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Positive earnings remain elusive for TiVo (Nasdaq:TIVO) but despite turbulent markets, the "time shift" pioneer may be getting ever so slightly closer. After the close or markets Wednesday, Tivo released Q3 earnings. The numbers were somewhere between flat and positive.

For the quarter ended October 31st, Tivo posted a net loss of $8.24m (8c a share), substantially better than a loss of $11.1m (12c a share) for the same period last year. The return was also far better than last quarter which suffered due to inventory write downs. The consensus analyst expectations were for a loss of 13c a share. Tivo beat the street by a penny.

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You can’t call a two horse race until both horses have crossed the finish line. 

When Netflix released earnings about a week ago, things looked good, surprisingly good,  but a comparative assessment with movie rental competitor Blockbuster was missing.  Absent that comparison it was impossible to say whether Netflix gained ground individually, or the movie rental business did well as a whole.

After the close of markets Thursday, Blockbuster released their earnings.  Now the asterisk can come off Netflix’ returns.  The results are in.   It’s official.  In the battle for movie rental dollars, investors can officially chalk the quarter up as a win for Netflix and a loss for Blockbuster.  

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Sometimes bad news is actually good news in disguise. That the case at game publisher Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS). Thursday, EA released their earnings report for the 2nd quarter 2007. Relative to the same quarter last year revenue was down and earnings went from the black to the red but the bad news was good, really.

EA posted a net loss of 62cents a share ($195m) on revenue of $640m but a significant part of the loss was due to changes in accounting practices regarding revenue recognition. Click to Read More

The PS3 and Blu Ray may be Sony’s bigger bets but camera’s and consumer electronics are increasingly proving to be their steady hand. When earnings were announced today, it was the strength of camera’s and televisions that carried them. Net profit for September was in at $646.7m. That was largely thanks to strong electronics sales (which account for 2/3rds of annual sales). On the quarter Sony hit their highest earnings results in three quarters. They also adjusted forecasts upwards for the fiscal year (which ends March 2008).

Despite keeping on track for their 5% operating margin goal, however, gaming remains the leading story. The beleaguered game division returned the 7th consecutive losing quarter. And the losses are only getting worse. This quarter was a negative hit of $848m, nearly double the loss for the same quarter last year.

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There are surprises and then there are Surprises with a capital S.  Apple trouncing earnings estimates this week fits in the first category.   The results were stellar but hardly a shock; more of “wink wink” we did it again.  Netflix handedly beating earnings estimates Monday was blind-siding surprise that was hard to see coming.

When Netflix reported late Monday, the expectation was much as it has been for recent quarters: competition from Blockbuster would be a drag on margins, price cuts would weigh on revenues and customer growth should fall into the moderate but not terribly impressive category.  Click to Read More

When Apple issued earnings guidance at the end of the third quarter they attempted to reset analyst (and investor) expectations.   An ambiguous new product launch (which turned out to be both new macs and the new iPod line) would decrease margins and profits, they cautioned.  They advised a conservative view.  They forecast meager revenue of $5.7 billion and earnings of only 65 cents a share. That seemed way too low. Call it conservative finance, call it sandbagging, or overly cautious analysis, call it what you want, but whatever the name – there seemed little reason for it.  Now there’s proof. was , in fact, no reason for caution at all.

After the close of markets Monday, Apple announced their results for the 4th quarter.  For football fans, the numbers were like yesterday’s first half score between the Patriots and the Dolphins: a blowout.   For Q4 Apple reported the highest September earnings in their history.

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Last quarter Google shocked the world – not with their success, but with a failure.  Much to the surprise of analysts and others’ they stumbled and failed to meet second quarter earnings expectations in July.  The numbers were good, just not as high as the stratospheric expectations being asked of them.   It was only the second time since going public in 2004 they’d come up short.    So Thursday, rebuked for aiming too high last time (Google doesn’t give sales or earnings guidance) analysts were watching carefully to see if their picks were better when Google announced this quarters results. 

Was last quarter a fluke of mismanagement? A rogue wave to an otherwise steady ship?  Were analyst’s just too optimistic?   Investors who bid up the stock 19% during the last month haven’t thought so.  They’ve expected a windfall. Today, they all got their answer: all’s well in Mountain View.

Despite occasional criticism for being a “one trick pony” and deriving most of their revenue from one advertising strength, Google proved that pony still has plenty of speed and strength.  Click to Read More