largely a transition year for Marvel, the comic book publisher probably won't wow Wall Street when it reports its fourth-quarter results.
Right now most analysts seem to believe the stock is fairly priced but that there is some upside, particularly with the release of "Spider-Man 3" and a "Fantastic Four" sequel on the horizon.
Marvel shares currently trade at roughly at 11 times estimated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), which seems reasonable when compared to other small media stocks like Lionsgate (up $0.04 to $11.53, Charts) or Playboy (up $0.04 to $10.64, Charts), said David Bank, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets.
"For a small-cap media company it's not overwhelmingly expensive," Bank said.
Certainly, Marvel's ability to produce its own films remains a concern and investors should prepare for more volatility in the stock.
But Marvel's core businesses continue to drive growth while its studio venture, albeit a notable risk, will substantially increase the company's profit margins if they can mimic the success they had at the box office with other characters.
Sure, there are naysayers who believe Marvel has already milked its marquee comic book characters. But the company still has not tapped some of the more well-recognized characters in the Marvel universe, including Captain America, Thor and Nick Fury.
And while many have argued that comic book movies are a fad and that people will grow tired of them, Bank points to the success of NBC's breakout television hit "Heroes" this year as evidence that people are still interested in comic book-inspired stories.
"This is a genre that goes beyond 12-year-old boys," said Bank. "It's a popular culture phenomenon."
None of the analysts or experts quoted in this story own shares of Marvel Entertainment. None of the firms have an investment banking relationship with the company.

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/23/markets/spotlight_marvel/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote

 

[Advanced Dark]

Marvel Entertainment Inc. Earnings Conference Call (Q4 2006)
Scheduled to start Mon, Feb 26, 2007, 9:00 am Eastern

Check back at the scheduled start time for
the audio link to appear in this spot. Add This Event To Your Yahoo! Calendar
After the event has finished, the audio will be available
from this page until Wed, Feb 27, 2008