Sunday, July 20, 2008

Money & Business

Money Matters by Katy Marquardt and Kirk Shinkle

Invest in Pro Wrestling?

March 28, 2008 10:49 AM ET | Katy Marquardt | Permanent Link

Zacks makes the case for investing in World Wrestling Entertainment (ticker symbol WWE). "The company isn't just about a wrestling show on television anymore. It is a completely integrated entertainment company," writes analyst Tracey Ryniec. The company's divisions include live and televised entertainment, consumer products, digital media, and WWE films (direct-to-DVD movies, not theatrical releases).

WWE's strategy, writes Ryniec, involves branding its SuperStars, then leveraging that brand to "boost television ratings, wrestle up more buyers for pay-per-view shows, increase ticket sales at live events, and spark Internet traffic." WWE is also pushing into Latin America and Asia, and it recently boosted its dividend by 50 percent (currently, the stock is yielding 7.7 percent).

Last week, Utendahl Capital Partners initiated coverage of the stock with an "overweight" rating and a $21 target price (the stock is trading at $18). "We believe WWE is one of those rare finds in the media and entertainment sector, offering an attractive dividend and solid growth," writes analyst Alden Mahabir. Digital media will be a major driver of the company's future growth, Mahabir writes, "considering its compelling content aimed at the male demographic."

Earlier this month, CNBC's Jim Cramer hosted the company's CEO, Linda McMahon, on his show. The stock has long been ignored by Wall Street "snobs," Cramer says.

Tags: investing | stocks

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Reader Comments

too late

This was good to get into when it was cheaper. Investing in this at $18 is questionable. If you're in it, you can stay in it because of the dividends. But don't expect much growth in the stock. Remember "buy low, sell high. "

how to buy shares

how can i buy shares or invest in this

WAMA

The World Association Martial Arts is also looking for investors to subscribe to their entertainment service. A lot of competiton for investors money.

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Katy Marquardt came to U.S. News from Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, where she profiled rising stars in the mutual-fund world and wrote about investing in stocks and racehorses. Katy hails from Abilene, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas-Austin.

Kirk Shinkle is a senior editor at U.S. News. Formerly, he covered business and economics on both coasts for Investor's Business Daily. A native of the Montana-Texas corridor, he currently resides in the wilds of west Brooklyn. His checkered online evolution looks like this: Friendster, still (!). MySpace, no. Facebook, yes. He blogs here, Twitters occasionally, and has yet to Tumblr.

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