Continue reading Chasing Value: New Years Quick Takes

Chasing Value: New Years Quick Takes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Chasing Value: The Last Word on Apple originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Chasing Value: Apple's Cash Is Different originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Apple Does Not Need $50 Billion

Chasing Value: Apple Does Not Need $50 Billion originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple Earnings Soar, Topping Estimates

Apple Earnings Soar, Topping Estimates originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple: Repeating the Mistakes From The 80s?

Apple: Repeating the Mistakes From The 80s? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Chasing Value: Apple Closing in on Berkshire originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Pending Apple iPad Release Requires Leap of Faith from Consumers

Pending Apple iPad Release Requires Leap of Faith from Consumers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Optimistic Economic View

Serious Money: Optimistic Economic View originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yes I am picking

Continue reading Buffetts' Berkshire vs Jobs' Apple for 2010?

Buffetts' Berkshire vs Jobs' Apple for 2010? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Tomorrow's gurus shine in NYSE Financial Future Challenge originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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."

Continue reading Apple Inc. buoyed by Barclays' price-target boost

Apple Inc. buoyed by Barclays' price-target boost originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Apple sets sights on North Carolina, scores Buy recommendation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Quick take: Williams or Apple or Google or Microsoft?

Quick take: Williams or Apple or Google or Microsoft? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 May 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Serious Money: No secret for market turn-around -- AAPL, AEO, CISCO, & ISRG originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The outcome of the Belmont Stakes where Big Brown came in last instead of first is just one more example of the difficulty one has in making predictions. I know little about horse racing, and the only thing I know about the Triple Crown is that there has not been a winner in 30 years (and counting). As irony would have it, the winner of the Belmont was the 38-to-1 long shot Da Tara that went wire to wire.

This event stands out in my mind because I am asked to predict future events on a regular basis (whether it makes sense or not), and because I am in the middle of reading The Black Swan about randomness and uncertainty by epistemologist Nassim Nicholas Taleb. I highly recommend the book to fellow investors and business leaders interested in getting some perspective on risk and the many fallacies we all overlook.

The number of variables that can affect a specific outcome like a horse race are significant, and in the case of the Belmont Stakes, on this occasion something was amiss. When Big Brown turned for home, something wasn't right. Jockey Kent Desormeaux knew the big bay colt was finished. Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., who guaranteed racing's first Triple Crown in 30 years, knew it, too.

Continue reading Sunday Funnies: Big Brown a sure thing at Belmont

Sunday Funnies: Big Brown a sure thing at Belmont originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Today was a very gloomy day in the stock market with Oil reaching new highs and everything else losing -- almost. Among the few winners, and I mean very few, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), oil, and specialty steel were up. I went through my watch list and found this very short list of winners:

Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) $78.49, up +$0.95 or 1.23%

Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) $185.90, up +$2.30 or 1.25%

Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) $49.92, +$0.85 up +$1.73%

Precision Drilling TR (NYSE: PDS) $27.90, up $1.13, or 4.22%

Reliance Steel and Aluminum (NYSE: RS) $67.37, +0.$52, or 0.78%

Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO) $50.12, up +$0.43 or 0.87%

Continue reading Apple, Oil, & Steel were rays of light on gloomy market day

Apple, Oil, & Steel were rays of light on gloomy market day originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 May 2008 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading My best stock ideas: Looking through Q2 and into the second half of 2008

My best stock ideas: Looking through Q2 and into the second half of 2008 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We have seen this play before, and there are two scenarios as to how it could end. Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) is being challenged like never before, having saturated the market place in some locations it is now facing the challenges of selling expensive coffee in a slowing economy.

Would you rather pay $4 for a cup of coffee or a gallon of gas? You can find cheaper coffee but you have few options to find cheaper fuel. Amid the already difficult operating environment Starbucks is faced with competition from the largest restaurant chain in the world, McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD). McDonald's is looking to steal its morning thunder with competitive offerings at a far lower pricing structure. The threat is very real no matter what spin Starbucks puts on it.

This brings to mind two similar situations both involving Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) and past competitors. Early on there were two word processing programs that together probably had 90% market share. Those were Wordperfect and Wordstar. Both of them were fine programs offering strong features, and now they are nowhere. Microsoft displaced both of them with MS-Word integrated with their Office suite of products, and is now king.

Continue reading Serious Money: Starbucks vs McDonalds: an old story

Serious Money: Starbucks vs McDonalds: an old story originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When the notorious Henry Bloggett proclaimed that GOOG was destined to reach $2,000 I do not think there was a dry eye in the house, either laughing at this ridiculous comment, which by the way offered no time frame or reference point, or crying for the shame of it all -- that was the kiss of death.

When I read about this I could not resist tempering the madness and posted Serious Money: Google (GOOG) $2,000? No way, it's too high now! The madness produced many interesting metrics to prove a point, including that you could have traded Google for both Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG), two of my favorites, as an even swap (in capitalization only). That would be a heck of deal don't you think?!

Continue reading Kiss of death: GOOG $2,000 & AAPL $300

Kiss of death: GOOG $2,000 & AAPL $300 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.