A huge number of Americans spent the three-day weekend binge-viewing the newly released second season of House of Cards, Netflix's original political drama starring Kevin Spacey. Netflix's stock got a bump following news that early estimates suggest the newest season of the show was a massive success. But with Netflix owning the rights to so little of the content that it streams, is the company really in control of its own destiny? In the lead story from Tuesday's edition of Investor Beat, host Alison Southwick and Motley Fool analysts Taylor Muckerman and Mike Olsen discuss the future of Netflix, and why a company such as the one that will be formed by the upcoming merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable may be much better positioned to be in the driver's seat in terms of shaping its future in the media industry.
Then, a look at five stocks making moves on the market today. 1-800-Flowers took a hard hit after it lost out on profits from the company's biggest day of the year, Valentine's Day, because of a massive blizzard dumping heaps of snow all across the eastern United States. Coca-Cola fell today after announcing that revenue was down for the full year and the fourth quarter, with profit down as well. Waste Management shares took a tumble after the company missed earnings expectations for both its top and bottom lines. And pharmaceutical company ACTAVIS has announced that it will acquire Forest Laboratories for $25 billion in cash and stock; both stocks are up on the news.
And finally, Taylor and Mike each pick one stock that's caught their attention this week. Taylor discusses Ensco, and why he'll be looking forward to seeing earnings this week from this best-in-class offshore driller with a great dividend, while Mike looks at C.H. Robinson, an essential player connecting shippers with truckers to transport goods that may be oversold at the moment, but destined for secular growth.
