If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.
1. A little Sirius intervention
Sirius XM Radio
As a result of healthy gross additions, beefier conversion rates, and lower churn, Sirius XM is raising its membership target. The satellite radio giant now expects to tack on 1.1 million net subscribers for all of 2010.
That certainly makes sense. Earlier this year, Sirius XM was targeting 500,000 net additions, bumping that figure up to 750,000 back in May. Well, Sirius XM has already tacked on more net additions than that through the first half of the year!
2. Enjoy the movie
Validation and expansion were the themes behind a pair of Wednesday morning press releases out of IMAX
The cinematic experience enhancer announced that ticket sales of theatrical releases that were remastered for IMAX screens during the past three months checked in at roughly $115 million. It's a steep sequential dip, but 37% ahead of where it was during last year's second quarter.
IMAX then broadened its global wingspan, inking a deal that will add five new locations in the Philippines over the next two years.
Cynics may wonder if moviegoers will tire of paying a premium for enhanced screenings, but it's hard to argue against IMAX's appeal, which has only intensified during a global recession.
3. The right touch
Apple
What about the iPod? It has been losing its zing over the past year, but mostly as a result of fans trading up to iPhone and iPad devices that also double as iPods.
Well, what if Apple's iPod touch is about to receive a sleek upgrade?
British retailer John Lewis held its annual "Christmas in July" event to preview the upcoming shopping season, and it had a presentation on what its suppliers are telling it will be part of the refreshed iPod touch come September.
Features reportedly include a 5-megapixel camera capable of shooting HD video, flash photography, FaceTime video chat functionality over Wi-Fi, and even a few gaming enhancements.
It all sounds too good to be true, but if even half of these features are accurate, Apple is going to have yet another hit on its hands. If the camera specs are correct, this is going to deal a major blow to Cisco's
4. They know you're watching
Google
YouTube is also upgrading its mobile site, offering crisp graphics and an interface that is more intuitive for touchscreen devices, and also embracing the nascent HTML5 platform over Adobe's
Who says there's never anything good on TV, when a sneezing panda is never too far away?
5. Here comes the Sun
Yesterday's biggest gainer was Sun Bancorp
An investor group led by a private equity firm and including members of the New Jersey bank's founding family will be injecting $100 million into the company. This may not seem like a lot of money in financial services, but keep in mind that Sun Bancorp's market cap was actually less than that before yesterday's heady gains.
It's always comforting to have friends in high finance places.
Let me know in the comments box below what stock moves seemed smartest to you this week.