Top 10 Media Companies To Buy Right Now

Updated from 8:01 A.M. EDT to provide company comment in the third paragraph and comments about stock in the 10th paragraph.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Tesla Motors (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk certainly isn't shy about promoting his company to the world. Now, he's asking others to join it.

In a curious series of tweets, Musk, who regularly uses the social media platform to help promote his Palo Alto, Calif.-based company, asked for engineers to join Tesla's autonomous driving program. The team will report directly to Musk, according to his tweets.

Tesla declined to comment on Elon's tweets regarding the autopilot system for the Model S. Intense effort underway at Tesla to develop a practical autopilot system for Model S— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 18, 2013 Engineers interested in working on autonomous driving, pls email autopilot@teslamotors.com. Team will report directly to me.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 18, 2013 Approach is 360 deg flush mounted tiny cameras + radar (prob not lidar). Lot of software & hardware level image processing.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 18, 2013 Musk has said in the past that he would like to develop an auto-pilot software program for the Model S. Developing an auto-pilot program seems like a curious decision, given the favorable reviews the Model S has received so far. Consumer Reports gave the Model S its highest grade ever. Motor Trend has already awarded the Model S the car of the year, and several other publications have been exceptionally favorable towards the car. Note: I recently reviewed the Model S. My thoughts and video footage of the test drive will be published shortly. Tesla shares were higher in Thursday trading, after Deutsche Bank analyst Dan Graves boosted his price target to $200 from $160. --Written by Chris Ciaccia in New York >Contact by Email. Follow @Chris_Ciaccia

Best Up And Coming Stocks To Buy For 2015: DISH Network Corporation(DISH)

DISH Network Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides direct broadcast satellite (DBS) subscription television services in the United States. It offers programming that includes approximately 280 basic video channels, 60 Sirius satellite radio music channels, 30 premium movie channels, 35 regional and specialty sports channels, 2,800 local channels, 250 Latino and international channels, and 55 channels of pay-per-view content. The company also offers local HD channels in approximately 160 markets and 215 national HD channels; and receiver systems, including a small satellite dish, digital set-top receivers, and remote controls. In addition, it provides DISHOnline.com, which enables DISH Network subscribers to watch 150,000 movies, television shows, clips, and trailers; DISH Remote Access that enables subscribers to remotely manage their DVRs using compatible mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops through their broadband-connected receiver; and Go ogle TV that enables DISH Network subscribers to search the Internet, check email, interact with social media, and find additional online programming content while simultaneously watching television. As of March 31, 2011, the company had approximately 14.191 million customers. DISH Network provides receiver systems and programming through direct sales channels; and independent third parties, such as small satellite retailers, direct marketing groups, local and regional consumer electronics stores, nationwide retailers, and telecommunications companies. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  It didn't take long for DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH  ) to respond after�SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son called the DISH counteroffer for Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S  ) "incomplete and illusory."

• [By David Dittman]

  DISH Network Corp (NSDQ: DISH) is also said to be hungry for a fight over T-Mobile.

  A Sprint-T-Mobile tie-up could be a game-changer, as it would reduce to three the number of nationwide cellular service operators. The Federal Communications Commission has already rejected an AT&T Inc (NYSE: T) move for T-Mobile that would have accomplished the same winnowing of the field.

• [By Tabitha Jean Naylor]

  Warren Buffett has also been a very busy man as of late. One share of his company's stock sold for about $136,000 at the beginning of the year. It's now trading at about $173,000. Berkshire has diverse investments, owning stakes in companies from VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN), to DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH), to its newest holding Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM).

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S  ) is suddenly red-hot as two suitors fight for the blushing bride's hand. First there was a 70% ownership offer from Japanese iconoclast Masayoshi Son and his SoftBank business -- a pure wireless combination that puts Japanese interests into Sprint. Then Charlie Ergen's DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH  ) countered with a larger cash-and-stock offer that would swallow Sprint whole. This combination would create a brand new hybrid -- let's call it a wireless broadcaster.

Top 10 Media Companies To Buy 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 Lee Jackson]

  News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA) boasts a cable-leading news operation and a host of additional entertainment properties. The consensus target for the stock is $17.30.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  News Corp. is a multimedia giant that is able to reach and affect audiences all over the world. The stock has been a big winner over the last several years and is currently digesting gains for a strong run. Over the last four quarters, investors in the company have been upbeat as earnings and revenue figures have been rising. Relative to its strong peers and sector, News Corp. has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for News Corp. to continue to OUTPERFORM.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  News Corp. provides a wide range of media and information services to consumers and companies interested in the latest and greatest around the world. The stock has been on a strong run in recent years but is now seeing a slight pullback that may take some time. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue figures have been improving, however, investors have had mixed feelings about their reports. Relative to its peers and sector, News Corp. has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for News Corp. to continue to OUTPERFORM.

• [By Chris Isidore]

  Time Inc., the nation's largest magazine publisher, was spun off by media conglomerate Time Warner, (TWX) the owner of CNN and CNNMoney, earlier this year. News Corp. (NWSA), owner of The Wall Street Journal, was spun off from 21st Century Fox (FOXA) a year ago.

Top 10 Media Companies To Buy Right Now: Time Warner Inc.(TWX)

Time Warner Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Networks, Filmed Entertainment, and Publishing. The Networks segment provides domestic and international networks, premium pay and basic tier television programming services, and digital media properties, which primarily consist of brand-aligned Websites. Its premium pay television services consist of the multi-channel HBO and Cinemax premium pay television services. This segment provides programming to cable system operators, satellite service distributors, telephone companies, and other distributors; sells advertising; and licenses original programming to domestic and international television networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces and distributes feature films, television and other programming, and videogames; distributes home video products; and licenses rights to its feature films, television programming, and characters. T he Publishing segment publishes magazines and books; and operates various Websites, as well as engages in marketing services and direct-marketing businesses. This segment publishes magazines on style and entertainment, lifestyle, news, and sports. The company?s brands include TNT, TBS, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time. Time Warner Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Beyers]

  Can anyone touch Walt Disney's (NYSE: DIS  ) Marvel Studios? Man of Steel has proved to be a winner for Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX  ) DC Entertainment and should close the weekend with about $248 million at the U.S. box office, Deadline.com reports. Audiences seem to like director Zack Snyder's grittier, more realistic version of Superman.

• [By Tim Beyers]

  Marvel peer DC Entertainment has yet to find a comparable win with its characters, which is a problem for parent Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) . Only Batman gets close. According to Box Office Mojo, Downey's Golden Avenger averaged $332.1 million in inflation-adjusted gross receipts over his two solo box-office appearances. Batman averaged $330.6 million on the same basis, while Superman -- the genre's most recognizable name after 75 years of appearing in the comics -- averaged just $237.9 million.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Recently, Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) bid $1 billion for Turkey's largest cable operator, ATV. For cable, at least, the U.S. is a saturated market. Now, Liberty is by no means confined to cable businesses -- it holds stakes in businesses ranging from bookstores to ticket sellers. But with valuations high, especially in the U.S., investors should keep an eye on potential acquisitions abroad. Liberty could benefit from greater exposure in Brazil or the aforementioned Turkey.

Top 10 Media Companies To Buy Right Now: CBS Corporation(CBS)

CBS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mass media company in the United States and internationally. The company?s Entertainment segment distributes a schedule of news and public affairs broadcasts, sports, and entertainment programming; produces, acquires, and distributes programming, including series, specials, news, and public affairs; produces and distributes theatrical motion pictures across various genres; and operates online content networks for information and entertainment. Its Cable Networks segment owns and operates multiplexed channels that offers subscription program services, including recently released theatrical feature films, original series, documentaries, boxing, mixed martial arts and other sports-related programming, and special events; and CBS College Sports Network, a 24-hour cable program service related to college sports. This segment also owns and manages Smithsonian Networks, which operates Smithsonian Channel, a basic cab le service in the United States. The company?s Publishing segment publishes and distributes adult and children?s consumer books in printed, audio, and digital formats. Its Local Broadcasting segment owns 29 broadcast television stations; owns and operates 130 radio stations in 28 U.S. markets and related online properties; and owns local Websites that combine television and radio local media brands online to provide the latest news, traffic, weather, and sports information, as well as local discounts, directories, and reviews. The company?s Outdoor segment sells advertising space on various media, including billboards, transit shelters and other street furniture, buses, rail systems, mall kiosks, stadium signage, and in retail stores. CBS Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake Mann]

  This is evident in an array of statistics. Last season, NFL regular-season viewership on CBS� (NYSE: CBS  ) and�Fox (NASDAQ: FOX  ) �grew an average of 7% from 2012, and�NBC Sunday Night Football was prime time's top show for the fourth straight year. Beyond TV, the usage of fantasy football apps also rose 15% in 2013, Nielsen reports.

• [By Paul R. La Monica]

  In fact, Netflix may soon top another milestone. The company is now worth $28 billion ... slightly less than the $30 billion market value for television network owner CBS (CBS). (It reminds me of the classic line by Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone in "The Godfather, Part II" about how big their criminal operation had become: "We're bigger than U.S. Steel!" Sadly, this movie is not available for streaming on Netflix.)

Top 10 Media Companies To Buy Right Now: Time Warner Cable Inc(TWC)

Time Warner Cable Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a cable operator in the United States. It offers video, high-speed data, and voice services over its broadband cable systems to residential and commercial customers. The company provides a range of video services, including on-demand, high-definition (HD), and digital video recorder (DVR) services; residential high-speed data services with connection to the Internet; wireless mobile broadband Internet services; and digital phone services to residential customers. It offers video programming tiers and music services; high-speed data, networking, and transport services; and commercial digital phone service to small and medium-sized businesses under the Time Warner Cable Business Class brand. Further, Time Warner Cable Inc. sells advertising to various national, regional, and local customers. As of June 30, 2011, the company served approximately 14.5 million residential and commercial customers in the New Yor k State, the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California, and Texas. Time Warner Cable Inc. is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images AT&T (T) has approached DirecTV (DTV) about a possible acquisition of the satellite TV company, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation. A deal would likely be worth at least $40 billion, DirecTV's current market capitalization, the newspaper said. A combination of AT&T and DirecTV would create a pay television giant close in size to where Comcast (CMCSA) will be if it completes its pending acquisition of Time Warner Cable (TWC), the Journal said. Representatives for AT&T weren't immediately available for comment outside of regular U.S. business hours. DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer said the company doesn't comment on speculation.

• [By Natan Hayes]

  American Tower Corp. (AMT) operates the largest portfolio of the wireless communications and broadband towers in the industry. Their primary business is leasing antenna space on multi-tenant communications towers to mobile data service providers such as AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ), T-Mobile (TMUS), Time Warner Cable (TWC), and Vodafone (VOD).

Top 10 Media Companies To Buy 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 Tim Beyers]

  I've mixed feelings about the matchup, both as a film fan and as an investor. Personally, I found 2010's Despicable Me to be a delight, with the impossibly cute minions softening Steve Carell's hardened supervillain, Gru. Audiences agreed as the film grossed $543.1 million worldwide on a $69 million production budget. Despicable Me 2, which cost Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) Universal Pictures $76 million, could earn that much or more.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  The muscle cars of Universal's Fast & Furious 6 aren't far behind, though. The sixth car-chase extravaganza in the series is set to deliver 27% of its box office take straight to studio owner Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) operating income. That's in spite of the second-thickest slice of profit-sharing deals with superstars like Vin Diesel and The Rock. Seems like you often get what you pay for in Hollywood. Big names pull in large audiences. In a business where nearly 100 cents out of every extra revenue dollar turns into operating profit, that's a pretty nice deal.

• [By Daniel Jones]

  The weekend ending July 20th was somewhat mixed for movies produced by The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS  ) , Twenty-First Century Fox (NASDAQ: FOXA  ) , and Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA  ) . For the three-day period, Disney's Planes: Fire & Rescue saw a disappointing turnout while Twenty-First Century Fox's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes continued to dominate the box office. However, the most interesting film released over the course of the weekend appears to be Comcast's The Purge: Anarchy, which reported mediocre results but, given its low budget, may become a small cash cow for the company.

Top 10 Media Companies To Buy 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.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amy Thomson]

  Vodafone has already expanded beyond wireless service, and in June beat John Malone�� Liberty Global (LBTYA) Plc to take over Germany�� Kabel Deutschland Holding AG. (KD8) Vodafone and Verizon accelerated talks on the stake sale after the Kabel Deutschland offer, which put additional pressure on the British company�� finances, a person familiar with the matter said.