Disney+ (Plus) and the Top Streaming Stocks to Buy in 2019

The streaming space is becoming more and more competitive as Apple and Disney have now launched their streaming service. A few days ago, Disney+ announced it signed up 10 million subscribers on a single day, the first day it launched.

Amazon Prime and Netflix are also strong players with a good offering of original content. They also have the advantage of already being popular for several years. The secular trend of moving from cable to streaming still poses a big opportunity for growth and the battle to get market share is expected to become more intense.

Top Streaming Stocks

Apple (AAPL-Q)
The recent launch of Apple+ was received with mixed results but there are more original content in the pipeline. The transition from hardware to service is coming along nicely and many analysts still consider it a buy or a top pick.

Apple (AAPL-Q) — Stockchase

All the new models of phones on the market will support 5G, including Apple's, and there will be lots of phone upgrades. He hopes Apple breaks out the lifetime value of their customers this quarter, thanks to this sticky revenue stream.

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Walt Disney (DIS-N)
Disney+ launched on November 12 to much anticipation. They reported good numbers from their Dutch test. The company can leverage their content to attract subscribers and are the best equipped to compete with Netflix.

Walt Disney (DIS-N) — Stockchase

Allan Tong’s Discover Picks Caveats: The Delta variant is hitting less-vaccinated American states hard and this could have a spillover effect on Disney’s theme parks. Shutting them down, however, seems unlikely, but rising cases could dampen attendence. Maybe. The cruise lines are a larger risk, since outbreaks on a self-contained vessel at sea are hard…

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Netflix Inc. (NFLX-Q)
One of the first largely known streaming service across the world. There are concerns of increased competition in the space and analysts are worried the company is losing its first mover advantage. Nevertheless, cable cutting trends will help Netflix gain additional subscribers.

Netflix Inc. (NFLX-Q) — Stockchase

It's a terrific business, though the stock slipped after yesterday's earnings. They're buying back shares, but he doesn't care--he'd rather see more sign-ups. Nor does he care about them entering mobile games at no extra charge. It lacks growth to remain in FAAANG. He wants the Netflix of old. He wants to see their production…

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Amazon.com (AMZN-Q)
A very diverse company that offers streaming through it’s Amazon Prime Video service. The subscription segment is growing and paying off, allowing them more consistent and growing revenue.

Amazon.com (AMZN-Q) — Stockchase

They report Thursday. He expects big numbers in their high-margin ad business as well as retail and cloud businesses.

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Roku Inc (ROKU-Q)
A unique play in the streaming space as it acts as a conduit for several thousand different apps. It’s a volatile stock but they facilitate the move from cable to streaming.

Roku Inc (ROKU-Q) — Stockchase

(A Top Pick Jun 17/21, Up 32.8%)Stockchase Research Editor: Michael O'Reilly Our PAST TOP PICK with ROKU is progressing well and has achieved our $471 target. To remain disciplined, we recommend covering 50% of the position and trailing up the stop (from $275) to $355.

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Canada Streaming Movers

Cineplex Inc (CGX-T)
The company is reporting earnings today. They are diversifying away from cinema which has added to debt but helped them diversify. There is a general downward trend to the movement. However, many investors buy this stock for the dividends.

Cineplex Inc (CGX-T) — Stockchase

Difficulty is that we're still in the pandemic. A lot of content has moved to streaming, so it will be hard to get people back to the theatre, plus logistical problems of health safety. The movie Black Widow will be an interesting test case.

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Shaw Communication (B) (SJR.B-T)
Its recent move into streaming weighed on Shaw due to increased competition in the wireless space as well as streaming. It pays a good dividend near 4% and is in a safer oligopolistic industry.

Shaw Communication (B) (SJR.B-T) — Stockchase

(A Top Pick Sep 03/20, Up 52%) Likes telecom in general. He sold out into the Rogers bid. If the deal doesn't go through, downside might be 30% or more.

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Rogers Communications (B) (RCI.B-T)
Rogers is a diversified telecom company that also offers Anyplace TV that lets subscribers watch tv on demand. They missed on earnings and the stock price pulled back so it could be a good chance to buy it on sale.

Rogers Communications (B) (RCI.B-T) — Stockchase

Big fan of telecoms, though they didn't deliver last year as expected. Telecoms are very defensive and operate in an oligopoly. RCI is OK, but not as keen on it compared to others in the space. Least enthusiastic about cable. Ton of risk on the Shaw deal.

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BCE Inc. (BCE-T)
The BCE Premium TV channel let’s customers watch sports online. They pay out a good dividend that is considered safe. They recently reported earnings that were on par with expectations.

BCE Inc. (BCE-T) — Stockchase

The market worries all these telcos are overpaying on spectrum. He predicts the Rogers-Shaw deal will happen. The telcos will benefit from 5G and should be held in a TFSA as you collect the good dividends.

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Quebecor Inc (B) (QBR.B-T)
Through Vidéotron, the company offers club illico that let’s subscribers stream content, mostly focusing on French Canadian content. This telco has a strong presence in Quebec and is also active in Ontario.

Quebecor Inc (B) (QBR.B-T) — Stockchase

(A Top Pick Aug 17/20, Up 1%) He bought this to play defence and collect its nice dividend. They're still growing earnings at 13%, faster than peers. The whole group is nervous, that they have to spend more on spectrum. But this is a good 5G play over time. It's still a buy.

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