Tag Archives: GOOG

Now That Apple Has Bottomed, What Is It Worth?

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By Chad Brand:

Rational thought is beginning to take shape again as investors try to pin down a fair value for shares of Apple (AAPL) stock. A price below $400 just weeks ago made little sense for a company with $150 per share in net cash and $40 per share of net earnings (P/E ratio ~ 6x). With the stock back above $450 as the newly announced (and massive) share repurchase program commences, where is Apple likely to trade? This is not an easy question to answer, as the bears think it should trade at a multiple more in line with Microsoft (MSFT), while the bulls could argue that Google (GOOG) is a better comparable. Since Google trades at double the valuation of Microsoft (I am using trailing 12 months cash flow multiples in this article), fair value assessments can vary greatly based on your assumptions.

To put this debate


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Apple And Samsung Just Don’t Have A Chance Against BlackBerry

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By George Kesarios:

You have all probably read that both BlackBerry (BBRY) and Samsung (SSNLF.PK) have been cleared for use on Defense Department networks. Apple (AAPL) has not yet been cleared, but is expected to be soon. One small surprise is that BlackBerry tablets were also cleared, but Samsung Android tablets were not.

The U.S. military is in the process of overhauling its security standards to be able to track thousands of Android, Apple and Windows devices that were recently found unaccounted for on Military networks, according to a recent report by the DOD IG. In the Department of Defense alone, there are over 470,000 BlackBerry devices, vs. 41,000 Apple and 8,700 Android devices. Up for grabs is a contract that will be rewarded whereby the U.S. military establishment will manage, monitor and enforce security for about 8 million devices.

However, with BYOD policies everywhere these days, the need for


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Nokia And BlackBerry Are The Comeback Kings: Really?

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ByTiming Best Buy:

Introduction

In 2006, Nokia (NOK) controlled almost half of the smartphone market, but then the Apple (AAPL) iPhone emerged and everything changed. At that time, BlackBerry (BBRY) was the leading handheld device supplier and boasted a 20% market share. With the advent of smartphones, Apple and Google (GOOG) have transformed the mobile phone industry by introducing tremendous innovations and products, leaving Nokia and BlackBerry far behind in the pecking order. However, in 2013, we might be witnessing a resurgence. This resurgence, I must add, will not take shape in the United States, nor in any other developed country, since these markets are saturated with smartphones that have locked consumers into 2-year contracts, leaving little room for headway.

The way back up for Nokia and BlackBerry is in the developing markets and, most notably, China. In emerging markets, Nokia’s brand loyalty and image is only surpassed by


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The Little Known Company That Manufactures Google Glass: Foxconn

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By Bram de Haas:

Google Glass was released to the press a few days ago and reviews are flocking in. Investors are trying to make sense of the new product, and what its influence will be on Google Inc’s (GOOG) share price.

Writers who have more knowledge about gadgets and technology than I will make forecasts: How many of these units will actually sell? How will consumers respond to this new piece of technology? If it does, when will the Google Glass gadget develop into something with mass market appeal?

In the meantime I want to take a look at the possible consequences for another link in the supply chain. Which company is manufacturing the $1500 electronic? Surely, there is an unknown company somewhere that has been contracted by Google to put this novelty piece together…

It turns out that the partner which Google chose for this project is Foxconn (FXCNY.PK), aka,


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Smartphone Operating Systems – Third Place Will Go To BlackBerry

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Byjaberwock:

There can be no doubt that the two leading smartphone operating systems are Google’s (GOOG) Android and Apple’s (AAPL) iOS. However, there is room in the market for at least one more player, and the battle for third place is being fought between BlackBerry (BBRY) and Microsoft (MSFT) Windows8.

Nokia (NOK) manufactures a range of Windows phones, from the low cost Lumia520 to the flagship Lumia920, which competes at the high price level with the Blackberry Z10 and Q10. HTC (HTCKF.PK) sells its 8 and 8X series of Windows phones, and Samsung (SSNLF.PK) makes the ATIV phone with the Windows operating system

BlackBerry introduced its new touchscreen Z10 phone with a phased launch starting in the UK at the end of January and launching in the U.S. at the end of March. The keyboard version (the Q10) launched in Europe this week, and is expected in the U.S. later this


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Don’t Buy Apple Or Google, Invest In What They Are Going To Buy

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By Devon Shire:

What a difference a decade makes. Back at the turn of the century the technology giants were the ONLY companies that investors wanted to own. These companies sported Price to Earnings ratios that implied that they would grow at high rates for decades to come.

Fast forward to today and these same companies are now the slow growth behemoths that put investors to sleep. Price to earnings ratios that were once sky high are now below the valuation multiples assigned to average companies.

Most of these companies (excluding Apple) lost any investor hopes of a return to growth years ago. Microsoft (MSFT) is the poster boy for this as the stock price has gone perfectly sideways for more than ten years:

(click to enlarge)

While the titans of technology aren’t as in favor as they once were, there is no dispute the financial clout of this group of companies.

Consider


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Intel And Microsoft Speed Up Windows RT’s Death

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By Ashraf Eassa:

I have been an ultra, uber, perma-bear on Windows RT. Windows RT is quite literally Windows 8 but with fewer features, but ships on devices that have no cost advantage over Windows 8 equivalents. See, if I could go out an buy a 7″ Windows RT tablet for $200, then sure, that makes sense. But the problem is that ARM (ARMH) based chips aren’t any cheaper than the Intel (INTC) Atom chips, and Windows 8 costs Microsoft (MSFT) no more to produce and sell than Windows RT. In fact, if anything, they’re robbing themselves of a potential “Office” purchase by selling RT. Anyway, it looks like Windows RT is on its way to the morgue, especially with some of the latest developments that we’ve been seeing.

Windows RT’s Only Chance Is On 7″- 8″ Tablets

Windows RT is basically Windows 8, but it won’t run any legacy


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3 Stocks You Shouldn’t ‘Sell In May’

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By Ian Wyatt:

In theory, today is the last day you should buy stocks for a while.

Tomorrow is the first day of May, kicking off the worst six months on the investment calendar. You should sell all your stocks now and go into hibernation until November – or “Sell in May and Go Away,” as the saying is called.

That’s exaggerating it just a tad. But “Sell In May” isn’t just some half-baked superstition. It’s a real phenomenon – and the numbers support it.

Since 1950, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained 7.5% on average from November through April, but has been virtually flat the other six months – starting in May. The theory has held up especially well recently.

“Sell In May” has proven true four of the last five years. Since 2007, stocks have fallen by an average of 3.8% from May through October. They’ve risen 4.1%,


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