Last Week’s 5 Smartest Stock Moves: General Motors Company (GM), Cablevision Systems Corporation (CVC)

4. Zagg doesn’t sag
Zagg Inc (NASDAQ:ZAGG) investors didn’t need to cover their stock certificates with invisibleSHIELD scratch protectors this time.

The maker of third-party accessories for tablets, smartphones, and other gadgets posted blowout quarterly results this week. Net sales spiked 30% to $87.5 million and adjusted net income checked in at $0.37 a share. Analysts were only banking on a profit of $0.29 a share on a 24% top-line spurt.

The company’s come a long way. Several quarters ago, ZAGG was counting on invisibleSHIELD — the thin protective film for tablet and smartphone screens — for nearly 90% of its revenue. The acquisition of iFrogz and expansion into gadgetry keyboards and other accessories now finds invisibleSHIELD accounting for just 43% of ZAGG’s sales.

Some will argue that this is bad news given the high-margin nature of its flagship product, but diversity is important these days.

ZAGG’s guidance for 2013 is encouraging, as it targets 10% to 13% in adjusted EBITDA. Analysts were modeling revenue of $308 million, but ZAGG’s update is now aiming for at least $313 million on the top line.

5. Bundles be gone
Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC) is apparently sick of cable networks bundling lesser channels with their stronger properties to get pay TV customers to shell out more money.

Cablevision is suing Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIA), alleging that the cable network giant forced it to take on lesser cable properties in order to retain carriage rights for its MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central juggernauts.

Enough is enough. Can we finally start paying for the channels we actually want to watch?

Cablevision’s motives aren’t entirely clear. It wouldn’t be in its best interest to shrink monthly cable bills. However, cable providers have been shedding net video subscribers for a few quarters now. The cord-cutting trend is real, and Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC) can help its cause by ridding itself of superfluous channels that only a sliver of its viewers may be interested in watching.

This is going to be an ugly battle, but one that may ultimately deliver beautiful results for consumers.

The article This Week’s 5 Smartest Stock Moves originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Rick Aristotle Munarriz.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Aristotle Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors and Priceline.com. The Motley Fool owns shares of Priceline.com.

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