Best Media Companies To Invest In 2014

Small cap stocks Vimicro International Corporation (NASDAQ: VIMC), Cohu, Inc (NASDAQ: COHU) and View Systems Inc (OTCBB: VSYM) are also surveillance and security stocks because they�also offer products that can be used to keep an eye on us���for better or for worst. After all and go to any public space (whether its a shopping mall, entertainment venue or even a street corner), you will probably see (or maybe not see) some sort of security or surveillance equipment. With that in mind, here is a look at three small cap surveillance and security stocks you may have overlooked:

Vimicro International Corporation. Founded in 1999 in Beijing by several entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley and listed on the Nasdaq on November 15th, 2005 as the first fabless chip company from China to be listed on that exchange, Vimicro International Corporation is a leading video processing IC and surveillance solution provider that designs, develops and markets mixed-signal semiconductor products and system-level solutions that enable multimedia capabilities in a variety of products for PC/notebook, consumer electronics and surveillance applications. Vimicro International Corporation also says it has�aggressively entered the surveillance market with system-level solutions and semiconductor products to capitalize on China's domestic demand. Earlier this month, Vimicro International Corporation reported a 11.1% revenue increase to $24.2 million thanks to�higher sales of surveillance products (including a sizable surveillance order marking the company�� expansion into Sichuan province) offsetting lower sales of PC and notebook multimedia processors plus GAAP net income of $1.8 million verses $2.4 million. In the earnings call transcript (available on Seeking Alpha here), the Chairman/CEO commented that surveillance is now their dominant business line and shows the successful transformation of the company that began in late 2010. A good thing because he commented:

Top 10 Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2015: 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. will not only engage in the publishing business as it has announced a spinoff of the entertainment side of the business. The stock was on a strong run towards higher prices. However, its stock price has been cut in half yesterday. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue figures have been on the rise which has pleased investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, News Corp. has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what News Corp. does in coming quarters.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  News Corp. is a media and information services company that was recently spun off of its very profitable entertainment segment. A popular hedge fund has recently acquired a significant portion of the company’s voting stock. The stock has been moving higher after its recent spinoff. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been rising, which has pleased investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, News Corp. has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what News Corp. does this coming quarter.

Best Media Companies To Invest In 2014: Liberty Global Inc.(LBTYA)

Liberty Global, Inc. provides video, broadband Internet, and telephony services primarily in Europe and Chile. The company offers broadband services over cable distribution systems, including video, broadband Internet, and telephony; and video services through direct-to-home satellite, or through multichannel multipoint distribution systems. Its analog video services comprise basic and expanded basic programming; and digital cable services include basic and premium programming, digital video recorders, and high definition programming, as well as pay-per-view programming, such as video-on-demand and near video-on-demand. In addition, the company offers voice-over-Internet-protocol and circuit-switched telephony services, as well as mobile telephony services using third-party networks. Further, it owns programming networks that provide video programming channels to multi-channel distribution systems owned by the company and the third parties. As of December 31, 2011, the com pany owned and operated networks that passed 33,262,100 homes; and served 18,405,500 video subscribers, 8,159,300 broadband Internet subscribers, and 6,225,300 telephony subscribers. Liberty Global, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is based in Englewood, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]

  SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Philippe Laffont of Coatue Management gave Liberty Global's (LBTYA) stock a big boost on Monday after he noted how the company will benefit from increasing demand for broadband, in part due to Netflix's expansion. He also speculated the possiblity of a high-profile takeover from major mobile operators such as Vodafone (VOD) . Liberty Global is a cable holding company owned by John Malone. Shares of Liberty Global were up 2.2% and shares of Vodafone gained 0.6% following Laffont's presentation at the Ira Sohn conference .

• [By GuruFocus]

  Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) added to his holdings in Wal-Mart Stores Inc by 17.32%. His purchase prices were between $72.66 and $78.91, with an estimated average price of $75.43. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 0.62%. His holdings were 58,052,412 shares as of 03/31/2014.

  Added: Liberty Global PLC (LBTYA)

  Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) added to his holdings in Liberty Global PLC by 149.19%. His purchase prices were between $40.36 and $45.96, with an estimated average price of $43.34. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 0.17%. His holdings were 7,346,968 shares as of 03/31/2014.

Best Media Companies To Invest In 2014: Comcast Corporation(CMCSA)

Comcast Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications products and services in the United States and internationally. Its Cable Communications segment provides video, high-speed Internet, and phone services to residential and business customers. As of June 30, 2011, its cable systems served approximately 22.5 million video customers, 17.5 million high-speed Internet customers, and 9.1 million phone customers. The company?s Cable Networks segment operates cable entertainment networks, such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Style, G4, Chiller, Sleuth, and Universal HD; news and information networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and CNBC World; cable sports networks comprising Golf Channel and VERSUS; regional sports and news networks; international entertainment, and news and information networks, such as CNBC Europe, CNBC Asia, and Universal Networks International portfolio of networks; cable television production oper ations; and digital media properties consisting primarily of brand-aligned Websites and other Websites, such as DailyCandy, Fandango, and iVillage. Its Broadcast Television segment operates the U.S. broadcast networks, NBC and Telemundo; 10 NBC and 15 Telemundo owned local television stations; broadcast television productions; and related digital media properties. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment operates Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television, and other distribution platforms. Its Theme Parks segment operates Universal Studios Hollywood park and Wet ?n Wild water park, as well as licenses intellectual properties and provides services to third parties that own and operate Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore. Comcast Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) is reportedly willing to pay big to become a player in streaming television, hoping to upend the cable industry. This could change the monopoly market conditions Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) and Time Warner (NYSE: TWC  ) have built in cable and it may open up the industry for streaming companies like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) as well. Fool contributor Travis Hoium tell investors what he thinks of Intel's big bet in the video below.�

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Aereo/AP LOS ANGELES -- The Supreme Court shot down Aereo's business model this week, but that doesn't mean customers' desire for a better TV experience is gone. Americans are still fed up with huge channel bundles, high prices, poor service and the lack of ability to watch all their shows on all their devices. That's part of why Aereo was attractive: It offered local broadcast channels and a few others on multiple devices for just $8 a month. Industry watchers say the pay TV business must continue to evolve to win over unhappy customers, even if the nation's top court said grabbing signals from the airwaves and distributing them online without content-owner permission isn't the way. "Even without Aereo, the reason people were cutting the cord, for cost reasons and so on, those don't go away," said Robin Flynn, an analyst with market research firm SNL Kagan. Last year, the number of pay TV subscribers in the U.S. fell for the first time, slipping 0.1 percent to 94.6 million, according to Leichtman Research Group. Into that breach have leapt companies that have offered quality TV content online for low cost, including Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon.com (AMZN). Hulu, which is owned by major broadcast networks ABC (DIS), NBC and Fox (FOX), offers full episodes of popular shows like "The Colbert Report" the next day for free. While that's not live TV, which Aereo offered, for many it's a good-enough substitute. The decision against Aereo is a setback, but not a fatal one for people who want to break away from traditional TV, said Bill Niemeyer, senior analyst at TDG Research. "While the content on the major broadcast networks is very important for some people, it's not important for everyone," Niemeyer said. "So it's a dent, but I don't think it's going to significantly change the trends." If anything, the rise and fall of Aereo has highlighted an important fact -- that high-quality TV signals are available on the airwaves for free -- something that might hav

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Meanwhile, Time Warner, which is the second largest cable provider in the U.S., is still reportedly trying to put together a deal with the nation�� largest cable provider, Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA). This may shut Liberty out, or it could be a deal that includes Charter in some markets.

Best Media Companies To Invest In 2014: 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 Tiernan Ray]

  FBR & Co.‘s�William Bird, who follows the shares of old media dinosaurs�Gannett (GCI), �Meredith�(MDP),�News�(NWSA), and�The New York Times�(NYT), today offers the findings of a survey of 2,041 adults in the U.S. from March 12th to March 17th.

  Bird has an Outperform rating on shares of Gannett, and Market Perform ratings on the other three names.

  The upshot of the survey is that a third of young readers don’t read print papers, and are more and more flocking to online news outlets.

  The survey, conducted with the help of Clear Voice Research LLC, suggests to Bird a “steady structural pressure on print, a tip of the spear demographic problem for print circulation, and slow magazine tablet adoption�� negative as tablets offer a better business model for magazines.”

  More specifically, there is “value destruction” as more and more people trade from print to digital editioins of publications:

  The survey suggests that structural pressure on consumer newspaper readership is a touch above�that of magazines. Over the next year, print newspaper usage is expected to decline a net 5% (i.e.,�6% expect to use more versus 11% who expect to use less). A total of 11% of respondents said they plan to use print newspapers less and 10% said they plan to �use print magazines less. This was exactly offset by the percentage of respondents who said they�plan to consume online newspapers more (11%) and those who plan to consume online magazines�more (10%). With $1 of print ad spend translating to $0.25 in digital, these results are supportive of �continued print-to-digital value destruction.

  Younger readers tend to be more inclined to dump print, says FBR:

  According to our survey, intended print newspaper subscription cancellations total 9.8% over the next 12 months. Notable is that plans to cancel skew heavily toward the below 35 year old demographic. The 18 to 34 demographic reflects

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Earnings reports expected on Monday include:

  Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.48 on revenue of $1.10 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.13 on revenue of $905.09 million. Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $1.19 on revenue of $2.07 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.21. W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.71 on revenue of $1.57 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.61 on revenue of $1.42 billion. Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.44 on revenue of $1.27 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.56 on revenue of $1.31 billion.

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