Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendation Marvel Enterprises (NYSE:MVL) revealed a Hulk of a second-quarter today, with dramatically higher revenues and profits. The little comic-book company that could raked in tons of dough from the licensing of its popular characters, and continued to make shareholders proud.
Marvel's total revenues jumped nearly 27% to $90 million. Licensing revenues grew like kudzu to $57 million from $17 million.
Down on the bottom line, the company earned $32.8 million, or $0.42 a share. In last year's Q2, it netted just $4.4 million, or $0.10. Marvel's incredible earnings growth from $4.4 million to $32.8 million year over year demonstrates how profitable those licensing sales are.
Luckily for David Gardner, who wrote back in May that he'll dine on a Fool's cap if Marvel doesn't produce more than $80 million in net income for 2003, the company has made almost $74 million in its first two quarters alone. Given that it raised expectations for its third quarter and full year today, it'll undoubtedly surpass David's $80 million milestone.
When it was first recommended over a year ago in the July 2002 issue of Stock Advisor, Marvel was a business still polishing its post-bankruptcy reorganization and garnering no Wall Street respect. David rightly recognized Marvel's promise and potential back then.
Since he first featured it, the company's up 293.28% for Stock Advisor subscribers. David re-recommended it in the December 2002 issue, and the stock is up 144.80% since. To say that it's outperformed the market would be like saying the Hulk's green.
The good times aren't stopping here for Marvel. It's looking forward to more licensing revenues and to the 2004 movie releases of The Punisher, Spider-Man 2, Blade 3, and Fantastic Four.
