Most investors would like a "do over."

They look back on certain investments and wish they'd never heard of, much less put money in them. Sure things like your good friend's invention that would make beer in one day from water and weeds. Or your brother's idea of selling real estate on Saturn. Everyone has their own stories. Mine are usually related to private investments in the medical device field or biotech, though I did have one out of Florida that made a "pig" that ran through oil pipelines to check on their safety. After meeting the founder who looked more like a used car salesman that caught a great sale on polyester suits, I should have known better right then. But I didn't.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: If I Could Start All Over Again ...

Comfort Zone Investing: If I Could Start All Over Again ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There are a lot of upset people today following Google's announcement that Kansas City was the company's choice for its blistering fast 1 Gbps broadband Internet.

When Google (GOOG) announced its desire to find a place to test the development of a 1 gigabit fiber to the home network last February, cities and towns all across the nation started working on their presentations to get Google to come to their area. Google received 1,100 applications, but in the end, it is Kansas City that got the nod.

Continue reading Kansas City Wins Google Over

Kansas City Wins Google Over originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A new business model is springing up right under our noses. The big players like Apple (AAPL), Amazon.com (AMZN) and Google (GOOG) have put together a one-stop shop in their app stores.

First off, an app store is just that, a place where you can pick and choose the apps you want to download. The app store is also a place where entrepreneurs can develop an app and with permission place it on the iPhone, iPad or Android device.

Continue reading App Stores: A New Business Model

App Stores: A New Business Model originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The fast moving world of investing can turn on a dime, especially if you own technology stocks. Research In Motion (RIMM) was a smartphone darling. But then came the iPhone and now the iPad. Then we have Google's (GOOG) Android following on Apple's (AAPL) heels.

RIM suddenly woke up a found that it had fallen off its perch. Now the company is scrambling to do catch up. BlackBerry is losing North American market share and the company expects to ship only 13.5 to 14.5 million Blackberry's this quarter, down from 14.9 million last quarter, according to Reuters.

Continue reading Would You Buy RIM on the Dip?

Would You Buy RIM on the Dip? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bookseller Barnes & Noble, Inc. (BKS) has been hoping to find a potential buyer, but it appears as though its search will end with no buyer.

The book seller has been searching for months for a potential buyer, and the search will likely continue for a couple more weeks, but people close to the bidding process have stated that it looks unlikely that the company will be able to find a buyer.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble Struggles to Find a Buyer

Barnes & Noble Struggles to Find a Buyer originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The past few years have been brutal for small businesses but it looks like things are starting to improve. A report from the National Federation of Independent Business shows that confidence is at a three-year high. There are even more plans to hire employees.

Well, top companies and investors are seeing opportunity. For example, Google (GOOG) Ventures, Salesforce.com (CRM) and Sequoia Capital have announced a $32 million round for HubSpot.

Continue reading Google, Salesforce.com Bet Big on Small Business

Google, Salesforce.com Bet Big on Small Business originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Research In Motion (RIMM), which designs and develops the BlackBerry line of smartphones, is also expected to launch its PlayBook tablet in the first quarter of 2011. RIM, which competes with Apple (AAPL), Motorola Mobility (MMI) and Nokia (NOK) in the mobile phone market, is expected to face stiff competition from Apple's iPad and Google's (GOOG) Android-based tablets.

RIM lacks the apps ecosystem strength enjoyed by Apple and Google, one reason why RIM has been slowly losing its share in the smartphone market. Without a conscious effort to improve its app platform, RIM's PlayBook may not gain much traction in the tablet market.

See our full analysis and $74.28 price estimate for RIM.

Continue reading PlayBook Compatibility with Android Apps Could Be Win-Win for RIM and Google

PlayBook Compatibility with Android Apps Could Be Win-Win for RIM and Google originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google (GOOG) is ever searching for new opportunities. This time they want to enhance their YouTube site, which is noted for allowing and promoting home videos.

Google has a successful money stream called its partner program for YouTube. If you become a partner you agree to let Google place ads on your video and to let Google rent your video.

Continue reading Google's New Venture to Add Revenue to YouTube

Google's New Venture to Add Revenue to YouTube originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google's (GOOG) mobile operating system, Android, is an example of how acquisitions have made a big difference. This technology came from a deal struck in 2005. Then, after lots of internal development, Google launched Android in 2007. Since then, the growth has been sizzling.

In fact, according to the most recent report from comScore, Android's market share hit 31.2%. Yes, it is now the number one mobile operating system.

Continue reading Android Becomes the King of Mobile

Android Becomes the King of Mobile originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Once the master of the game, Nintendo (NTDOY) has fallen behind in the gaming industry. It reported a 46% drop in profits in its recent quarter, as reported in Reuters. Nintendo is trying to do "catch up" with rivals Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and Google's (GOOG) Android, both or which have strong gaming platforms.

Nintendo is launching the first handheld 3D gaming system without glasses later this month. Nintendo of America's president, Reggie Fils-Aime, expects that the 3DS will sell even faster than its original DS device, which sold 150 million units to date.

Continue reading Nintendo to Launch First 3D-Gaming System Without Glasses

Nintendo to Launch First 3D-Gaming System Without Glasses originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We recently launched coverage of Kayak with a roughly $800 million valuation. Unlike online travel agencies like Expedia (EXPE) or Priceline (PCLN), Kayak does not provide online bookings directly but provides consumers a one-stop research solution to best fares along with other value-added services like flight status updates and pricing alerts.

We believe advertising revenues make up over 60% of Kayak's valuation while referral fees from hotel queries and air ticket queries constitute 21% and 14% respectively.

Continue reading Kayak Worth $800 Million Though Google-ITA Deal Is Concerning

Kayak Worth $800 Million Though Google-ITA Deal Is Concerning originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fortune has released its list of the world's 50 most respected companies and once again Apple Inc. (AAPL) tops the list.

This is the fourth year in a row that the Cupertino based company has grabbed the top slot. Apple's respect comes mainly due to the company's ability to release new products at an amazingly quick pace, often updating its main product lines at least once a year.

Continue reading Apple Still Fortune's Most Respected Company

Apple Still Fortune's Most Respected Company originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• SINA (SINA) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Texas Instruments (TXN), ON Semiconductor (ONNN), Xilinx (XLNX) and Valassis (VCI) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Salesforce.com (CRM) to buy from hold at Canaccord.
• Peet's Coffee (PEET) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Invesco Mortgage (IVR) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• BTU International (BTUI) to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Coca-Cola Femsa (KOF) to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Chipotle (CMG) to market perform from underperform at Morgan Keegan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AKAM, CIEN, CMG, CRM, FDO, GOOG, JNPR, MCC, TXN, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: AKAM, CIEN, CMG, CRM, FDO, GOOG, JNPR, MCC, TXN, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Google Gets into the Commodities Biz?

Google Gets into the Commodities Biz? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When it comes to picking trends, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) has nailed the latest market to experience explosive growth. It is the fast-growing tablet market, as reported in Reuters.

Morgan's analyst, Mark Moskowitz, has upped his forecasts for tablet sales in 2011 and 2012. For 2011 he raised his numbers from $24.9 to $26.1 billion. For 2012 his numbers are increased from $34.1 billion to $35.2 billion. Unit sales were upped by over 1 million to 48.1 in 2011 and 79.6 in 2012.

Continue reading JPMorgan Chase Ups Forecasts for Tablet Sales

JPMorgan Chase Ups Forecasts for Tablet Sales originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google (GOOG), which competes with Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), Aol (AOL) and Facebook in the search advertising market, has been working to increase its penetration in social networking. It started with Google's foray into social applications like Google Wave and Buzz, which did not meet initial expectations. Google then made a number of acquisitions for the development of its major upcoming social networking project named Google Me.

Continue reading Google's Efforts in Social Search Could Enhance Market Share

Google's Efforts in Social Search Could Enhance Market Share originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The U.S. online display advertising market saw a revival in 2010, with an estimated growth of 17% over 2009. Continued growth means greater competition amongst players like Yahoo! (YHOO), Facebook, Google (GOOG), Aol (AOL) and New York Times (NYT).

We currently maintain a $17.88 price estimate for Yahoo, in line with market price. Display advertising accounts for roughly 18% of Yahoo's stock value by our estimates.

Continue reading Gotta 'Like' Yahoo's Traffic and Stock Upside from Incorporation of Facebook Tools

Gotta 'Like' Yahoo's Traffic and Stock Upside from Incorporation of Facebook Tools originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Borders Group, one of the two main brick-and-mortar bookstore competitors to online-only retailer Amazon (AMZN), recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The development could present new opportunities for Amazon, which has already benefited from the growing digitization of literary content. Borders has indicated that it will close 200 stores, representing about 30% of its 642 stores in operation. The stores are expected to close by April 2011.

Continue reading Amazon, Apple and Google Benefit from Borders Bankruptcy

Amazon, Apple and Google Benefit from Borders Bankruptcy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Will Android Capture First Place?

Will Android Capture First Place? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This is probably one of the most interesting stories of the Internet revolution. Microsoft (MSFT) jumped out the starting gate with its Windows operating system and took the world by storm. Then for some unknown reason, Microsoft missed the entire search engine revolution and Google (GOOG) raced to first place. Now Microsoft has again missed the next leg -- the iPhone and iPad revolution, and Apple (AAPL) holds first place in this segment.

Nokia (NOK) was a pioneer in the smartphone revolution, but with Apple's drive to the top, Nokia lost its momentum. Once Nokia had 50% of the handset market. Now that share has fallen to just 29%. It's hard to believe but Microsoft has only 2% of the global phone software market.

Continue reading Microsoft and Nokia Join to Build a New Smartphone

Microsoft and Nokia Join to Build a New Smartphone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.