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WEEKLY ISSUE: Taking Positions Off the Board and Reallocating Into Existing Positions

WEEKLY ISSUE: Taking Positions Off the Board and Reallocating Into Existing Positions

Key points from this issue

  • We are exiting the shares of Paccar (PCAR), which had an essentially neutral impact on the Select List;
  • We are exiting the shares of Rockwell Automation (ROK), which were a drag of more than 11% on the Select List;
  • We are exiting the shares of GSV Capital (GSVC), which in full returned a modest decline since we added the shares back in April.
  • We are scaling into shares of Applied Materials (AMAT) at current levels and keeping our long-term price target of $70 intact.
  • We are scaling into shares of Netflix (NFLX) at current levels and keeping our long-term price target of $500 in place.

 

After the S&P 500 hit an all-time high yesterday, if the stock market finishes higher today it will mean the current bull market will be 3,453 days old, which will make it the longest on record by most definitions. For those market history buffs, as of last night’s market close, it tied the one that ran from October 1990 to March 2000.

Even as the S&P 500 hit an all-time high yesterday thus far in 2018 it’s up 7.1%. By comparison, we have a number of positions on the Tematica Investing Select List that are up considerably more. Among them are Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Costco Wholesale (COST), ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF (HACK), Habit Restaurant (HABT), McCormick & Co. (MKC), and USA Technologies (USAT). Not that I’m prone to bragging, rather I’m offering a gentle reminder of the power to be had with thematic investing vs. the herd and sector-based investing.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been recasting our investing themes, which in some cases has given rise to a new theme like Digital Infrastructure, combined a few prior themes into the more cohesive Digital Lifestyle and Middle-Class Squeeze ones, and expanded the scope of our Clean Living theme. In the next few weeks, I’ll finish the task at hand as well as ensure we have a stock recommendation for each of what will be our 10 investment themes.

As part of that effort, I’m re-classifying USA Technologies (USAT) shares as part of our Digital Infrastructure investing theme. The shares join Dycom Industries (DY) in this theme.

 

Pruning PCAR, ROK and GSVC shares

Once we pass the approaching Labor Day holiday, we will be off to the races with the usual end of the year sprint. For that reason, we’re going to take what is normally the last two relatively quiet weeks of August to do some pruning. This will go hand in hand with the ongoing investment theme reconstitution that will eliminate the stand-alone Economic Acceleration/Deceleration and Tooling & Re-tooling investment themes. As such, we’re saying goodbye to shares of Paccar (PCAR) and Rockwell Collins (ROK). We’ll also shed the shares of GSV Capital (GSVC), which are going to be largely driven by share price movements in Spotify (SPOT) and Dropbox (DBX). As the lock-up period with both of those newly public companies come and go, I’ll look to revisit both of them with an eye to our Digital Lifestyle and Digital Infrastructure investing themes.

  • We are exiting the shares of Paccar (PCAR), which had an essentially neutral impact on the Select List;
  • We are exiting the shares of Rockwell Automation (ROK), which were a drag of more than 11% on the Select List;
  • We are exiting the shares of GSV Capital (GSVC), which in full returned a modest decline since we added the shares back in April.

 

Scaling into Applied Materials and Netflix shares

We’ll use a portion of that returned capital to scale into shares of Applied Materials (AMAT), which approached their 52-week low late last week following the company’s quarterly earnings report that included an earnings beat but served up a softer than expected outlook.

Applied’s guidance called for sales of $3.85-$4.15 billion vs. analyst consensus outlook of $4.45 billion. On the company’s earnings conference call, CEO Gary Dickerson confirmed worries that slower smartphone growth could cause chipmakers to rein in capital spending and reduce demand for chipmaking equipment in the near- term. That’s the bad news, the good news is Applied sees double-digit growth in 2019 for each of its businesses and remains comfortable with its 2020 EPS forecast of $5.08.

From my perspective, I continue to see the several aspects of our Disruptive Innovators investing theme – augmented and virtual reality, 5G, artificial intelligence, Big Data and others – as well as growing storage and memory demands for connected devices driving semiconductor capital equipment demands. There is also the rising install base of semiconductor capital equipment inside China, and with Apple turning to China suppliers over Taiwanese ones to contain costs it likely means a rebound in China demand when the current US-China trade imbroglio ends.

As we wait for that, I suspect Applied will continue to use its stock buyback program During its recently closed quarter, Applied repurchased $1.25 billion or 25 million shares of stock and the company has about $5 billion remaining in buyback authorization. Applied’s next quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share will be paid on Sept. 13 to shareholders of record on Aug. 23.

  • We are scaling into shares of Applied Materials (AMAT) at current levels and keeping our long-term price target remains $70 intact.

Turning to Netflix (NFLX) shares, they are down some just under 20% from where I first added them to the Select List several weeks ago. My thesis on the shares remains unchanged, and I continue to see its streaming video service and original content as one of the cornerstones of our Digital Lifestyle investing theme. Adding to the shares at current levels will serve to reduce our cost basis from just under $420 to just under $380.

  • We are scaling into shares of Netflix (NFLX) at current levels and keeping our long-term price target of $500 in place.

 

 

WEEKLY ISSUE: Scaling deeper into Dycom shares

WEEKLY ISSUE: Scaling deeper into Dycom shares

Key points from this issue:

  • We are halfway through the current quarter, and we’ve got a number of holdings on the Tematica Investing Select List that are trouncing the major market indices.
  • We are using this week’s pain to improve our long-term cost basis in Dycom Industries (DY) shares as we ratchet back our price target to $100 from $125.
  • Examining our Middle-Class Squeeze investing theme and housing.
  • A Digital Lifestyle company that we plan on avoiding as Facebook attacks its key market.

 

As the velocity of June quarter earnings reports slows, in this issue of Tematica Investing we’re going to examine how our Middle-Class Squeeze investing theme is impacting the housing market and showcase a Digital Lifestyle theme company that I think subscribers would be smart to avoid. I’m also keeping my eyes open regarding the recent concerns surrounding Turkey and the lira. Thus far, signs of contagion appear to be limited but in the coming days, I suspect we’ll have a much better sense of the situation and exposure to be had.

With today’s issue, we are halfway through the current quarter. While the major market indices are up 2%-4% so far in the quarter, by comparison, we’ve had a number of strong thematic outperformers. These include Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), AXT Inc. (AXTI), Costco Wholesale (COST),  Habit Restaurant (HABT), Walt Disney (DIS), United Parcel Service (UPS), Universal Display (OLED) and USA Technologies (USAT).  That’s an impressive roster to be sure, but there are several positions that have lagged the market quarter to date including GSV Capital (GSVC), Nokia (NOK), Netflix (NFLX), Paccar (PCAR) and Rockwell Automation (ROK). We’ve also experienced some pain with Dycom (DY) shares, which we will get to in a moment.

Last week jettisoned shares of Farmland Partners (FPI) following the company taking it’s 3Q 2018 dividend payment and shooting it behind the woodshed. We also scaled into GSVC shares following GSV’s thesis-confirming June quarter earnings report, and I’m closely watching NFLX shares with a similar strategy in mind given the double-digit drop since adding them to the Tematica Investing Select List just over a month ago.

 

Scaling into Dycom share to improve our position for the longer-term

Last week we unveiled our latest investing theme here at Tematica – Digital Infrastructure. Earlier this week, Dycom Industries (DY), our first Digital Infrastructure selection slashed its outlook for the next few quarters despite a sharp rise in its backlog. Those shared revisions are as follows:

  • For its soon to be reported quarter, the company now sees EPS of $1.05-$1.08 from its previous guidance of $1.13-$1.28 vs. $1.19 analyst consensus estimate and revenues of $799.5 million from the prior $830-$860 million vs. the $843 million consensus.
  • For its full year ending this upcoming January, Dycom now sees EPS of $2.62-$3.07 from $4.26-$5.15 vs. the $4.63 consensus estimate and revenues of $3.01-$3.11 billion from $3.23-$3.43 billion and the $3.33 billion consensus.

 

What caught my eyes was the big disparity between the modest top line cuts and the rather sharp ones to the bottom line. Dycom attributed the revenue shortfall to slower large-scale deployments at key customers and margin pressure due to the under absorption of labor and field costs – the same issues that plagued it in its April quarter. Given some of the June quarter comments from mobile infrastructure companies like Ericsson (ERIC) and Nokia (NOK), Dycom’s comments regarding customer timing is not that surprising, even though the magnitude to its bottom line is. I chalk this up to the operating leverage that is inherent in its construction services business, and that cuts both ways – great when things are ramping, and to the downside when activity is less than expected.

We also know from Ericsson and Dycom that the North American market will be the most active when it comes to 5G deployments in the coming quarters, which helps explain why Dycom’s backlog rose to $7.9 billion exiting July up from $5.9 billion at the end of April and $5.9 billion exiting the July 2017 quarter. As that backlog across Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, Windstream and others is deployed in calendar 2019, we should see a snapback in margins and EPS compared to 2018.

With that in mind, the strategy will be to turn lemons – Monday’s 24% drop in DY’s share price – into long-term lemonade. To do this, we are adding to our DY position at current levels, which should drop our blended cost basis to roughly $80 from just under $92. Not bad, but I’ll be inclined to scale further into the position to enhance that blended cost basis in the coming weeks and months on confirmation that 5G is moving from concept to physical network. Like I said in our Digital Infrastructure overview, no 5G network means no 5G services, plain and simple. As we scale into the shares and factor in the revised near-term outlook, I’m also cutting our price target on DY shares to $100 from $125.

  • We are using this week’s pain to improve our long-term cost basis in Dycom Industries (DY) shares as we ratchet back our price target to $100 from $125.

 

Now, let’s get to how our Middle-Class Squeeze investing theme is hitting the housing market, and review that Digital Lifestyle company that we’re going to steer clear of because of Facebook (FB). Here we go…

 

If not single-family homes, where are the squeezed middle-class going?

To own a home was once considered one of the cornerstones of the American dream. If we look at the year to date move in the SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB), which is down nearly 16% this year, one might have some concerns about the tone of the housing market. Yes, there is the specter of increasing inflation that has and likely will prompt the Federal Reserve to boost interest rates, and that will inch mortgage rates further from the near record lows enjoyed just a few years ago.

Here’s the thing:

  • Higher mortgage rates will make the cost of buying a home more expensive at a time when real wage growth is not accelerating, and consumers will be facing higher priced goods as inflation winds its way through the economic system leading to higher prices. During the current earnings season, we’ve heard from a number of companies including Cinemark Holdings (CNK), Hostess Brands (TWNK), Otter Tail (OTTR), and Diodes Inc. (DIOD) that are expected to pass on rising costs to consumers in the form of price increases.
  • Consumers debt loads have already climbed higher in recent years and as interest rates rise that will get costlier to service sapping disposable income and the ability to build a mortgage down payment

 

 

And let’s keep in mind, homes prices are already the most expensive they have been in over a decade due to a combination of tight housing supply and rising raw material costs. According to the National Association of Home Builders, higher wood costs have added almost $9,000 to the price of the average new single-family since January 2017.

 

 

Already new home sales have been significantly lower than over a decade ago, and as these forces come together it likely means the recent slowdown in new home sales that has emerged in 2018 is likely to get worse.

 

Yet our population continues to grow, and new households are being formed.

 

This prompts the question as to where are these new households living and where are they likely to in the coming quarters as homeownership costs are likely to rise further?

The answer is rental properties, including apartments, which are enjoying low vacancy rates and a positive slope in the consumer price index paid of rent paid for a primary residence.

 

There are several real estate investment trusts (REITs) that focus on the apartment and rental market including Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. (APTS) and Independence Realty Trust (IRT). I’ll be looking at these and others to determine potential upside to be had in the coming quarters, which includes looking at their attractive dividend yields to ensure the underlying dividend stream is sustainable. More on this to come.

 

A Digital Lifestyle company that we plan on avoiding as Facebook attacks its key market

As important as it is to find well-positioned companies that are poised to ride prevailing thematic tailwinds that will drive revenue and profits as well as the share price higher, it’s also important to sidestep those that are running headlong into pronounced headwinds. These headwinds can take several forms, but one of the more common ones of late is the expanding footprint of companies like Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN) and Facebook (FB) among others.

We’ve seen the impact on shares of Blue Apron (APRN) fall apart over the last year following the entrance of Kroger (KR) into the meal kit business with its acquisition of Home Chef and investor concerns over Amazon entering the space following its acquisition of Whole Foods Market. That changing landscape highlighted one of the major flaws in Blue Apron’s subscription-based business model –  very high customer acquisition costs and high customer churn rates. While we warned investors to avoid APRN shares back last October when they were trading at north of $5, those who didn’t heed our advice are now enjoying APRN shares below $2.20. Ouch!

Now let’s take a look at the shares of Meet Group (MEET), which have been on a tear lately rising to $4.20 from just under $3 coming into 2018. The question to answer is this more like a Blue Apron or more like USA Technologies (USAT) or Habit Restaurant (HABT). In other words, one that is headed for destination @#$%^& or a bona fide opportunity.

According to its description, Meet offers  applications designed to meet the “universal need for human connection” and keep its users “entertained and engaged, and originate untold numbers of casual chats, friendships, dates, and marriages.” That sound you heard was the collective eye-rolling across Team Tematica. If you’re thinking this sounds similar to online and mobile dating sites like Tinder, Match, PlentyOfFish, Meetic, OkCupid, OurTime, and Pairs that are all part of Match Group (MTCH) and eHarmony, we here at Tematica are inclined to agree. And yes, dating has clearly moved into the digital age and that falls under the purview of our Digital Lifestyle investing theme.

Right off the bat, the fact that Meet’s expected EPS in 2018 and 2019 are slated to come in below the $0.39 per share Meet earned in 2017 despite consensus revenue expectations of $181 in 2019 vs. just under $124 million in 2017 is a red flag. So too is the lack of positive cash flow and fall off in cash on the balance sheet from $74.5 million exiting March 2017 to less than $21 million at the close of the June 2018 quarter. A sizable chunk of that cash was used to buy Lovoo, a popular dating app in Europe as well as develop the ability to monetize live video on several of its apps.

Then there is the decline in the company’s average total daily active users to 4.75 million in the June 2018 quarter from 4.95 million exiting 2017. Looking at average mobile daily active users as well as average monthly active user metrics we see the same downward trend over the last two quarters. Not good, not good at all.

And then there is Facebook, which at its 2018 F8 developer conference in early May, shared it was internally testing its dating product with employees. While it’s true the social media giant is contending with privacy concerns, CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the company will continue to build new features and applications and this one was focused on building real, long-term relationships — not just for hookups…” Clearly a swipe at Match Group’s Tinder.

Given the size of Facebook’s global reach – 1.47 billion daily active users and 2.23 billion monthly active users – it has the scope and scale to be a force in digital dating even with modest user adoption. While Meet is enjoying the monetization benefits of its live video offering, Facebook has had voice and video calling as well as other chat capabilities that could spur adoption and converts from Meet’s platforms.

As I see it, Meet Group have enjoyed a nice run thus far in 2018, but as Facebook gears into the digital dating and moves from internal beta to open to the public, Meet will likely see further declines in user metrics. So, go user metrics to go advertising revenue and that means the best days for MEET shares could be in the rearview mirror. To me this makes MEET shares look more like those from Blue Apron than Habit or USA Technologies. In other words, I plan on steering clear of MEET shares and so should you.

 

 

Weekly Issue: Amazon Prime Day, Netflix Earnings, Controversy at Farmland Partners and June Retail Sales

Weekly Issue: Amazon Prime Day, Netflix Earnings, Controversy at Farmland Partners and June Retail Sales

Key points from this week’s issue:

  • Amazon (AMZN): What to watch as Amazon Prime Day 2018 comes and goes; Following the strong run in Amazon (AMZN) shares over the last several weeks, our $1,900 price target is under review.
  • Habit Restaurants (HABT): Our price target on Habit shares remains $11.50
  • Costco (COST): We are once again boosting our price target on Costco Wholesale (COST) shares to $230 from $220.
  • Netflix (NFLX): Despite 2Q 2018 earnings results, I continue to see Netflix shares rising further in the coming quarters as investors become increasingly comfortable with the company’s ability to deliver compelling content that will attract net new users, driving cash flow and bottom line profits. Our NFLX price target remains $525.
  • Farmland Partners (FPI): While credibility questions will keep Farmland in the penalty box in the short term, we continue to favor the longer-term business fundamentals. Our price target on FPI shares remains $12.

 

 

Catching up with the stock market

Last week we saw a change in the domestic stock market. After being led by the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index and the small-cap-laden Russell 2000 during much of 2Q 2018, last week we saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average take the pole position, handily beating the other three major market indices. As all investors know, individual stocks, as well as the overall market, fluctuate week to week, but with just over two weeks under our belt in the current quarter, all four major market indices have moved higher, shrugging off trade concerns at least for now.

Of course, those mini market rallies occurred in the calm period before the 2Q 2018 earnings storm, which kicks off in earnest tomorrow when more than 84 companies will issue their report card for the quarter. Last week’s initial earnings reports for 2Q 2018 were positive for the market as was the latest Small Business Optimism Index reported by the NFIB. Despite those positive NFIB findings, which marked the sixth highest reading in the survey’s 45-year history, business owners continue to have challenges finding qualified workers. The challenge to fill open positions is not only a headwind for growth, but also increases the prospects for wage inflation.

For context, that NFIB survey reading matched the record high set in November 2000, which helps explain the survey’s findings for more companies planning to increase compensation. That adds to the findings from the June PPI report that showed headline inflation rising to 3.4% year over year and the 2.9% year-over-year increase in the June CPI report, all of which gives the Fed ample room to continue increasing interest rates in the coming months. Granted, a portion of that inflation is due to the impact of higher oil prices, but also higher metal and other commodity costs in anticipation of tariffs being installed are contributing. Again, these data points give the Fed the cover fire it will need when it comes to raising interest rates, which at the margin means borrowing costs will inch their way higher. Here’s the thing — all of that data reflects the time-period before the tariffs.

The focus over the next few weeks will be on corporate earnings, particularly how they stack up against expectations calling for more than 20% year-over-year EPS growth for the S&P 500 companies in the back half of 2018. So far, in aggregate, the reports we’ve received give little reason to worry, but to be fair we’ve only had a few dozen in recent weeks, with several hundred to be had. But… ah you knew there was a but coming… with companies like truck freight company JB Hunt blowing the doors off expectations but keeping its full-year 2018 guidance intact… a flag is raised. Another flag raised in the earnings results thus far was the consecutive slowdown in loan growth seen at JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Citigroup (C), PNC (PMC) and Wells Fargo (WFC), which came down to 2.1% year-over-year on an aggregate basis from 3% in the March quarter.

If earnings expectations come up short, we will likely see the market trade-off. How much depends on the discrepancy between reality and projections. Also, keep in mind, the current market multiple is ahead of the market’s historical average, and a resetting of EPS expectations could trigger something similar in the market multiple. What this means is at least as we go through the next few weeks there is a greater risk to be had in the market. As we move into the back half of the September quarter, if Trump can show some progress on the trade front we could have a market rally toward the end of the year. Needless to say, I’ll continue to keep one eye on all of this while the other ferrets out signals for our thematic investing lens.

 

It’s that Prime Day time of year

As I write this, we have passed the 24-hour mark in what is one of if not the largest self-created holidays. Better known as Amazon (AMZN) Prime Day, this made-up holiday strategically falls during one of the seasonally slowest times of the year for retailers. For those uninitiated with the day, or those who have not seen the litany of websites touting the evolving number of deals and retail steals being served up by Amazon throughout the day, Prime Day is roughly a day and a half push by Amazon to goose it sales by serving up compelling offerings and enticing non-Prime members to become ones. To put some context around it, Coresight Research forecasts Prime Day 2018 will generate $3.4 billion in sales in 36 hours — roughly 6% of the $58.06 billion Amazon is expected to report in revenue for the entire September quarter.

What separates this year’s Prime Day from prior ones isn’t the prospect for record-breaking sales, but rather the increased arsenal of private label products had by Amazon. Over the last few quarters, Amazon has expanded its reach into private label apparel and athletic wear as well as others like shoes and jewelry. All told, Amazon now sells more than 70 of its own brands, which it can price aggressively on Prime Day helping it win incremental consumer wallet share. Prime Day is also a deal bonanza for Amazon’s own line of electronic devices, ranging from FireTV products to Kindle e-readers and Echo powered digital assistants. The thing with each of those devices is they help remove friction to other Amazon products, such as its streaming TV and music services, Audible and of course its digital book service.

Unlike last year, this year’s Prime Day started off with a hitch in that soon after it began shoppers were met with the company’s standard error page because it was overwhelmed with deal seekers. Not a bad problem and certainly a great marketing story, but it raises the question as to whether Amazon will hit that $3.4 billion figure.

To me, the allure of Prime Day is the inherent stickiness it brings to Amazon as the best deals are offered only to Prime members, which historically has made converts of the previously unsubscribed. Those new additions pay their annual fee and that drives cash flow during a seasonally slow time of year for the company, while also expanding the base of users as we head into the year-end holiday shopping season before too long. Very smart, Amazon. But then again, I have long said Amazon is a company that knows how to reduce if not remove transaction friction. Two-day free Prime delivery, Amazon Alexa and Echo devices, Kindle digital downloads, and Amazon Pay are just some of the examples to be had.

Thus far in 2018, Amazon shares are up more than 58%, making them one of the best performers on the Tematica Investing Select List – hardly surprising given the number of thematic tailwinds pushing on its businesses. Even before we got to Prime Day, we’ve seen Amazon expanding its reach on a geographic and product basis, winning new business for its Amazon Web Services unit along the way. More recently, Amazon is angling to disrupt the pharmacy business with its acquisition of online pharmacy PillPack, a move that has already taken a bite out of CVS Health (CVS) and Walgreen Boots Alliance (WAB) shares. Odds are there will be more to come from Amazon on the healthcare front, and it has the potential to add to its business in a meaningful way as it once again looks to reduce transaction friction.So, what am I looking for from Amazon coming out of Prime Day 2018? Aside from maybe a few of mine own purchases, like a new Echo Spot for my desk, on the company data front, I am going to be looking for the reported number of new Prime subscribers Amazon adds to the fold. Sticking with that, I’m even more interested in the number of non-US Prime subscribers it adds, given the efforts by Amazon of late to bring 2-day Prime delivery to parts of Europe. As we here in the US have learned, once you have Prime, there is no going back.

  • Following the strong run in Amazon (AMZN) shares over the last several weeks, our $1,900 price target is under review.

 

June Retail Sales Report is good for Habit Restaurant and Costco shares

Inside this week’s June Retail Sales Report there were several reasons for investors to take a bullish stance on consumer spending in light of the headline increase of 0.5% month-over-month. On a year-over-year basis, the June figure was an impressive 6.6%, but to get to the heart of it we need to exclude several line items that include “motor vehicles & parts” and “gas stations.” In doing so, we find June retail sales rose 6.4% year-over-year, which continues the acceleration that began in May. The strong retail sales numbers likely means upward revisions to second-quarter GDP expectations by the Atlanta Fed and N.Y. Fed. Despite the positive impact had on 2Q 2018 GDP, odds are this spending has only added to consumer debt levels which means more pressure on disposable income in the coming months as the Fed ticks interest rates higher.

Now let’s examine the meat of the June retail report and determine what it means for the Tematica Select List, in particular, our positions in Habit Restaurants Inc. (HABT) and Costco Wholesale (COST).

Digging into the report, we find retail sales at food services and drinking places rose 8.0% year-over-year in June — clearly the strongest increase over the last three months. How strong? Strong enough that it brought the quarter’s year-over-year increase to 6.1% for the category, more than double the year-over-year increase registered in the March quarter.

People clearly are back eating out and this was confirmed by the June findings from TDn2K’s Black Box Intelligence. Those findings showed that while overall restaurant sales rose 1.1% year over year in June, one of the stronger categories was the fast casual category, which benefitted from robust to-go sales. That restaurant category is the one in which Habit Restaurant competes, and the combination of these two June data points along with new store openings and higher prices increases our confidence in Habit’s second-quarter consensus revenue expectations.

  • Our price target on Habit Restaurants (HABT) remains $11.50

Now let’s turn to Costco – earlier this month the warehouse retailer reported net sales of $13.55 billion for the retail month of June an increase of 11.7% from $12.13 billion last year. Compared to the June Retail Sales Report, we can easily say Costco continues to take consumer wallet share. Even after removing the influences of gas sales and foreign currency, Costco’s June sales in the US rose 7.7% year over year and not to be left out its e-commerce sales jumped nearly 28% year over year as well. Those are great metrics, but exiting June, Costco has 752 warehouse locations opened with plans to further expand its footprint in the coming months. New warehouses means new members, which should continue to drive the very profitable membership fee income in the coming months, a key driver of EPS for the company.

Over the last few weeks, COST shares have been a strong performer. After several months in which it has clearly taken consumer wallet share and continued to expand its physical locations, I’m boosting our price target on COST shares to $230 from $220, which offers roughly 7% upside from current levels before factoring in the dividend. Subscribers should not commit fresh capital at current levels but should continue to enjoy the additional melt up to be had in the shares.

  • We are once again boosting our price target on Costco Wholesale (COST) shares to $230 from $220.

 

What to make of earnings from Netflix

Last week we added shares of Netflix (NFLX) to the Tematica Investing Select List given its leading position in streaming as well as original content, which makes it a natural for our newly recasted Digital Lifestyle investing theme, and robust upside in the share price even after climbing nearly 100% so far in 2018. As a reminder, our price target for NFLX is $525.

Earlier this week, Netflix reported its June quarter results and I had the pleasure of appearing on Cheddar to discuss the results as they hit the tape. What we learned was even though the company delivered better than expected EPS for the quarter, it missed on two key fronts for the quarter – revenue and subscriber growth. The company also lowered the bar on September quarter expectations. While NFLX shares plunged in

While NFLX shares plunged in after-market trading immediately after its earnings were announced on Monday, sliding down some 14%, yesterday the shares rallied back some to closed down a little more than 5% at the end of Tuesday’s trading session. Trading volume in NFLX shares was nearly 6x its normal levels, as the shares received several rating upgrades as well as a few downgrades and a few price target changes.

Here’s the thing, even though the company fell short of new subscriber targets for the quarter, it still grew its membership by more than 5 million in the quarter to hit 130 million memberships, an increase of 26% year over year. Combined with a 14% increase in average sales price, revenue in the quarter grew 43% year over year. Tight expense control led to the company’s operating margin to reach 11.8% in 2Q 2018, up from 4.6% in the year-ago quarter.

In recent quarters, the number of Netflix’s international subscribers outgrew the number of domestic ones, and that has a two-fold impact on the business. First, the company’s exposure to non-US currencies has grown to just over half of its streaming revenue and the strengthening dollar during 2Q 2018 weighed on the company’s international results. With its content production in 80 countries and expanding, Netflix will move more of its operating costs to non-US dollar currencies to put a more natural hedging strategy in place. Second, continued growth in its international markets means continuing to develop and acquire programming for those markets, which was confirmed by the company’s comments that its content cash spending will be weighted to the second half of this year.

From my perspective, the Netflix story is very much intact and the drivers we outlined have not changed in a week’s time. I continue to see Netflix shares rising further in the coming quarters as investors become increasingly comfortable with the company’s ability to deliver compelling content that will attract net new users, driving cash flow and bottom line profits.

  • Despite Netflix’s (NFLX) 2Q 2018 earnings results, I continue to see Netflix shares rising further in the coming quarters as investors become increasingly comfortable with the company’s ability to deliver compelling content that will attract net new users, driving cash flow and bottom line profits. Our NFLX price target remains $525.

 

 

Checking in on Farmland Partners

Last week we saw some wide swings in shares of Farmland Partners (FPI), and given its lack of analyst coverage I wanted to tackle this head-on. Before we get underway, let’s remember that Farmland Partners is a REIT that invests in farmland and looks to increase rents over time, which means paying close attention to farmer income and trends in certain agricultural prices such as corn, wheat and soybeans.

So what happened?

Two things really. First, a bearish opinion piece on FPI shares ran on Seeking Alpha last week, which accused FPI of “artificially increasing revenues by making loans to related-party tenants who round-trip the cash back to FPI as rent; 310% of 2017 earnings could be made-up.” Also according to the article FPI “has not disclosed that most of its loans have been made to two members of the management team” and it has “significantly overpaid for properties.”

As one might suspect, that article hit FPI shares hard to the gut, dropping them some 38%. Odds are that article caught ample attention, something it was designed to do. Soon thereafter, Farmland Partners responded with the following data:

  • The total notes and interest receivable under the Company’s loan program was $11.6 million, or 1.0% of the Company’s total assets, as of March 31, 2018.
  • The program generated $0.5 million in net revenues, or 1.1% of total revenue, in the year ended December 31, 2017.
  • The program is directed at farmers, including, as previously disclosed, tenants. It was publicly announced in August 2015, and included in the Company’s public disclosures since then. None of the borrowers under the program as of March 31, 2018 were related parties, or have other business relationships with the Company, other than as borrowers and, in some cases, tenants.

Those clarifications helped prop FPI shares up, but odds are it will take more work on the part of Farmland’s management team to fully reverse the drop in the shares.

In over two decades of investing, I’ve seen my fair share of bears extrapolate from a few, or less than few, data points to make a sweeping case against a company. When that happens, it tends to be short-lived with the effect fleeting as the company delivers in the ensuing quarters. Given the long-term prospects we discussed when we added FPI shares to the Select List, I’m rather confident over the long-term. In the short-term, the real issue we have to contend with is falling commodity prices and that brings us to our second topic of conversation.

As trade and tariffs have continued to escalate, we’ve seen corn, wheat and soybean prices come under pressure. Because these are key drivers of farmer income, we can understand FPI shares coming under some pressure. However, here’s the thing –  on the podcast, Lenore and I recently spoke with Sal Gilbertie of commodity trading firm Teucrium Trading, and he pointed out that not only are these commodity prices below production costs, something that historically is short-lived, but the demographic and production dynamics make the recent moves unsustainable. In short, China’s share of the global population is multiples ahead of its portion of the world’s arable land, which means that China will be forced to import corn, wheat and soybeans to not only feed its people but to feed its livestock as well. While China may be able to import from others, given the US is among the top exporters for those commodities, that can only last for a period of time.

Longer-term, the rising new middle class in China, India and other parts of greater Asia will continue to drive incremental demand for these commodities, which in the long-term view bodes well for FPI shares.

What I found rather interesting in Farmland’s press release was the following –  “We are evaluating what avenues are available to the Company and its stockholders to remedy the damage inflicted.” Looks like there could be some continued drama to be had.

  • While credibility questions will keep Farmland Partners (FPI) in the penalty box in the short term, we continue to favor the longer-term business fundamentals. Our price target on FPI shares remains $12.

 

An all-in-one Apple media subscription plan could upset the content cart

An all-in-one Apple media subscription plan could upset the content cart

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been vocal about growing the company’s Services business as way to not only diversify its revenue stream, but in my view also make its iOS and other devices even stickier with consumers. As we have seen before Content is King is a key driver in our Digital Lifestyle investing them and index as consumers will move or remain for original content that resonates with them.

Apple’s move into original content is arguably one of the worst kept secrets, but as we have seen time and time again Apple will make the formal move with a product or service when it’s ready to do so. As Apple prepares for this, it looks to be addressing one of the growing issues faced by consumers – the rising cost of content faced by consumers. These are the same consumers that have cut their pay TV subscription and landline telephone services in a bid to skinny down that monthly bill. Yet, if consumers could see it rival their once costly cable bill.

We therefore find it interesting and potentially compelling that Apple would bundle its content offerings (music, video, news/magazine) into one monthly bill, especially if the price point is $9.99 vs. the current Apple Music monthly subscription that costs $9.99 per month, or $14.99 per month for a family subscription.  While it may take time for Apple to challenge Netflix with original video content, such a move could put a thorn in the side of Hulu, Apple friendly Disney and Spotify but be a boon for those impacted by our Middle Class Squeeze investing theme.

 

Via The Information, Apple is apparently considering combining its upcoming magazine service and original content television, with its existing music subscription, into a single ‘Amazon Prime’-esque subscription. Pricing for this bundle is not clear, right now Apple offers Apple Music for $9.99 per month.The report says Apple will allow customers to subscribe to each service separately, perhaps there is a cost saving in subscribing to the all-encompassing package compared to paying for each individually however.Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free TrialEchoing a timeline previously reported by Bloomberg, The Information says the company wants to a launch an Apple branded news subscription service in 2019. The company acquired Texture in March of this year, a $9.99/mo subscription service that unlocked access to more than 200 premium magazines.The timeline for Apple’s original content TV efforts is still murky, but there are some hints that the first shows will be ready to air later next year. TV show production is often prone to delays and setbacks, but Apple has enough shows in the wings at the moment that it should still have a healthy offering even if only half of the orders are ready in 2019.

Source: Report: Apple mulling all-in-one media subscription plan, combining Apple Music, TV shows and magazines | 9to5Mac

AT&T and Time Warner launch WatchTV, with new unlimited data plans

AT&T and Time Warner launch WatchTV, with new unlimited data plans

The dust has barely settled on the legal ruling that is paving the way for AT&T (T) to combine with Time Warner (TWX), and we are alread hearing of new products and services to stem from this combination. No surprise as we are seeing a blurring between mobile networks and devices, social media and content companies as Apple (AAPL), Facebook (FB), Google (GOOGL) and now AT&T join the hunt for original content alongside Netflix (NFLX), Amazon (AMZN), and Hulu, which soon may be controlled by Disney if it successfully fends of Comcast to win 21st Century Fox.

While we as consumers have become used to having the content I want, when I want it with Tivo and then the content I want, when I want it on the device I want it on with streaming services, it looks now like it will be “the content I want, when I want it, on the device I want on the platform I choose.” All part of the overlapping to be had with our Connected Society and Content is King investing themes that we are reformulating into Digital Lifestyle – more on that soon.

In short, a content arms race is in the offing, and it will likely ripple through broadcast TV as well as advertising. Think of it as a sequel to what we saw with newspaper, magazine and book publishing as new business models for streaming content come to market… the looming question in my mind is how much will today’s consumer have to spend on all of these offerings before it becomes too pricey?

And what about Sprint (S) and T-Mobile USA (TMUS)…

 

Taking advantage of the recent approval of its merger with Time Warner, AT&T on Thursday announced WatchTV, a new live TV service premiering next week — and initially tied to two new unlimited wireless data plans.

WatchTV incorporates over 30 channels, among them several under the wing of Time Warner such as CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, and Turner Classic Movies. Sometime after launch AT&T will grow the lineup to include Comedy Central, Nicktoons, and several other channels.

People will be able to watch on “virtually every current smartphone, tablet, or Web browser,” as well as “certain streaming devices.” The company didn’t immediately specify compatible Apple platforms, but these will presumably include at least the iPhone and iPad, given their popularity and AT&T’s long-standing relationship with Apple.

The first data plan is “AT&T Unlimited &More”, which will also include $15 in monthly credit towards DirecTV Now. People who pay extra for “&More Premium” will get higher-quality video, 15 gigabytes of tethered data, and the option to add one of several “premium” services at no charge — initial examples include TV channels like HBO or Showtime, and music platforms like Pandora Premium or Amazon Music Unlimited.

&More Premium customers can also choose to apply their $15 credit towards DirecTV or U-verse TV, instead of just DirecTV Now.

WatchTV will at some point be available as a $15-per-month standalone service, but no timeline is available.

Source: AT&T uses Time Warner merger to launch WatchTV, paired with new unlimited data plans

All those streaming services can add up to serious $$

All those streaming services can add up to serious $$

We continue to hear more and more about chord cutting as consumers increasingly to over the top and streaming vidoe services and they shift how, where and when they consume that content. Given the Content is King perspective that we have, it comes as little surprise to see that consumers are utilizing multiple platforms because they want the content they want – plain and simple.

While it’s one thing to have one or two streaming services, as companies like Apple and Disney/ESPN follow Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and others  the content game,  it means consumers could very well see their montly content bill soon rival the monthly cable bill they were looking to avoid. If we game it out, it means either consumers will swallow and pay those bills or as we have seen with in other industries market share will consolidate around less than a handful of providors. In many ways this will be the same evolution the internet went through over the last decade plus, the only difference is it will be unfolding not on the PC but across all of our other connected devices.

No matter what type of media consumer you are, there’s a difference between paying $13.99 per month for Netflix and the thousands of dollars you will be paying per year when you add up all the streaming services you will probably want to subscribe to. And that doesn’t even include the $40 to $300+ per month you will have to spend on broadband access. Let’s have a look at the various ways you might spend your streaming media dollars.

Movies, TV, and Video Streaming Services … Oh, My!

The rise of video streaming services has given us a world of alternatives to traditional cable and satellite video providers. Whether you’re a cord-cutter (ditching cable in favor of streaming services), a cord never (someone who’s never paid a cable provider for monthly services), or a cord plus (someone who pays for cable plus services like Netflix or Hulu), you’re likely paying for at least some of these services:

  • Netflix – $13.99/month ($10.99/month without 4K)
  • Hulu – $11.99/month ($9.99/month with ads)
  • Amazon Prime Video – $13/month (includes free shipping on Amazon purchases)
  • CBS All-Access – $9.99/month ($5.99/month with ads)
  • HBO Now – $14.99/month
  • Showtime Anytime – $10.99/month
  • Starz Play – $8.99/month
  • YouTube Premium – $11.99/month

What started out as an inexpensive way to replace trips to Blockbuster (or to keep you from buying DVDs) has turned into a battleground for your eyes and your wallet. And if you’ve got TV FOMO? Forget about it. Almost every service offers at least some awesome original content. We are lucky to be living in the Platinum Age of video storytelling.

I paid $99 for the first year of CBS All-Access, just to watch Star Trek: Discovery. Is that a smart financial decision? No! Is it worth it? For me it is, because I am a die-hard Star Trek fan and Discovery is awesome!

What further complicates the issue is the ever-changing landscape of rights ownership. Want to binge Parks and Recreation? Better sign up for Netflix. Oh, it’s on Hulu now? Better pay for that, too. Sure, you could buy the complete series on DVD for less than $50, but are you really going to get up from the couch and walk over to the DVD player 21 times to swap out the discs?

Source: Streaming Sticker Shock – Shelly Palmer

Fortnite is the harbinger of more pain for the already struggling toy industry

While it is rather clear to us why Toys R Us is filing bankruptcy and even Star Wars themed toy sales weren’t enough to help Mattel (MAT) this past holiday season, in-app purchases for the new iOS version of Fortnite are rather revealing. The recently launched gaming app, which sits at the center of our Connected Society and Content is King investing themes, typifies the shift toward gaming, and mobile gaming, in particular, that has changed the kinds of toys that children of all ages play with.

At Tematica we like to say confirming data points for our investment themes are all around us in everyday life. In this case, all one has to do is look at the kinds of “toys” being used by children, tweens and teens as well as some adult – smartphones and in some cases tablets to play games, read or even stream movies and TVs. With a nearly endless choice of games, books and video content, one has to wonder how long traditional toys, such as action figures and dolls, can survive? Perhaps they will in a limited form that powers licensable content to gaming and content producers much the way the struggling comic industry is being utilized at the movie box office.

That would mean companies like Mattel and Hasbro (HAS) understand what it takes to pivot and capture the benefits of our Asset-lite Business Model investing theme.

 

Though it launched on iOS as a limited “early release” last Thursday, Epic Games’ Fortnite is already sitting atop the App Store’s free app download charts and, according to fresh estimates from Sensor Tower, has grossed more than $1.5 million in worldwide in-app purchases.

Players spend real money to buy V-Bucks, which can be redeemed for skins, accessory modifications, character animations and more. Currently, V-Buck packs range from $9.99 for 1,000 currency units to $99.99 for 10,000 units. Larger purchases net additional in-game currency, for example the $99.99 tier comes with an extra 3,500 V-Bucks on top of the standard 10,000 units.

According to the report, $1 million of Epic’s total estimated earnings came in the first three days after in-app purchases were activated. The performance puts Fortnite well ahead of similar battle royale style games Knives Out and Rules of Survival, which earned approximately $57,000 and $39,000, respectively, when they debuted.

A separate report from Apptopia adds color to Epic’s release, noting the game now sits in the No. 1 overall App Store spot in 89 markets. Currently the second-highest grossing game in the U.S. behind App Store stalwart Candy Crush Saga, Fortnite appears in the top-ten highest grossing charts in 15 markets, the analytics firm says.

 

Source: Fortnite estimated to have grossed $1.5M in in-app purchases after 4 days on iOS App Store

This week’s earnings season game plan

This week’s earnings season game plan

 

We have quite the bonanza of corporate earnings for holdings on the Tematica Investing Select List. It all kicks off tomorrow with Corning (GLW) and picks up steam on Wednesday with Facebook (FB). The velocity goes into over drive on Thursday with United Parcel Service (UPS) in the morning followed by Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet/Google (GOOGL) and Apple (AAPL). Generally speaking, we expect solid results to be had as each of these companies issues and discuss their respective December quarter financials and operating performances.

Given the recent melt-up in the market that has been fueled in part by favorable fundamentals and 2018 tax rate adjustments, we expect to hear similar commentary from these Tematica Select List companies over the coming days. The is likely to be one of degree, and by that I mean is the degree of tax-related benefits matching what the Wall Street herd has been formulating over the last few weeks? Clearly, companies that skew their geographic presence to the domestic market should see a greater benefit. The more difficult ones to pin down will be Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Google, which makes these upcoming reports all the more crucial in determining the near-term direction of those stocks.

We are long-term investors that can be opportunistic, provided the underlying investment thesis and thematic tailwinds are still intact. Heading into these reports, the thematic signals that we collect here at Tematica tell me those respective thematic tailwinds continue to blow.

As we await those results, we continue to hear more stories over Apple slashing iPhone X production levels as well as bringing a number of new iPhone models to market in 2018. These reports cite comments from key suppliers, and we’ll begin to hear from some of them tomorrow when Corning reports its quarterly results. We’ll get more clarity following Apple’s unusual tight-lipped commentary on Thursday, and even if production levels are indeed moving lower for the iPhone X we have to remember that Apple’s older models have been delivering for the company in the emerging markets. Moreover, the company could unveil a dividend hike or upsized repurchase program or perhaps even both as it shares the impact to be had from tax reform. As I shared last week, there are other reasons that keep us bullish on Apple over the long-term and our strategy will be to use any post-earnings pullback in the shares to improve our cost basis.

In digesting Apple’s guidance as well as that offered by other suppliers this week and next we’ll be keeping tabs on Universal Display (OLED), which is once again trading lower amid iPhone X production rumors. As I pointed out last week, Apple is but one customer amid the growing number of devices that are adopting organic light emitting diode displays. We remain long-term bullish on that adoption and on OLED shares.

We’ve received and shared a number of data points for the accelerating shift toward digital shopping in 2017 and in particular the 2017 holiday shopping season. We see that setting the stage for favorable December quarter results from United Parcel Service and Amazon later this week. We expect both companies to raise expectations due to a combination of upbeat fundamentals as well as tax reform benefits. With Amazon, some key metrics to watch will be margins at Amazon Web Services (AWS) as well as investment spending at the overall company in the coming quarters. As we have shared previously, Amazon can surprise Wall Street with its investment spending, and while we see this as a positive in the long-term there are those that are less than enamored with the company’s lumpy spending.

In Alphabet/Google’s results, we’ll be looking at the desktop/mobile metrics, but also at advertising for both the core Search business as well as YouTube. Sticking with YouTube, we’ll be looking for an update on YouTube TV as well as its own proprietary content initiatives as it goes head to head with Netflix (NFLX), Amazon, Hulu and Apple as well as traditional broadcast content generators.

In terms of consensus expectations for the December quarter, here’s what we’re looking at for these six holdings:

 

Tuesday, JANUARY 30, 2018

Corning (GLW)

  • Consensus EPS: $0.47
  • Consensus Revenue: $2.65 billion

 

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Facebook (FB)

  • Consensus EPS: $1.95
  • Consensus Revenue: $12.54 billion

 

Thursday, FEBRUARY 1, 2018

United Parcel Service (UPS)

  • Consensus EPS: $1.66
  • Consensus Revenue: $18.19 billion

 

Alphabet/Google (GOOGL)

  • Consensus EPS: $10.00
  • Consensus Revenue: $31.86 billion

 

Amazon (AMZN)

  • Consensus EPS: $1.84
  • Consensus Revenue: $59.83 billion

 

Apple (AAPL)

  • Consensus EPS: $3.81
  • Consensus Revenue: $86.75 billion

 

 

The acquisition of Fox brings content, streaming and another thematic tailwind to Disney

The acquisition of Fox brings content, streaming and another thematic tailwind to Disney

After days of speculation, Content is King champ Walt Disney (DIS) formally announced it was acquiring the film, television and international businesses of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (FOXA) for $52.4 billion in stock. Viewed through our thematic lens, Disney is once again expanding its content library, which means that finally the X-Men and other characters will be reunited with their Marvel brethren under one roof. As the inner comic book geek in me sees it, perhaps we will know get the X-Men movie we deserve.

While I only half kid about the comic book potential of the deal, the reality is the transaction expands Disney’s reach to include movies, TV production house, a 39% stake in Sky Plc, Star India, and a lineup of pay-TV channels that include FX, National Geographic and regional sports networks. Via a spinoff, Rupert Murdoch will continue to run Fox News Channel, the FS1 sports network and the Fox broadcast network in the U.S.

Viewing the combination through our Connected Society thematic lens, we see the move by Disney as solidifying not only its streaming content business but its streaming platform potential as well. Recently Disney shared that over the next few years it would launch its own streaming services, one for Disney content and one for ESPN, in order to better compete with frenemy Netflix (NFLX), Amazon (AMZN) and other streaming initiatives at Alphabet (GOOGL), Facebook (FB) and the burgeoning one at Apple (AAPL). Let’s remember these streaming services are all embracing our Content is King investing theme as they bring their own proprietary content to market to lure new subscribers and keep existing ones. We have previously shared our view that we are in a content arms race, and acquiring these Fox assets certainly adds much to the Disney war chest once the deal is completed in the next 12-18 months.

The added Connected Society benefit to be had in acquiring Fox is it ups Disney to a controlling interest in streaming service Hulu, which has roughly 12 million streaming subscribers and 250,000 subscribers for its new live TV streaming offering — the online TV package that replicates a small cable bundle. Hulu used to have three different bosses — Disney, Fox, and Comcast (CMCSA) — each owning an equal stake. Following the Disney-Fox deal, odds are Comcast’s role in Hulu will diminish and over time I would not be surprised to see Disney acquire that ownership piece as well. What this does is quickly lay a solid foundation for Disney’s streaming service plans, and I would not be shocked to see Disney convert Hulu into its own branded streaming service once the Fox acquisition closes.

From a thematic investing perspective, the Disney-Fox combination is a win-win on several levels, even though Disney is spending quite a bit of capital to get it done. The reality is there is no better company at monetizing its content and squeezing dollars from consumer wallets and in the coming quarters, Disney will have two very strong thematic tailwinds behind it — a more solidified Content is King tailwind and a burgeoning Connected Society tailwind keeping its sails full.

Near-term, this weekend is the domestic opening of the next Star Wars movie – initial reviews are very positive and advance ticket sales indicate a $200 million opening weekend or better.

  • We continue to rate Disney (DIS) shares a Buy, and our long-term price target remains $125

 

A Content is King primer on the developing world of e-sports

A Content is King primer on the developing world of e-sports

 

 

Amid expanding markets such as digital commerce and streaming video that sit at the top of our Connected Society investing theme —and to some extent, our Content is King one  — other growing markets and their opportunities can be stepped over and missed from time to time. One that I’ve been keeping tabs on from the periphery market is e-sports, but even I tend to sit up and take notice when the market for this form of content consumption is set to grow from $493 million in 2016 to $660 million this year, and more than $1.1 billion in 2019. That’s remarkable growth, fueled by a growing base of global enthusiasts, and one that is seeing Corporate America sit up and take notice as well.

That’s right, as amazing as it might sound, more than 20 years after the first video game tournaments, top e-sports tourneys now draw audiences that rival the biggest traditional sporting events. A decade ago, amateur competitions drew a few thousand fans in person and over the Internet. In October 2013, 32 million people watched the championship of Riot Games’ League of Legends on streaming services such as Twitch and YouTube — that’s more than the number of people who watched the TV series finales for Breaking Bad, 24 and The Sopranos combined; it’s also more than the combined viewership of the 2014 World Series and NBA Finals.

In 2015, Twitch reported more than 100 million viewers watch video game play online each month. According to the Entertainment Software Association, more than 150 million Americans play video games, with 42% of Americans playing regularly. The key takeaway from this litany of statistics is the e-sports market has continued to grow. And it is poised to continue doing so, as casual-to-serious players become tournament viewers.

In the last few months, streaming service Hulu has picked up four new series that are centered around e-sports as part of its move to replicate the success at Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon (AMZN) in their push to create original and proprietary content. Another sign that e-sports are turning into a big business was at rating company Nielsen (NLSN) when it launched a new division focused on providing research on e-sports.

One of the opportunities being assessed by Nielsen lies in measuring the value of e-sports tournament sponsorships. In 2017 there are more than 50 such events, with recent and current e-sports tournament sponsors including Coca-Cola (KO), Nissan, Logitech (LOGI), Red Bull, Geico, Ford (F), American Express (AXP) and a growing list of others.

Tournaments streamed to everyone over Twitch.tv have reported five million concurrent viewers for Dota 2 and 12 million concurrent viewers for League of Legends. And these viewers tend to be the ones consumer product companies want — more than half of e-sports enthusiasts globally are aged between 21 and 35 and skew male. That’s the sound of disposable income you hear — and so do those sponsors.

The ripple effect is even moving past tournaments into movies and other content forms. Video game maker Nintendo (NTDOY) is reportedly near a deal with Illumination Entertainment, a partner of Comcast (CMCSA) to bring its flagship Super Mario Bros. franchise to the big screen. Granted Super Mario is not quite the same as some of the games associated with e-sports, but it is one of the most popular video game franchises of all-time, with the series of games selling over 330 million units worldwide. Over the last few quarters, we’ve seen a film hit screens based on the Assasin’s Creed game that was first released in 2007, and this leads us to think we could see more storylines developed much the way Disney (DIS) and 21st Century Fox (FOXA) are doing with the Marvel characters and Time Warner (TWX) with Batman, Superman, and other DC comics properties.

When I see a market taking shape like this, with these characteristics and all the confirming data points to be had, it means looking at which companies are poised to benefit from this aspect of our Content is King investing theme.

In this case, that means interactive gaming content ones like Electronic Arts (EA), Activision Blizzard (ATVI) and Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) among others. In looking at the industry data, we find a rather confirming set of data given the most recent monthly video game sales data for September published by NPD Group showed robust year-over-year sales, up 39% to $1.21 billion.

Breaking it down, software sales soared 49% due to the continued shift to console and portable platforms and away from PCs, and hardware sales rose 34% vs year ago levels. The top three games of the month were Activision’s Destiny 2, NBA2K18 by Take-Two and Madden NFL 18 by Electronic Arts. That set the stage for third-quarter 2017 earnings for these companies, especially given that in September Activision’s Destiny 2 became the best-selling game of thus far in 2017.

Recently, Electronic Arts shared on its third-quarter 2017 earnings call that among its growth priorities is the expansion of live services, which includes the integration of the company’s e-sports business across more gaming titles. As such, EA sees competitive gaming becoming a greater piece of its portfolio, as it builds on Madden NFL Club Championship, the first e-sports competition to feature a full roster of teams and players from a U.S. professional sports league. Tournaments to represent all 32 NFL teams are already underway.

Meanwhile on its September quarter earnings call Activision Blizzard confirmed its e-sports Overwatch League will begin regular season play on January 10, it has inked sponsorship deals with Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Intel (INTC) and the Overwatch community now spans more than 35 million registered players. The league has 12 inaugural teams complete with physical and digital merchandise for sale to fans.

We’ll be watching to see the initial reception as pre-season competition begins next month at the Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and we’ll be sure to crunch the numbers and understand what’s baked into existing expectations for ATVI shares and the others. Those answers will help determine how much additional upside there is to be had near term, following the meteoric rise of ATVI shares this year — up more than 75% year to date vs. 25.7% for the Nasdaq Composite Index and more than 15.0% for the S&P 500.