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. Wii will survive
Nintendo (NTDOY +0.89%) is hoping to revive its struggling Wii U console. The Japanese gaming giant is lowering the price of its deluxe Wii U system by $50, to $299. It will also be adding value by bundling it with The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD.
Nintendo's new system has been a dud. The gaming pioneer shocked the market by moving just 160,000 systems worldwide in its latest quarter. It needed a price cut. It needs new games. Both are coming, and you can't beat the timing, as the Xbox One and PS4 will be hitting the market in November.
Nintendo also announced that a new entry-level handheld -- the 2DS -- will hit the market in October with a new form factor and a reasonable $129 price tag. Nintendo may not be irrelevant this holiday shopping season after all.
2. Baidu thinks inside the box
China's leading search engine is reportedly making a play in the smart television market. Sources are telling Bloomberg that Baidu (BIDU +0.74%) is teaming up with a Chinese manufacturer to introduce a set-top box or smart-TV chip.
Connected televisions are still in their infancy in China, but Baidu knows the price that it sometimes has to pay when it's unfashionably late. It agreed to fork over $1.9 billion this summer to acquire the leading mobile apps marketplace operator after a perceived weakness in mobile.
If smart TVs become a big deal in the world's most-populous nation, Baidu wants to make sure that it's leading the way.
3. 3D Systems returns the favor
As far as 3-D printing poster child 3D Systems (DDD +1.46%) has come since going public two years ago, there always seems to be new believers ready to push the fast-growing company even higher.
Citi initiated coverage of 3D Systems with a buy rating and a $60 price target. Citi is bullish on 3-D printing, expecting this to be a market capable of generating $6 billion a year by 2018.
Was it a coincidence that -- two days later -- 3D Systems announced that it would be presenting at next week's Citi Global Technology Conference? We'll just let that be our own little secret. Even without the bullish analyst coverage, 3D Systems is well served to get the story of 3-D printing out there as often as it gets the opportunity.
4. Watch this space
Movado (MOV 1.15%) just keeps on ticking. The designer watchmaker hit new highs this week after posting blowout quarterly results. Revenue climbed 17% to $138.3 million, and adjusted earnings rose 38% to $0.44 a share. The pros were only holding out for a profit of $0.32 a share.
It gets better. Movado's boosting its quarterly dividend by 60%, to $0.08 a share.
It's easy to be a skeptic. Between Pebble fueling the smart-watch movement, and more people relying on their smartphones as timepieces, is there really growth to be had by conventional watchmakers? Movado's answer is in its financials.
5. TiVo gets a "thumbs up" from Mr. Market
TiVo (TIVO +0.00%) came through with a huge quarterly profit in its latest quarter, though it was entirely the handiwork of one-time settlement gains. However, even on an adjusted basis, TiVo did post a smaller loss than analysts were modeling.
It wasn't perfect. The number of TiVo-owned subscribers -- the ones who deal directly with TiVo -- fell below a million for the first time. However, TiVo also announced that it has enough licensing deals in place that it should now be profitable on a sustainable basis.
That's a statement word rewinding and playing over and over again.
