International
Analyst rates TW best stock
MUMBAI: It might be a little early for long-suffering shareholders to celebrate, but Miller Tabak analyst David Joyce says shares of both companies have a good shot at more than doubling during the next two years.
In a recent research note to clients, Joyce put the 20 media stocks he covers in order, best to worst, using such criteria as risk, exposure to advertising and where we are as a country and industry in terms of the recession cycle.
The pattern that emerges is that he is bullish on cable TV providers and likes dual revenue streams — as long as one of those streams isn‘t newspaper advertising.
Rounding out Joyce‘s top five picks are Comcast, Liberty Global and RCN Corp. Cable providers Knology, Mediacom Communications and Cablevision Systems
That so many cable companies crack the analyst‘s top 10 is ironic given his concern that the Internet represents stiff competition to television. He says, though, that Internet users rely on cable infrastructure, so those businesses have protection.
Shares of Time Warner closed at $24.55 on Tuesday, and Joyce sees them climbing to $36 in a year and $54 in two years. Catalysts include AOL “becoming a distinct entity,” strong cable networks bucking a weak advertising trend and a broad and deep studio business offsetting weakness in publishing.
At the other end, Joyce‘s least-favorite media stock is Sirius XM Radio, though his two-year target suggests its stock price could increase threefold or more. Risk in that rosy scenario is great, though, hence its last-place position.
Joyce says Sirius XM‘s subscriber growth will suffer with a declining auto and retail market and that a large reverse stock split could come by year‘s end. Plus, the 40% pro forma equity taken by Liberty Media Capital represents too much dilution for Joyce‘s liking.
Rounding out his bottom five are Clear Channel Outdoor, Entravision Communications, Dolby Laboratories and Lionsgate.
International
Moskino and Bollywood: Moscow Film Cluster and Film City Mumbai signed a cooperation agreement
Moscow Film Cluster has signed a cooperation agreement with Film City Mumbai. The parties agreed to cooperate in developing the film industry, promoting shooting locations and supporting filmmakers.
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the India International Film Tourism (IIFTC) Conclave in Mumbai. At this forum, the Moscow Film Cluster presented Moscow’s opportunities for film shooting, including infrastructure projects such as Film City Moskino and Film Factory. Special attention was paid to the Moscow rebate system – up to 45% – and the co-production development.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Film City and Moscow Film Cluster provides for the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the film industry development, including joint promotion of shooting locations, support for filmmakers, implementation of marketing and industry events, development of incentive support measures and strengthening of economic and cultural interaction between India and Moscow.
The parties also intend to promote the development of the audiovisual sector through the exchange of experience, joint initiatives and the search for opportunities to create new industry partnerships and clusters.
Moscow Film Cluster is a major city initiative led by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to develop the capital into a global cinema hub. It brings together key production infrastructure – such as the Moskino Film Сity, Film Factory and Gorky Film Studio – along with the Film Commission, digital platform and cinema chain to streamline shooting, support productions and attract international filmmaking to Moscow.
Also, Moscow offers a rebate of up to 45%: 30% as direct production cost compensation, up to 15% for visa and accommodation support. The Moscow Image Grant provides up to $255,000 for films showcasing iconic city views.
The Moscow Film Cluster booth attracted considerable attention from Indian producers and studios. Over 80 business meetings were held, including those with major Indian companies.
One of the booth guests was the famous Indian actress Khushboo Sundar, known to Soviet and Russian audiences for her role in My Soul and considered the leading star of Tamil cinema, in whose honor one of the local temples was even built. Prithul Kumar, representative of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of the officials responsible for regulating the film industry in the country, also expressed interest in the development of the Moscow Film Cluster.
One of the highlights of the India International Film Tourism Conclave was the awarding of The Greatest of All Time in the For Cinematic Excellence category. The movie was shot in Moscow. The jury members noted the project’s contribution to the development of tourism.
The shooting of The Greatest of All Time AGS by Entertainment was organized with the assistance of the Moscow Film Cluster and the Moscow Film Commission and took place in April 2024 on the streets of Moscow. The scenes were shot in such famous locations as Patriarch Bridge, Teatralnaya Square, Manezhnaya Square, Kazarmenny Lane, Podsosensky Lane, Nikolskaya Street and one of the festival venues of Moscow Seasons.
The Greatest of All Time became a landmark event in Indian box office history. It ranked fourth in box office earnings among all movies released in India in 2024 and is one of the most successful Tamil-language movies in history.
At the same time, the shooting of another joint Russian-Indian movie started at the Moskino Film City in Moscow. A film project dedicated to badminton became one of the first participants in the Moscow rebate program.
A project by Smena & WISH Media (Russia) and Kartina Entertainment And Sports Private Limited (India) will tell the story of a badminton player who travels to India with the Russian national team to compete in a tournament. Russian viewers will see for the first time the scale of sporting competitions in Asia, where badminton is a cult sport and draws packed stands of fans.
The agreement on the joint production of the Smash movie was signed st the Moscow International Film Week in August 2025. And as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, a rebate application was also submitted at that time to reimburse part of the costs incurred during the shooting process in the Russian capital.
