On Friday, French wireless operator Orange said it has signed a deal with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) to sell its iPhone in the Middle East, Africa and several European countries. Well, wasn't it just Monday that we've heard that Apple has signed deals with Singapore's Singapore Telecommunications Ltd and three of its affiliates to bring the iPhone to four Asian countries later this year? And wasn't it last week that Vodafone Group (NYSE: VOD) signed a deal with Apple to sell the iPhone in ten of its markets? That was just what I remembered offhand. Seems like Apple has pretty much signed deals with companies to sell the iPhone nearly worldwide. Let's check that:
From the Vodafone deal we have: Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey
From the SingTel deal we have: Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia
From the Orange deal we have: Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and African markets
According to internal company and agency documents, the Wall Street Journal reported that the FAA is investigating into why AMR Corporation's (NYSE: AMR) American Airlines ordered mechanics to skip specific safety instructions to detect damage to planes from potential lightning strikes.
Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) is trying to quickly put the finishing touches on a search advertising deal with Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) as billionaire Carl Icahn launches a proxy fight for control of Yahoo's board, according to the New York Post. Yahoo! hopes to announce a deal with Google to create an open platform system within the next week, two inside sources said.
The New York Post reported that a partnership of MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) and investment company Dubai World may seek to buy the Drake Hotel site from developer Harry Macklowe. If a deal is reached, MGM and Dubai World would assume $580M in defaulted debt and interest, inside sources said.
According to people familiar with American International Group Inc's (NYSE: AIG) board, some directors feel that another big loss in the current quarter could prompt them to re-evaluate their support for CEO Martin Sullivan. The sources said a decision on Sullivan's fate isn't likely to be made until the company sees results over the next several months, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) closed a helicopter production line for several hours yesterday due to possible irregularities found in two military helicopters, the Seattle Times reported. The company did not disclose exactly why it shut down the production of the H-47 Chinooks.
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According to Mac Rumors, citing French LeMatin.ch, a source in Swisscom AG (OTC: SCMWY) said Switzerland will be getting the iPhone device from Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) this summer, and it will feature GPS, Video Conferencing and Mobile TV.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares are trading higher today as rumors swirled that partner AT&T (NYSE: T) will offer Apple's 3G, or next generation, iPhone for only $200, much cheaper than the retail cost of these phones. This discount would go straight onto Apple's bottom-line from the pockets of AT&T, who is hoping that these cheaper prices will lure more subscribers to their network. AAPL is also getting support from a Commerce Department report that GDP grew by 0.6 percent in the first quarter, ahead of the 0.5 percent growth expected by economists. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on AAPL.
After hitting a one-year low of $98.55 in May, the stock hit a one-year high of $202.96 in December. AAPL opened this morning at $176.19. So far today the stock has hit a low of $175.80 and a high of $180.00. As of 12:40, AAPL is trading at $177.45 up $2.40 (1.4%). The chart for AAPL looks bullish and steady, while S&P gives the stock a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy rating.
For a bullish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a June bull-put credit spread below the $140 range. A bull-put credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of put options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 4.3% return in just seven weeks as long as AAPL is above $140 at June expiration. Apple would have to fall by more than 21% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.
Analysts had been expecting the company to report earnings of $1.07 a share, and the company actually reported earnings of $1.16 for its most recent quarter. Sales came in way above estimates as well, with a reported $7.51 billion, exceeding the $6.964 billion analysts had been looking for.
Today's report should help wipe any concerns that the current economic slowdown in America is negatively affecting the company's business.
Tech superstar Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is going to be joining the earnings parade tomorrow afternoon when it reports is fiscal second quarter numbers following the market close.
The last time Apple reported earnings was back on January 22, when it reported its fiscal first quarter numbers. The company blew away analyst estimates by posting earnings of $1.76 a share, well above the $1.62 that Wall Street had been expecting to see. This led to a huge jump in Apple stock, right? Wrong. Instead, the company's stock went into a tail spin, falling over 40 points, and erasing around $36.5 billion from the company's market cap.
After the collapse, the stock did rebound nicely, and is once again trading above the $160 mark, so it will be interesting to see just how the market reacts to the company's numbers this time around.
"The more I look at Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and its new iPhone, the more I consider it to be, perhaps, the most innovative and transformative company in mobile computing today," notes wireless sector expert Nikhil Hutheesing.
The editor of The Forbes Wireless Stock Watch explains, "Put simply, iPhone is a game-changing product, and we are now making the case for investors to buy the stock."
"When Apple first announced its move into the wireless PDA business - in January 2007 when it introduced its iPhone - there was skepticism over whether it would be able to grab market share from incumbents like Research In Motion, which makes the BlackBerry smartphone and Palm which makes Treo handhelds.
"Nobody is doubting Apple today. Steve Jobs' iPhone is in the hands of over four million people and it is now the number two smartphone in the business with a 28% market share. It has surpassed Palm and is nipping at the heels of RIMM's BlackBerry.
"Until recently, iPhone, like Apple's Mac has been a fairly 'closed' universe. It was a great consumer device but it had little presence among large corporate users, the so-called enterprise market. That all changed in March.
Last night, handset maker Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) announced that it would be slashing another 2,600 jobs as the company continues to battle lower sales. The current job cuts represent approximately 4% of its total job force as of the end of 2007 of 66,000 employees.
It wasn't that long ago that Motorola was a major force in the world of mobile phones, but over the past two years the company has definitely fallen from grace among consumers. Two years ago the company was the world's second largest handset maker, but that status is no more, and the company is currently sitting in the fourth spot overall.
Analysts have blamed the company's drop due to lack of innovation, and some have gone so far as to predict that the company's handset business is doomed if Motorola can not pick up the pace and start to pump out new and fresh ideas for consumers to gobble up.
"Apple recently took a big step out of its consumer-oriented world and into the corporate realm, one dominated by Research In Motion.
"Apple is teaming up with Microsoft to make the iPhone more 'businessy' for corporate users. Obviously, when the iPhone was launched, it was a huge success with consumers. Now, Apple is opening up the platform and making it more appealing to businesses.
"With its much-awaited iPhone software developers kit, Apple is banking on third-party software to differentiate the iPhone from the BlackBerry. The biggest challenge for Apple will be overcoming concerns about security, e-mail synching and the iPhone's high price.
"Undoubtedly, this shift into the corporate realm will take time, and it will likely be the small- and medium-sized companies that are the first to adopt the iPhone for business.
After a day where Apple Inc. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares climbed 6.43% to $127.39, today the shares were nearly flat most of the session despite the plethora of news surrounding the company.
First, we found out that Japan is investigating a possible defect in the iPod nano after "the digital music players reportedly shot out sparks while recharging." These kind of potential problems with lithium-ion batteries are not new; throughout 2006-2007 consumers experienced many recalls of mostly laptops -- including Macs -- equipped with such batteries. But the question this time around is whether Apple had knowledge of the problem and delayed reporting it, as Apple's filing with the ministry came two months after the reported incident in Japan.
Mind you, Engadget has been reporting on such incidents for quite a while, all relating to the same model. Almost a year ago, a first generation iPod nano was reported by an Australian to go up in flames, then in October of last year an iPod spewed chest-high flames from trousers, and earlier this month an iPod sparked a bedroom fire. So the problem was known, the question is what Apple plans to do about it now, if anything?
This year, the International Trade Commission is set to issue rulings on whether Samsung and Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) have infringed patents from InterDigital Inc (NASDAQ: IDCC). If InterDigital, who licenses its patents to iPhone maker Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), wins, fees from the deals could double its revenue over the next few years, the Wall Street Journal contended.
According to FDA commissioners, the New York Times reported that Baxter International Inc's (NYSE: BAX) critical blood thinner heparin, which has been linked to nearly 20 deaths and whose base was created in China, contained a "possibly counterfeit" ingredient that "mimicked the real drug."
In his opening arguments in the state of Alaska's lawsuit against Eli Lilly & Company (NYSE: LLY), an attorney for the state alleged the drug maker failed to warn doctors and patients of dangerous side effects associated with its drug Zyprexa, the Associated Press reported.
The Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street" reported that VCG Special Opportunities Master Fund, a $58M asset hedge fund which is owned by an investment firm that also owns a Puerto Rican investment bank, is separately suing Citigroup Incorporated (NYSE: C) and Wachovia Corporation (NYSE: WB) for requiring it to pay money from "credit default swaps" as the value of mortgage backed bonds fell.
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In an attempt to cut back its growth plans due to higher fuel costs, AirTran Holdings Inc (NYSE: AAI) CEO Bob Fornaro said the Orlando-based airline will sell two jets next month. The Orlando Sentinel reported that record fuel costs could also impact AirTran's negotiations with its pilots union.
Fnac is in talks with Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) to sell the iPhone in France, Le Figaro reported. The head of PPR SA's Fnac Chain, Denis Olivennes, said France Telecom's (NYSE: FTE) exclusivity rights for the iPhone in France are "inadmissible."
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Bloomberg reported that the head of Dubai International Capital, Sameer al-Ansari, said that as losses increase from the subprime mortgage market turmoil, Citigroup may need additional capital from outside investors.
An extensive report in the Atlantic that concludes many suburban developments may turn into slums discusses the role reversal occurring between the city centers and their outlying communities. They attribute a wide range of factors leading to this conclusion. These include a shift in demographics and life styles, the economy and sub-prime loan debacle, driving times and fuel prices, and the over supply of product and tighter lending practices.
The post war baby-boomers are an ever decreasing factor in the home market as their kids move out. Those kids are getting married later in life and having smaller families so demand is shifting.
Traffic congestion and commuting long distances is right up there with taxes and mosquito's in terms of being unpleasant, so those that can afford to move closer to work are doing so. This is also being stimulated further by the rapid increases in gas prices affecting all of us. For many years developers have been building homes in the suburbs because of cheaper land costs, but rarely has there been parallel growth in local jobs so most people had to hit the roads.
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has been on the rise today, as renewed enthusiasm over future iPhone sales has brought buyers into the stock, pushing shares up $7.67 to $130.63, or 6.2% .
The company has stated that its goal for overall iPhone sales by the end of 2008 was 10 million units, and according to Apple's COO, Tim Cook, the company remains confident in hitting that hefty goal.
Since the highly anticipated release of the iPhone last year, there have been a couple of points that Apple has taken a bit of heat over, the first being that outside programmers were not allowed to write programs for the iPhone, and the second being the company's decision to grant individual carriers rights to sell their phones in their respective countries.
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