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8 Stocks to Buy for ‘Star Wars’ Fans

By U.S. News & World Report

The newest film should boost these stocks.

Our friends at The Walt Disney Co. can’t wait until December. More than three months before the long-awaited “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens” opens in theaters, Disney is rolling out its universe of new “Star Wars” toys and memorabilia this week in an 18-hour global event spanning 15 cities and 12 countries. It’s the first “Star Wars” film in a decade, and the first since Disney bought rights to the “Star Wars” franchise and Lucasfilms for $4 billion in 2012.

But investors don’t have to wait. Here are eight ways to buy into “Star Wars” hysteria now.

Disney (ticker: DIS)

With its $4 billion investment to buy Lucasfilms, Disney is unquestionably the company with the biggest stake in the new “Star Wars” films. You can expect “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens” to be the biggest movie of the Christmas season — the other six films collected a combined $4.4 billion in box office revenue — and Disney is primed to make this the biggest “Star Wars” yet. Disney also announced plans to open “Star Wars” theme parks at its attractions in Florida and California.

Mattel Inc. (MAT)

The maker of Hot Wheels toy cars, Barbie, American Girl and Fisher-Price is expecting a boost from its license to market “Star Wars”-related cars and vehicles. “For the first time, its beloved Hot Wheels brand will join forces with ‘Star Wars’ to produce a new set of vehicles based on the upcoming ‘Star Wars’ movie. While all Wheels products, which include Hot Wheels and Matchbox, are just over 11 percent of total Mattel sales, the success of this new initiative could be an early indicator of the potential for the company’s future innovations,” says Bruce Kaser, a portfolio manager for Ironwood Investment Management in Boston and co-manager of the Event-Driven SMID Cap Value portfolio on Covestor.

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA)

Electronic Arts signed a 10-year exclusive licensing deal with Disney in 2013 to make “Star Wars” games — and with a new trilogy of movies launching in December, EA developers are looking to keep gamers busy. Much of the company’s short-term hopes are riding on the sixth installment of the “Battlefront” series that is scheduled to be released this year. EA is hoping to sell as many as 10 million copies of the game, which will be available in November on Microsoft’s Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 4 and personal computers.

IMAX Corporation (IMAX)

In April, the large-screen movie company announced it renewed its multi-picture distribution agreement with Disney through 2017, which will allow it to show “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens” on IMAX’s 72-foot wide screens. IMAX operates more than 800 theaters in 57 countries — more than enough for “Star Wars” fans to want to see the Millennium Falcon in its full, big-screen glory.

Hasbro Inc. (HAS)

Hasbro has been a Wall Street star in 2015, and will likely go higher with its license to create and sell hundreds of “Star Wars”-branded games, action figures, electronic toys and puzzles. “Hasbro’s brands, particularly its Transformers and Marvel superhero franchises, have been well-suited to TV and movie success. And with the big ramp-up of publicity with the upcoming ‘Star Wars’ movie, demand looks to be strong for probably several years to come,” says Charles Sizemore, founder of Dallas-based Sizemore Capital Management, an investment advisory firm.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT)

The nation’s No. 1 retailer, with sales of $343.6 million last year and more than 5,100 stores, expects to be a key shopping place for customers to buy “Star Wars” toys and video games. One of the biggest challenges for Wal-Mart is that millennials are showing a greater preference for competitors Target (TGT) and Amazon (AMZN) than for Sam Walton’s mega-sized discount empire. Wal-Mart lagged both Target’s and Amazon’s e-commerce sales in the last holiday season, and will need to close that gap this winter to maintain its retail dominance.

AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC)

One of the biggest players in the entertainment industry, AMC operates 22 of the 50 highest-grossing theaters in the U.S. and holds the No. 1 or No. 2 market share in each of the nation’s top 15 media markets. Rumors fueled by the fan site Star Wars Action News indicate AMC is planning to offer a “Star Wars” movie marathon before the Dec. 18 release of “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens.” The company’s similar promotion for “Avengers: Age of Ultron” involved airing a 27-hour marathon of every Marvel movie, so a “Star Wars” marathon isn’t out of the question.

JAKKS Pacific Inc. (JAKK)

The smallest company on the list, JAKKS Pacific is licensed to create large-scale figurines from the “Star Wars” world. While it has a somewhat limited collection now, with figures ranging from 18 inches to 31 inches in height, the release of additional “Star Wars” movies gives JAKK stock an opportunity for long-term growth.

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8 Stocks to Buy for ‘Star Wars’ Fans originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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