Best Media Stocks To Own For 2014

However, having said this, with the current circumstances being such that returns from all traditional asset classes such as FD��, government instruments such as NSC and post office schemes, and other fixed maturity avenues not able to beat inflation, equities and other long duration assets are the only means to protect value erosion of the corpus earned though hard work.

Over the past several decades, equities as an asset class have delivered handsomely and beat all asset classes by a wide margin. The average returns from equities in the past three decades have been in the range of 14%-15% as opposed to high single digit returns from fixed income earning assets.

How can senior citizens participate in stock markets without having to worry about volatility and value erosion?

A few pointers for senior citizens that would help them invest in stock markets and yet not lose sleep are enlisted below:

By having a disciplined approach
This means that it would be wise to limit the exposure to equities; depending upon how much the person would set aside as funds that are not immediately required. Only a certain portion, say 20%-25% of the total corpus (or what can be spared for a period of 5 years or more) could be earmarked for investing into equities and related instruments.

Hot Penny Companies To Invest In 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 Rick Munarriz]

  Digital distribution was front and center in the bidding war for the popular comedy's syndication rights two years ago. Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX  ) Turner Broadcasting vocally dropped out of contention, arguing that the show was too exposed in cyberspace. Hulu and�Disney's (NYSE: DIS  ) ABC.com -- but not Netflix -- were streaming earlier episodes. News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA  ) COO Chase Carey backed Time Warner's move to pass on the sitcom that had become huge for Disney's ABC.

• [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  News Corp (NWS) � (NWSA) �added 8.4%. The media company said late Thursday its fiscal second-quarter profit slid to $150 million, or 26 cents a share, from $1.4 billion, or $2.42 a share, a year ago. Last year�� earnings were affected by a $1.3 billion gain from an acquisition. But on an adjusted basis, it earned 31 cents a share, ahead of the 21-cent profit forecast by analysts. News Corp is the parent of MarketWatch, the publisher of this report.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  News Corp. is a media and information services company that has recently spun-off of its very profitable entertainment segment. The company’s�Chief Executive Lex Fenwick,�has left the company after two years in the job. The stock has been trading sideways over the last couple of months and is currently pulling back. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been on the rise. However, investors have had mixed feelings about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its peers and sector, News Corp. has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what News Corp. does this quarter.

Best Media Stocks To Own For 2014: Thomson Reuters Corp(TRI)

Thomson Reuters Corporation provides intelligent information for businesses and professionals worldwide. The company allows market participants to connect, access content, and trade in a secure environment through Thomson Reuters Eikon desktop, Thomson Reuters Elektron network, content integration and management technology, content feeds and databases, and transactions infrastructure solutions that support buy- and sell-side customers to trade in foreign exchange, fixed income and derivatives, equities, exchange-traded instruments, and commodities and energy markets. It also offers information, analytics, workflow, and technology solutions to buy-side and off-trading floor customers; access to liquidity in over-the-counter markets, trade execution, and connections for market participants and financial professionals? communities; and a suite of solutions offering informed outcomes to regulated industries and law firms. In addition, the company provides critical information , decision support tools, and software and services to legal, investigation, business, and government professionals; integrated tax compliance and accounting software and services for accounting and law firms, corporations, and government professionals; intellectual property and scientific resources that enable its customers to discover, develop, and deliver innovations; and data analytics, and performance benchmarking solutions and services to healthcare sector. Further, it offers coverage of global, regional, and national news in 20 languages covering politics, business, finance, entertainment, lifestyle, technology, health, science, and sports; and engages in advertising-supported direct-to-consumer publishing activities of Reuters.com and its network of Websites, mobile applications, and electronic out-of-home displays. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bill Smith]

  FDS operates in a highly competitive industry, some with more resources. Their competitors include:
  Thomson Reuters Corp. (TRI)BloombergInteractive (IDC)MSCI Inc. (MXB)Morningstar Inc. (MORN)Track Data Corp. (TRAC)Edgar Online (EDGR)McGraw-Hill (MHP )

• [By Associated Press]

  Ron Brown, head of Elektron Analytics, a Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI  ) unit that sells news feeds that computers can read, said that the words "explosions" or "Obama" alone wouldn't have triggered selling. But add "White House," and it's a combination even the slowest computer couldn't miss.

Best Media Stocks To Own For 2014: 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 Rich Duprey]

  Both Bow Tie and Cablevision (NYSE: CVC  ) , which owned the Clearview chain, announced yesterday they had completed the transfer of ownership of the theaters, which was first announced in April, though financial terms for the transaction were not disclosed. As the oldest cinema company in the U.S.,�Bow Tie says it now has the largest number of theater locations in the New York metropolitan area,�and operates 63 movie theaters with 388 screens in seven states.

• [By Alyce Lomax]

  All in the family
  Cablevision� (NYSE: CVC  ) is family-controlled, so maybe nepotism is to be expected. Recently, in a bizarre turn of events, CEO James Dolan expanded the corporate responsibilities of his wife, Kristin. Although that sounds like a clear conflict of interest, it's a little stranger still since the company had disclosed that the couple had separated. Meanwhile, Dolan's brother-in-law, Brian Sweeney, has been awarded with a promotion to spearhead corporate strategy.

• [By Sean Williams]

  For a second day in a row, we need to look no further than the broadcasting sector for our best performers. Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC  ) and Cablevision (NYSE: CVC  ) advanced 8.1% and 3.5%, respectively, on speculation that a wave of mergers and acquisitions would sweep through the sector. If you recall, Gannett�shares soared after announcing a $1.5 billion purchase of Belo�yesterday to expand its national broadcasting presence.

Best Media Stocks To Own For 2014: 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 Steven Russolillo]

  Heard on the Street: Deal-Making Patience May Prove Dish’s Virtue: “AT&T’s offer to buy DirecTV(DTV) seems to narrow options for Dish. But Chairman Charlie Ergen still has cards to play.”

• [By Quick Pen]

  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) do not want the number of players in the telecom sector to shrink below four ��Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. To this Sprint�� Son argues that the industry already has four players ��Verizon that purchased Vodafone�� stake in it, AT&T which plans to acquire DirecTV (DTV), and Comcast (CMCSA); Sprint would be the fourth one. But these antitrust issues have been a challenge for Sprint.

• [By Doug Ehrman and Alison Southwick]

  The battle for your viewing dollars continues to intensify, and many cable and satellite providers have begun to protest over the high cost of sports programming. While�Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) �and DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV  ) are looking at average viewership, they're asking the wrong question. Disrupting the overall industry is the growing availability of streaming sports through the various leagues and online versions of Disney's (NYSE: DIS  ) ESPN.

• [By Jonathan Berr]

  DirecTV (DTV) has made some of the funniest commercials in recent memory, and after the company�� most recent earnings report, it�� laughing all the way to the bank.

Best Media Stocks To Own For 2014: CBS Corporation(CBS)

CBS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mass media company in the United States and internationally. The company?s Entertainment segment distributes a schedule of news and public affairs broadcasts, sports, and entertainment programming; produces, acquires, and distributes programming, including series, specials, news, and public affairs; produces and distributes theatrical motion pictures across various genres; and operates online content networks for information and entertainment. Its Cable Networks segment owns and operates multiplexed channels that offers subscription program services, including recently released theatrical feature films, original series, documentaries, boxing, mixed martial arts and other sports-related programming, and special events; and CBS College Sports Network, a 24-hour cable program service related to college sports. This segment also owns and manages Smithsonian Networks, which operates Smithsonian Channel, a basic cab le service in the United States. The company?s Publishing segment publishes and distributes adult and children?s consumer books in printed, audio, and digital formats. Its Local Broadcasting segment owns 29 broadcast television stations; owns and operates 130 radio stations in 28 U.S. markets and related online properties; and owns local Websites that combine television and radio local media brands online to provide the latest news, traffic, weather, and sports information, as well as local discounts, directories, and reviews. The company?s Outdoor segment sells advertising space on various media, including billboards, transit shelters and other street furniture, buses, rail systems, mall kiosks, stadium signage, and in retail stores. CBS Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) owns HBO. While it is smaller than Starz by subscriber count, the network has a near-flawless record in its recent original productions. Titles such as Game of Thrones, Girls, and True Blood have been tremendous successes in attracting and retaining subscribers. Time Warner trades at 14.12 times forward earnings, but includes many other factors -- from film studio Warner Brothers to theme parks. Showtime parent CBS (NYSE: CBS  ) trades at just over 15 times earnings. All three networks have attractive economics as they have pushed original content that, though costly up front, creates better margins over time and saves the company from some difficult negotiations with other content providers. Recently, the company ended its contract with both Netflix and Disney, startling some investors and analysts but ultimately proving a wise decision as it freed up cash to put toward in-house production.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Source: ThinkstockCBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) reported third quarter 2013 earnings after markets closed Wednesday. For the quarter, the broadcast and cable network posted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.80 on revenues of $3.63 billion. In the same period a year ago, the company reported EPS of $0.60 on revenues of $3.27 billion. Third-quarter results compare to the FactSet consensus estimate for EPS of $0.76 and the Thomson Reuters estimate of $3.47 billion in revenues.

• [By Adam Levy]

  Only a 50% price increase. What a deal!
  DirecTV's previous contract with the NFL was worth about $1 billion per year over four years. The new deal has DirecTV paying $1.5 billion per year, a 50% increase. That's actually a pretty good deal if you compare it to recent contract negotiations between the NFL, Twenty-First Century Fox, CBS (NYSE: CBS  ) , Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) NBC, and Disney's (NYSE: DIS  ) ESPN.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN), Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: VRX), CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS), Apache Corporation (NYSE: APA) Economic Releases Expected: �Chinese CPI, Chinese PPI, European Central Bank Interest Rate Decision, Bank of England interest rate decision, Spanish industrial production, German industrial production

  Friday

Best Media Stocks To Own For 2014: Time Warner Inc.(TWX)

Time Warner Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Networks, Filmed Entertainment, and Publishing. The Networks segment provides domestic and international networks, premium pay and basic tier television programming services, and digital media properties, which primarily consist of brand-aligned Websites. Its premium pay television services consist of the multi-channel HBO and Cinemax premium pay television services. This segment provides programming to cable system operators, satellite service distributors, telephone companies, and other distributors; sells advertising; and licenses original programming to domestic and international television networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces and distributes feature films, television and other programming, and videogames; distributes home video products; and licenses rights to its feature films, television programming, and characters. T he Publishing segment publishes magazines and books; and operates various Websites, as well as engages in marketing services and direct-marketing businesses. This segment publishes magazines on style and entertainment, lifestyle, news, and sports. The company?s brands include TNT, TBS, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time. Time Warner Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Divine]

  Lastly, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) saw its shares slip yet again today, as its 1% loss brings its five-day stumble to more than 10%. With news last week that Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX  ) Warner Archive Instant will allow streaming of classic Warner Bros. content for $10 a month, Netflix investors have gotten squeamish. Not only is this stiff new competition for Netflix, but it also raises questions about whether Netflix will be charged more for the Warner Bros. content it shows on its site.�

• [By Tim Beyers and Erin Miller]

  To be fair, Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) has a lot more to lose than does Disney at this point. Warner needs kids to get excited about its titular superhero ahead of next month's reboot, Man of Steel. Between Free Comic Book Day and a variety of well-received trailers, it appears as though the strategy is working, Tim says.

• [By Tim Beyers]

  Should we expect more losses in the year ahead? I'm not so sure. And yet if the chart above shows anything, it's that investors prefer big-name franchise owners such as Disney (NYSE: DIS  ) and Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) . Viacom is still in the early stages of developing new properties to accompany�Transformers.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Time Warner Inc.(TWX)�� third-quarter earnings jumped 44% as the media company’s cost cutting and asset gains helped make up for essentially flat revenue. The bottom line easily topped expectations, but the company kept its guidance for the year intact. Shares rose 2.2% to $69.75 premarket.

Best Media Stocks To Own For 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 Leo Fasciocco]

  The company, Liberty Global PLC (LBTYA), owns interests in broadband distribution and content companies in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, although the company is based in California.