So how can these not be the cheapest stocks that you know, too?

By MARTIN SIEFF WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Forget the worst global economic crisis in 75 years, the terrorist atrocities in Mumbai, the continuing genocide in Darfur or the Russian invasion of Georgia. As far as the users of the Yahoo! search engine were concerned, 2008 was still Britney Spears' year.

Lesnar Tops Couture To Win UFC Title

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE)

Q3 2008 Earnings Call Transcript

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World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) just reported a 37% drop in its third quarter profits to $5.3 million, or 7 cents per share, compared with $8.4 million, or 12 cents per share, in the prior-year period. The company’s consumer product revenue did well, climbing to $26.6 million from $19 million, while revenue from WWE Studios, previously known [...]

It's not easy being a wrestler. Inside the ring your pounding an opponent's head against the corner post, but outside the ring it's hard to meet people. Nobody really wants to be your friend. Not even on MySpace. They say their your friends, but they are not really your friends. Wrestlers aren't stupid. They know everybody thinks they are just a bunch of clowns. That's why the company that employs all the wrestlers you see on TV, World Wrestling Entertainment, created WWE Universe, a social network just for them and their fans. Okay, it's not really a social network. It's just a craptastic promotional vehicle. And some of those wrestlers aren't so bright. But they are lonely.

It’s no secret that stocks have had a tough year, stung by a steady stream of weak economic data. That’s the bad news. The good news is that this development has created some very compelling dividend yields. With share prices down sharply on the year, yields have spiked higher, creating an excellent opportunity to score ...

Filed under: Earnings reports, Ford Motor (F), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), Walt Disney (DIS), Sprint Nextel Corp (S), Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), MasterCard Inc'A' (MA), Dean Foods (DF), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Blackstone Group L.P (BX), Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (POT)

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) easily beat Q1 estimates due in part to higher prices.
• Bankrate Inc. (NASDAQ: RATE) posted strong Q3 numbers due in part to financial market volatility.
• Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) Q3 results were hurt by derivatives loss and hurricane damage.
• Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) had a brutal Q3 due to writedowns and a scarcity of deals.
• BMW Q3 earnings tumbled due to slower vehicle sales brought on by the economic downturn.
• Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) fell short of Q3 estimates but reaffirmed its full-year guidance.
• Ford Motor Corp. (NYSE: F) reported a modest Q3 loss and a quickly dwindling stockpile of cash.
• Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) first-ever quarterly loss is predicted by at least one analyst.
• Kenexa Corp. (NASDAQ: KNXA) was downgraded by one analyst following its Q3 report.
• MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) easily beat analysts' Q3 projections, sending shares soaring.
• Move Inc. (NASDAQ: MOVE) reported solid Q3 results on cost cutting and website revamp.
• Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) price-target cuts since its Q3 earings report continue.
• Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) broke even in Q3, but Wall Street had been expected a modest profit.
• Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) net profit plunged due to the economic slump and strength of yen.
• Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) fell short of Q4 expectations despite popular High School Musical.
• World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) Q3 profits tumbled and revenues were flat.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Ford, Toyota, Goldman Sachs, Disney, Sprint, ADM and others

Earnings highlights: Ford, Toyota, Goldman Sachs, Disney, Sprint, ADM and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Earnings reports, Walt Disney (DIS), Viacom (VIA)

World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) reported results for the third quarter, and by just about all accounts, things were tough. Revenues were flat at $108.8 million. Net income on a per-share basis, however, dropped almost 42% to $0.07. Talk about getting slammed to the mat! But the really bad aspect was the cash-flow statement. This has been a constant theme as of late. The company's operational cash flow declined massively during the nine-month period, coming in at $17.7 million. Know how much money was paid out in dividends? Try almost $61 million. That's probably why WWE's stock yields over 10%.

So what's the problem here? A couple things. First, costs need to be controlled (the press release does mention this issue, as well as a desire to be more careful when it comes to capital expenditures). Second, CEO Linda McMahon has to get fans excited about wrestling again. If you look at the buy rates for the pay-per-view events, you'll notice they've been declining. I think one thing that WWE must do is figure out a way to make its secondary pay-per-view shows a must-purchase item for the part of the fan base that falls outside of the hardcore wrestling viewer but doesn't exactly reach the realm of the casual audience. If the company can bring shows like The Great American Bash and Unforgiven up to the level of a SummerSlam, then the company will really be on a growth track.

Continue reading WWE: Again, it's all about the cash flow

WWE: Again, it's all about the cash flow originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For investors in search of a big dividend, few stocks can match World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

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