Analysts picture Playboy's future Falling ad revenue and magazine sales haven't turned off Wall Street expectations.(Business)(Company overview)(Financial report)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), February, 2007

Byline: Andrew Segal Medill News Service Playboy Enterprises Inc. may deliver some spicy content to subscribers, but its stock has been far from hot lately. Still, most Wall Street analysts are surprisingly bullish on Playboy's prospects. Why? One reason may be the perceived potential of the well- recognized Playboy brand under different ownership.

Since Hugh Hefner founded the company in 1953, it's been under family control. First, the bad news. The venerable Chicago-based adult entertainment brand has seen shares slip more than 30 percent in the last year to about $10. The Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index has gained more than 14 percent during that time. Playboy's earnings have been down quarter-over-quarter for the past four quarters, and are...