Apple Inc. posts
FeedPosted Dec 29th 2010 4:30PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: International Markets, Forecasts, Apple Inc (AAPL), Exxon Mobil (XOM), AT and T (T), Chevron Corp (CVX), ConocoPhillips (COP), FedEx Corp (FDX), Verizon Communications (VZ), United Parcel'B' (UPS), PetroChina Co Ltd ADR (PTR), Politics, Chasing Value™, Commodities, Oil, Anglo American (AAUKY), Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A), Telefonica SA (TEF)

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.
Continue reading Chasing Value: New Years Quick Takes
Posted Oct 28th 2010 12:00PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Management, Competitive Strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), Chasing Value™
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.
Continue reading Chasing Value: The Last Word on Apple
Posted Oct 25th 2010 12:00PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Management, Competitive Strategy, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), General Electric (GE), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Adobe Systems (ADBE), Altria Group (MO), Xerox Corp (XRX), Oracle Corp (ORCL), Chasing Value™, Olin Corp. (OLN)
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.
Continue reading Chasing Value: Apple's Cash Is Different
Posted Oct 21st 2010 3:00PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Other Issues, Management, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Market Matters, Boeing Co (BA), News Corp'B' (NWS), Chasing Value™

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.
Continue reading Chasing Value: Apple Does Not Need $50 Billion
Posted Apr 7th 2010 1:00PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Management, Annual Meetings, Rants and Raves, Competitive Strategy, Apple Inc (AAPL), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Entrepreneurs, Chasing Value™
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.
Continue reading Chasing Value: Apple Closing in on Berkshire
Posted Mar 29th 2010 11:30AM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple Inc (AAPL), Cisco Systems (CSCO), General Motors (GM), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Citigroup Inc. (C), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Economic Data, Wells Fargo (WFC), Serious Money, Financial Crisis

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:
Continue reading Serious Money: Optimistic Economic View
Posted Nov 13th 2009 9:15AM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Apple Inc (AAPL), PepsiCo (PEP), McDonald's (MCD), Walt Disney (DIS), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Hershey Co (HSY), NYSE Euronext (NYX), Abercrombie and Fitch (ANF)
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.
Continue reading Tomorrow's gurus shine in NYSE Financial Future Challenge
Posted Jun 4th 2009 12:30PM by Elizabeth Harrow (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst Reports, Apple Inc (AAPL), Analyst Initiations, Options
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.
Continue reading Apple sets sights on North Carolina, scores Buy recommendation
Posted Mar 10th 2009 2:20PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Good news, Rants and Raves, Apple Inc (AAPL), Cisco Systems (CSCO), Citigroup Inc. (C), Serious Money, Stocks to Buy, Intuitive Surgical Inc (ISRG), American Eagle Outfitters (AEO)

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.
Continue reading Serious Money: No secret for market turn-around -- AAPL, AEO, CISCO, & ISRG
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