Commentary: Showbiz 50 bids good riddance to 2008

December 30, 2008 Stock in Stern's professional home, Sirius XM Radio, is the worst performer of the year on The Hollywood Reporter Showbiz 50 index, while stock in Marvel Entertainment, home to Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk, is tops. Marvel's feat is more impressive than it might seem at first blush; it's one of only two stocks from the index of 50 entertainment and media companies to notch an increase for the year, and it's the only one to boast a double-digit gain. On Dec. 15 -- good timing! -- Merriman Curhan Ford analyst Eric Wold reiterated his "buy" recommendation on Imax, noting how well it has done with its giant-screen version of the Fox movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

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