If you’re feeling good about the market, you’re not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week’s more uplifting headlines.
1. Main Street’s electrical parade
Shares of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) appear to be coated in Teflon this year, having more than quadrupled in 2013. Well, now it seems as if the cars may be Teflon-dipped as well. Tesla’s Model S was awarded the highest overall vehicle safety score that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ever bestowed on a vehicle.
Yes, Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is apparently the safest car ever.
2. Sirius puts the tune in tune up
Sirius XM Radio Inc (NASDAQ:SIRI) has a new way to reach out to dormant receivers. The satellite-radio provider announced the Service Lane program, through which it will offer drivers of cars with inactive accounts two free months when they service their cars at any participating dealership.
It won’t be as successful as Sirius XM Radio Inc (NASDAQ:SIRI)’s plan in which it offers free trials to buyers of used cars with existing Sirius or XM receivers. There we’re talking about new owners of used cars for whom the novelty of satellite radio is likely to be intriguing. Folks taking their cars in for service have presumably already decided that they aren’t interested in paying for premium radio.
There are a lot of cars out there with inactive receivers. Sirius XM Radio Inc (NASDAQ:SIRI) estimates that there are more than 50 million cars on the road with receivers, but only half of them belong to current subscribers. Sirius XM’s conversion rate will be low here, but it’s aiming at such a wide pool of potential subscribers that the gains could move the needle.
3. Stream of consciousness
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) keeps growing its digital vault. The leading streaming service announced that it will be the exclusive streaming home for Weinstein’s TWC and Dimension Films studios during the pay TV window starting with the 2016 theatrical releases.
Yes, we’re talking about content that won’t hit Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) viewers until late 2016 at the earliest. The point here is that Netflix continues to increase its offerings while sticking to its $7.99-a-month plan. Can your cable or satellite television plan say that?
The deal is also a blow to Showtime, as the premium movie channel is the one that currently has the pay TV window rights to Weinstein productions.
4. Hitting the “Continue?” button actually works
Things are starting to look up for GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME), even though investors who have seen the skeptic-defying shares nearly triple over the past year probably know that already. The leading video-game retailer moved higher after announcing better-than-expected results, offering up a rosy outlook for the current quarter and pushing up its guidance for the entire fiscal year.
