If you don't know SeaChange International
It's a small-cap working in the already underfollowed media and entertainment sector. On an average trading day, only $1.4 million worth of SeaChange stock changes hands. Only three analyst firms have an opinion on the stock, and just two of them showed up to ask questions on last week's earnings call.
Yet, the company performs two essential services for broadcasters: media management for their video-on-demand features, and local ad insertion into their live feeds. Competition comes in two flavors; Arris Group
In the long term, I expect on-demand services to be the best weapon available in the cable industry's fight for survival against digital media upstarts like Hulu and Netflix
In the its third-quarter results reported after the bell on Thursday, non-GAAP earnings fell from $0.11 per share to $0.05 per share year-over-year on 8% lower revenue. But management sees this as a temporary slowdown, pointing to much stronger sales in the fourth quarter and more than triple this quarter's earnings. SeaChange produces more than 60% of its sales from recurring subscription services, and there are signs of a stronger end market in North America and other regions.
The time to buy is when there's blood in the streets, and SeaChange certainly fits the ignored, obscure, underfollowed mold that creates some of the greatest investment opportunities. Buy now -- or at least add the stock to your CAPS portfolio -- and reap the benefits when the cable industry runs out of other alternatives.