Can you hear me now? Well listen closely, Verizon Communications (VZ) is going to get a bounce from the Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone in 2011. Nothing you don't already know. Is there a more sure thing in the coming year? Long term it will fade some, but in 2011 the pent up demand has to have a positive impact.

Communications: The telephone companies everywhere are going to have a good year. Verizon is a great stock for Roth IRA's, paying a 5.41% yield. The dilution of the iPhone market may hurt AT&T, Inc. (T) some, as VZ is helped, but it too is a good long term hold and pays an even higher yield at 5.76%.

If you want to diversify internationally there are multiple good choices and they pay even higher yields.

Well, maybe not the very last word ever, but for now this is it. The poll results on eight key questions are in. Although such a small sampling is not conclusive, it may be broadly indicative of investor sentiment.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is among the most admired, talked about and intriguing companies in the investment world. This story is the fifth in a series that started off pondering Apple's cash stash and what good it was, and leading up to this polling review.

When you write about Apple (AAPL), you inevitably hear from some naive person informing you that, "You just don't get it; Apple is different."

There are certainly many things about Apple that are very different, but in the context of the "you just don't get it" crowd, it is absolutely not. The same was said about Google (GOOG) only a short while ago, Xerox (XRX) three decades ago and Winchester -- now part of Olin Corp. (OLN) -- rifles 125 years ago.

Steve Jobs, the illustrious CEO and the heart and soul of Apple Inc. (AAPL) would have you believe that Apple cannot issue a dividend to shareholders because of the scary competitive business environment. He conveys to us that they need the money to overcome hardship and if the right opportunity comes along make key acquisitions.

This is utter nonsense, a supreme untruth, wasted breadth and a failure to come to grips with reality. In the past quarter Apple increased its cash and short term investments to $50 billion as I wrote it would six weeks ago.

Apple currently has 914 million outstanding shares. With the stock trading around $300 per share, a 2% dividend yield would require $6 per share or, $5.5 billion dollars annually to cover the distribution.

Shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL) traded sharply higher in after-hours trading Tuesday after the company posted strong quarterly results for its third quarter.

Analysts had been expecting to see the company post earnings of $2.84 a share, but Apple easily beat that estimate with a reported $3.51 a share. During the same period last year the company had earnings of $1.35 per share.

Apple, Inc. (AAPL) may be in the midst of a PR crisis with its newest iPhone, but that doesn't mean the company isn't stronger as it's ever been. The company's release of the iPhone 4 makes that device quite possibly the fastest-selling in the company's history. Every time Apple thinks it cannot outperform itself, it does. Still, will this euphoria be short-lived? If so, one company will reap the benefits: Google.

About five weeks ago, I posted Chasing Value: Berkshire Eating Up Apple -- Can It Continue? Today I thought I would take another peek to see how Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) and Apple Inc.(AAPL) compare now.

Both companies are led by much-admired iconic figures who standout for their extreme success and business leadership. Both Warren Buffett and Steve Jobs are practically worshiped by their shareholders, and for good reason -- both companies have added value during the past ten years, a time when most companies have not, and some are just not -- they're gone.

Here we are on the eve of the Apple, Inc. (AAPL) iPad release. Though not as revolutionary as the iPhone was almost three years ago, the iPad will succeed just because it has Apple's name on it. Beyond that, the device could once again fit the need for an "in-between" device for internet access and multimedia outside the handheld phone and in lieu of yet another laptop-type computing device. But, the question remains: will customers go ga-ga over this device starting tomorrow?

The negativity in the market place has been palpable for several years and is only thawing out now, in some people's view, while others rant about a "double-dip" or "W-shaped" recovery. In contrast to those who shun the market, I have been buying stocks at bargain basement prices over the past year with a return on investment that is "staggering," to quote a Wells Fargo Financial Consultant familiar with my account.

I am well aware that the record deficit spending in the United States is even more staggering. Everyone knows about the high unemployment rate, foreclosure rate, bank failure rate, and tepid consumer confidence. So why am I so optimistic about the economic recovery? Here's why, as simply as I can state the case:

Yes I am picking Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) over Apple Inc. (AAPL) in 2010.

Last week I suggested in two separate posts that Apple investors potential gains going forward in 2010 would be far less rewarding than in 2009. The issue first came up in Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 9 + Apple where I was simply reviewing Apple for inclusion in the ten but some of the faithful (sometimes over zealous) took exception to this.

The stock having reached an all time high last month was part of what lead me to write, "Sure it is possible that Apple comes out with another winning product but that rampant speculation is among the things that have driven the stock price to where it is. I think the downside outweighs the upside by a large margin so I will pass on this one."

Some of the comments I received only made my case stronger.

The future investment stars are already with us. The NYSE Financial Future Challenge, operated by the NYSE Foundation, By Kids for Kids, K12 Inc. and the United Investors Association, is in full swing, with five finalists just identified. To reach this level, the participants had to develop a new product, idea or process that would "excite, educate and motivate their peers" to become interested in the financial marketplace. The eventual winner lurks within this subset and will receive a $2,500 prize -- a great way to get that portfolio started. And, he or she will be feted at a closing bell ceremony at the NYSE (NYX) on January 11, 2010.

The finalists presented a variety of ideas which are sure to generate some buzz. Kelsey Foss, a 12-year-old from Mountainville, NY, proposed a new television show, "Stock Market Tycoon Idol," which would harness the popularity of reality TV while amping up the content. The program would involve the journeys of 10 kids as they seek to make money or lose it, with the possibility of becoming virtual millionaires along the way. The show would be set at a mock NYSE studio on Wall Street, and exports would be brought out to mentor the contestants. The reality TV reach would help engage a younger audience.

Brokerage firm Barclays this morning raised its price target on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) from $188 to $208. The new target represents a premium of 25.8% to AAPL's closing price on Wednesday. Additionally, Barclays reiterated its upbeat Overweight rating on the shares.

In a note to clients, analyst Ben Reitzes cited Apple's solid product pipeline and strong free cash flow outlook. "New products should begin to flow again within a few weeks," said Reitzes. "We are more upbeat about the long-term prospects for the iPhone & Mac lines with potential new products."

Last night, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced plans to build its first East Coast data center. The facility will be located in North Carolina, which recently enacted tax breaks to lure the popular tech company, but no specific site has yet been selected. Apple is expected to pour more than $1 billion into the project over the next nine years.

Apple spokeswoman Susan Lundgren declined to say how the data center will be used. In a statement, the tech firm said only, "We're looking forward to building a new data center in North Carolina, and we appreciate the efforts of Gov. Perdue and state lawmakers who helped make it possible." Construction is expected to begin soon.

In other Apple news today, the company is attracting bullish attention from Societe Generale. The brokerage firm started coverage of AAPL with a Buy rating and a $160 price target.

This is a follow-up on the short term results comparing the Williams Companies Inc. (NYSE: WMB) to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) , Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.B).

I wrote a series of stories about why I thought WMB would outperform the other more popular stocks and two weeks is not much of a test unless you have been trading on my suggestions instead of investing.

The final post was Serious Money: Better than Apple, Google, Microsoft & Berkshire Hathaway, Part 5 if anyone cares to go back and review that.

Given the current state of the economy all would agree it's going to be a long road home. The market is up today on a few bits of news following what has been a dreadful last ten days. Maybe it's the merger and acquisition activity, maybe it's the news that Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) "let slip" that they earned a profit the first two months of the year. Perhaps the market was just due for a bounce before another slide?

Every day we read various rationales for why the market may be undervalued, or as some believe, still has a long way to drop. We look at stocks of strong companies with historically low price-to-earnings ratios and think now is the time to get in. However, someone will be quick to point out that forward earnings are perhaps going to be less than projected.