5 Best Media Stocks To Watch Right Now

Next Tuesday can't come soon enough for the video game industry.

Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) highly anticipated unveiling of the new Xbox gaming console comes at a desperate time, with die-hard gamers dramatically scaling back on their purchases.

Industry tracker NPD Group put out its monthly retail sales data last night. It wasn't pretty. Sales plunged 25% last month when pitted against April of last year. These sharp declines have been routine for three years.

The Xbox 360 may continue to be the country's best-selling console -- it's been that way for 21 months in a row -- but it's a shrinking pie. Hardware sales fell a brutal 42%.

Naturally this places a lot of pressure on Microsoft to hit a homer at Tuesday's media event. It needs to raise the bar. The software giant's stock may be trading at a five-year high, but a hearty reception for the new Xbox will comfort investors fearing Microsoft's fading relevance in its operating systems stronghold.

5 Best Media Stocks To Watch Right Now: 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.

5 Best Media Stocks To Watch 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 ChemTrade]

  News Corp. (NASDAQ:NWSA): On 3/31/11 Viking Global Investors reported holding 20,075,700 shares with a market value of $352,930,804. This comprised 3.05% of the total portfolio. On 6/30/11, Viking Global Investors held 27,358,266 shares with a market value of $484,241,329. This comprised 4.06% of the total portfolio. The net change in shares for this position over the two quarters is 7,282,566. About the company: News Corporation is a diversified global media company.? The Company’s operations include the production and distribution of motion pictures and television programming.? The Company provides television, direct satellite, and cable broadcasting and the publication of newspapers, magazines, books and promotional inserts.

5 Best Low Price Stocks To Watch Right Now: Discovery Communications Inc(DISCA)

Discovery Communications, Inc. operates as a non fiction media and entertainment company worldwide. The company provides original and purchased programming across various distribution platforms. Its content covers science, exploration, survival, natural history, sustainability of the environment, technology, docu-series, anthropology, paleontology, history, space, archaeology, health and wellness, engineering, adventure, lifestyles, forensics, civilization, and current events. The company owns and operates nine national television networks in the United States, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Military Channel, Planet Green, Discovery Fit & Health, and Velocity. Discovery Communications also has interests in Oprah Winfrey Network, a pay-television network and Web site; The Hub that features original programming, game shows, and live-action series and specials; and 3net, a three-dimensional network. In addition, it o ffers network branded Web sites, and mobile and video-on-demand services; and distributes various national and pan-regional television networks. Further, the company develops and sells curriculum-based products and services to public and private K-12 schools, such as access to an online VOD service that includes curriculum-based tools, professional development services, and student assessment and publication of hardcopy curriculum-based content; and postproduction audio services to motion picture studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies, and interactive producers. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 150 distribution feeds in 40 languages. The company is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.

5 Best Media Stocks To Watch Right Now: 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 James K. Glassman]

  Comcast (symbol: CMCSA) is the nation's biggest cable operator and the owner of NBCUniversal and its TV, movie and theme-park businesses. As the number of broadband Internet subscribers increases, Comcast is emerging as one of the most adept players on the changing telecom scene. Earnings are expected to rise 14% in 2013; for that kind of growth, the stock’s P/E of 17 is modest.

• [By Keith]

  In Q3 2010, he started shedding CMCSK shares by selling 11,626,206 shares at an average price of $17.19. He topped it off by selling 373,794 shares at an average price of $19.15 in Q4 2010. He has no shares left.

  In 2010, revenues grew by 6.10% to $37.93 billion, and GAAP EPS rose by 2.38% to $1.29. The EBT margin also improved to 16.09% from 14.28%. The next earnings release is on May 3. For Q1 2011, analysts estimate Comcast will earn $0.35 per share, an increase of 13.02% over Q1 2010, and revenues of $11.7 billion, an increase of 26.77% over Q1 2010. With a net margin of 10.3%, Comcast is not only profitable but is more profitable than the Media industry median. The company also has a debt to equity ratio of 0.67.

  We believe that Comcast will continue to increase revenues at a modest pace, and that it will turn around NBC. We place a price target of $30, and so at these price levels, you should buy. CMCSA currently yields 1.8%, and CMCSK currently yields 1.9%.

5 Best Media Stocks To Watch Right Now: Charter Communications Inc.(CHTR)

Charter Communications, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications solutions to residential and commercial customers in the United States. The company offers cable video programming services, such as basic and digital video, premium channels, OnDemand, pay-per-view, high definition television, digital video recorder, and online video services; Internet services; Charter.net, which provides multiple e-mail addresses, as well as various entertainment, games, news, and sports content; and telephone services. It also provides broadband communications solutions, such as Internet access, data networking, fiber connectivity to cellular towers and office buildings, video entertainment services, and business telephone services under the Charter Business brand name to business and carrier organizations. As of December 31, 2011, the company served approximately 4.1 million video customers; approximately 3.5 million Internet customers; appr oximately 1.7 million telephone customers; and approximately 476,200 commercial primary service units. Charter Communications, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.