Filed under: Company News, JC Penney, Earnings, Wall Street Watch, Investing
From a questionable Hollywood sequel hitting the silver screen to a controversial theme park operator hoping to prove that it’s not all wet, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.
Monday — Seizing Caesars
Things are getting tense at Caesars Entertainment (CZR). The casino operator made waves last week as some of its creditors initiated a lawsuit claiming that Caesars is transferring assets out of the company as the first step to defaulting on its gargantuan debt.
The corporate soap opera will have to play itself out, but on Monday afternoon we’ll hear what Caesars has to say as it reports quarterly results. Given the brow-raising restructuring efforts, it’s a safe bet that analysts will be asking more about the asset transfer and the lawsuit than the gaming giant’s own operations, including massive renovations of The Quad.
Tuesday — Sweet Tooth for Candy Crush
There has never been a mobile app as lucrative as King Digital Entertainment’s (KING) Candy Crush Saga, paving the way for the casual gaming darling’s initial public offering earlier this year. King went public at $22.50, but fears that the game’s popularity had peaked late last year kept gains check. The stock currently trades below its March IPO price.
King Digital has also used the game’s success to introduce players to some of its other apps, though Candy Crush Saga still accounted for two thirds of King’s gross bookings during this year’s first quarter. We’ll get fresh financials out of King on Tuesday, making this a great time to see if Candy Crush Saga is gaining momentum or if King is doing a better job of diversifying its revenue streams.
Wednesday — Get Whale, Soon
SeaWorld Entertainment (SEAS) splashes in with its latest quarterly results on Wednesday. Attendance has been sliding since last year’s “Blackfish” documentary made it politically incorrect to visit the marine life theme park. If there’s a time for the turnstile clicks to start growing again it was probably the second quarter. SeaWorld benefited from the shift in the Easter holiday to April this year. Orlando — the Florida home to a few of its parks — also clocked in with its highest hotel occupancy levels in nearly a decade for the month of June.
Analysts are holding out for a bounce. They see revenue climbing 9 percent with an even heartier 44 percent pop in profitability. Growth is a given. The real stock mover here will be how SeaWorld sees the rest of the summer season playing out.
Thursday — Penney Loafers
Few department store chains have been as volatile as J.C. Penney (JCP) in recent years. A retail guru’s bold makeover was a fiasco two years ago, and now J.C. Penney is merely trying to get back to where it was before all the ill-advised changes.
Analysts are bracing for more pain. They see another quarterly loss at J.C. Penney, but also modest sales growth. Investors may want to wait until quarterly deficits turn into profits, but it’s good to see sales moving in the right direction.
Friday — At the Movies
With earnings season starting to wind down there aren’t many corporate earnings announcements on tap for Friday. This leads us to the local multiplex where exhibitors hope to cash in on the last wave of peak summer traffic. New movies debuting this weekend include “The Expendables 3” and “Let’s Be Cops.”
Yes, Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF) is putting out a third “Expendables” movie. That’s a bit of a surprise since the 2012 sequel sold fewer tickets than the 2010 original. If the trend continues, it’s hard to fathom Lions Gate going for a fourth installment. The franchise itself could be — wait for it — expendable.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Lions Gate Entertainment. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.
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Source: Investing
