Tag Archives: Biggest Tech Stocks

3 Reasons Microsoft's Smart Watch Will Fail

By Rick Munarriz, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Is the world ready for a Microsoft smart watch? Sources tell The Wall Street Journal that the software giant is starting to stockpile supplies to enter the market

Wearable computing is clearly going to be a big market. Google‘s push for high-tech glasses is the real deal. This isn’t science fiction anymore. Samsung last month announced that it’s exploring a smart watch. Then we have Apple , which has long been rumored to be working on a smart watch.

Given Apple‘s anemic share price, the hunger for innovation could make an Apple smart watch hit the market sooner rather than later. The surprising success for Kickstarter-funded Pebble naturally has Google and Samsung thinking of ways to exploit their successful platforms through Bluetooth-enabled watches.

Microsoft is in for an uphill battle. In this video, Rick Munarriz explores the three reasons Microsoft’s smart watch is likely to be a dud if it ever does hit the market

Smart watches are just the latest scuffle in the battle between the tech giants. It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article 3 Reasons Microsoft’s Smart Watch Will Fail originally appeared on Fool.com.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/15/3-reasons-microsofts-smart-watch-will-fail/

1 Number Apple Stock Investors Should Know Ahead of Earnings

By Tim Beyers, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

If Apple stock rallies after the company reports earnings on April 23, it’ll be because of iPad sales. According to Fortune‘s survey of analyst projections, the median estimate is 18 million tablets sold, or about 56% more than last year’s fiscal Q2 total of 11.8 million. Recent history and industry reports suggest that the iPad Mini could account for the majority of those sales.

Smaller tablets are gaining ground as a whole. Five of the nine most popular tablets listed at Amazon.com were 7 or 8 inches. The Mini ranked ninth, while Samsung’s 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab ranked sixth. Various models of Amazon’s Kindle occupied the other spots.

For its part, Wall Street is expecting fiscal Q2 revenue to increase 8.9% to $42.68 billion, resulting in $10.13 of profit per share. The company beat earnings estimates in only two of its past four quarters, highlighted by a 10.1% miss in the June quarter, according to data supplied by Yahoo! Finance. Apple stock is down 32% over that period.

Will Apple stock rally following the report? Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova weighs in on this question in the following video. Please watch and then leave a comment to let us know whether you would buy, sell, or short Apple stock at current prices.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article 1 Number Apple Stock Investors Should Know Ahead of Earnings originally appeared on Fool.com.


Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the 
Motley Fool Rule Breakers
stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Apple at the time of publication. Check out Tim’s Web home and portfolio holdings, or connect with him on Google+Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Amazon.com and Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/video-placeholder-1-number-apple-stock-investors-s/

The 5 Most Valuable Brands in Tech

By Andrew Tonner, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

What are the most valuable brands in technology today? In this video, Andrew Tonner lists the top five in tech, as rated by Interbrand:

  1. Apple, worth an estimated $76.5 billion.
  2. IBM, at $75.5 billion.
  3. Google, at $69.7 billion.
  4. Microsoft, at $57.9 billion.
  5. Intel, at $40 billion.

Andrew explains why brand value is so important to these companies — specifically, how it helps each company distinguish itself and how it keeps customers hooked. Check out the video for more details.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article The 5 Most Valuable Brands in Tech originally appeared on Fool.com.


Andrew Tonner owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Google, and Intel and owns shares of Apple, Google, Intel, IBM, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/the-5-most-valuable-brands-in-tech/

2 Numbers eBay Stock Investors Should Know Ahead of Earnings

By Tim Beyers, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

If PayPal keeps winning, so, too, will eBay stock investors.

What can we expect from the payments platform when the auctioneer reports earnings on April 17? Outsized growth seems likely. Despite growing competition from Square, Google , and even Groupon , PayPal handled 700 million payments transactions and served 123 million active accounts in the fourth quarter. Investors should be looking for meaningful growth in both figures in the Q1 report.

For its part, Wall Street is expecting first-quarter revenue to grow 14.9% to $3.76 billion, resulting in $0.62 of profit per share. The company has marginally beaten earnings estimates in each of the past four quarters, according to data supplied by Yahoo! Finance. eBay stock is up more than 61% over that period.

Would a bigger beat help eBay stock rally further? Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova weighs in on this question in the video below. Please watch and then leave a comment to let us know what you whether you would buy, sell, or short eBay stock at current prices.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article 2 Numbers eBay Stock Investors Should Know Ahead of Earnings originally appeared on Fool.com.


Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the 
Motley Fool Rule Breakers
stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Google at the time of publication. Check out Tim’s Web home and portfolio holdings, or connect with him on Google+Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of eBay and Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/video-placeholder-2-numbers-ebay-stock-investors-s/

How Firefox Is Becoming the TiVo of Internet Browsing

By Tim Beyers, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Pity this era’s ad men and women. Each day brings new ways that techies are limiting our exposure to their pitches. Witness Firefox, the Mozilla Foundation browser that now automatically blocks “cookies” from third-party websites.

For the uninitiated, cookies are small blocks of code uploaded to a browser upon visiting a site. Some are quite helpful, like the cookies that recognize you returning to a site you love and log you in automatically as a result. Others are like trackers that hope to understand you so well that targeted ads get through.

According to trade magazine Computerworld, the latest edition of Firefox (version 22) would only block cookies unrelated to the website you’re viewing at the time. Code related to sites you’ve already visited, and approve of, would also be allowed. Mozilla plans to formally unveil the new browser in June. Expect more than the usual rhetoric in the interim.

Advertisers hate the idea. At least two industry trade groups — the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Association of National Advertisers — strongly oppose the new setting, arguing that users of the browser will see more (and more irrelevant) ads as a result, Computerworld reports. Perhaps that’s why AppleGoogle  , and Microsoft haven’t taken similar steps with their own browsers?

Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova isn’t so sure, arguing in the following video that the pattern is eerily similar to the reaction TV advertisers had when TiVo first introduced time shifting and the ability to fast-forward through commercials. The industry has since adjusted, and it will here, too, Tim says.

Do you believe Mozilla is making the right move in blocking some cookies? Please watch and then leave a comment to let us know what you think of the plan and how you consume (or avoid) Internet advertising.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article How Firefox Is Becoming the TiVo of Internet Browsing originally appeared on Fool.com.


Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the
 Motley Fool Rule Breakers stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Apple and Google at the time of publication. Check out Tim’s web home and portfolio holdings or connect with him on Google+Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/12/how-firefox-is-becoming-the-tivo-of-internet-brows/

The End of Subsidized Smartphones?

By Anders Bylund, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

T-Mobile USA is hell bent on merging with smaller rival MetroPCS . To hit the ground running, the carrier recently became a self-styled “Un-carrier” that doesn’t lock customers into long-term contracts. Even so, you can save serious money on your next Apple iPhone by going magenta.

Is this the start of an industry revolution, or just a small player stirring the pot? In this video, Fool contributor Anders Bylund takes a look at T-Mobile’s plans.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article The End of Subsidized Smartphones? originally appeared on Fool.com.


Fool contributor Anders Bylund holds no position in any company mentioned. Check out Anders’ bio and holdings or follow him on Twitter and Google+.


The Motley Fool recommends Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/12/the-end-of-subsidized-smartphones/

It Gets Worse, BlackBerry Investors

By Rick Munarriz, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

At least one BlackBerry worrywart is growing even more concerned.

The analysts at Detwiler Fenton are reporting that a wave of returns for BlackBerry’s Z10 smartphone is now exceeding actual sales at several key retailers.

Negative net sales is a phenomenon that Detwiler Fenton argues it has never seen before so soon after a major product launch.

To be fair, Detwiler Fenton has been seeing BlackBerry through blood-colored glasses for some time. It even finds a way to rain on BlackBerry’s parade when the news appears to be positive. When BlackBerry announced last month that a single customer order a million BlackBerry 10 devices — its biggest order in company history — Detwiler Fenton found a way to spin that as a negative.

After a little digging around, the analysts at Detwiler Fenton suggest that it was international distributor Brightstar placing the beefy order. Verizon is a company that relies on Brightstar when it doesn’t want to take on the risk behind an unproven product.

“Verizon doesn’t believe this well be a strong seller since it normally tries to allocate hot product on its own,” Detwiler Fenton analysts concluded last month.

Even bulls didn’t see the Z10 as a game changer out of the gate. The market knew that BlackBerry was going to have a hard time with the Z10, the first handset fueled by the company’s improved BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system. The BlackBerry brand has diminished in popularity as Google‘s Android and Apple‘s iOS account for the lion’s share of the phones out there.

However, it’s hard to believe that early adopters — likely the most devoted of BlackBerry loyalists — are turning on the device so quickly.

The complaints from those reportedly returning their Z10s range include a lack of app developer support, poor mapping, and an unintuitive interface.

Developer support was a well-known problem going in. Google and Apple didn’t attract hundreds of thousands of app developers until they achieved the critical mass that justified the effort to code for the Android and iOS platform. Microsoft has had to sweeten the pot for important app makers to port their applications for Windows Phone. Many important developers will rightfully wait on the sidelines until they see if BB10 is the real deal. Buyers should’ve known that.

Then we get to the interface knocks that fly in the face of the first wave of critical reviews that gushed about some of the new mobile platform’s bar-raising features.

There certainly appears to be some truth to the bumpy launch for BlackBerry’s make-or-break device, but investors will want to be careful about believing the extremely positive or negative accounts until we get real numbers.

When tech titans battle, it gets ugly
It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool’s

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/11/it-gets-worse-blackberry-investors/

Why Fortinet Shares Got Walloped

By Brian Pacampara, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Although we don’t believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes — just in case they’re material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of computer-network security specialist Fortinet plummeted 18% today after its preliminary quarterly results disappointed Wall Street.

So what: One slow quarter isn’t a huge deal, of course, but Fortinet’s 35-plus P/E forces analysts to come down extra-hard on the stock. In fact, management blamed the warning on waning U.S. service provider demand, EMEA/Latin America weakness, and inventory shortages, giving investors plenty of concerns over slowing growth going forward.

Now what: Management now expects first-quarter EPS of $0.10 on revenue of $134 million-$136 million, clearly below the consensus of $0.12 and $140.4 million, respectively. “We remain optimistic about Fortinet’s long-term opportunities as our products and innovation are strong and security demand drivers remain high,” CEO Ken Xie reassured investors. Given the stock‘s still-lofty forward P/E of 25, however, I’d wait for even more of a pullback before buying into that bullishness.

Interested in more info Fortinet? Add it to your watchlist.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Why Fortinet Shares Got Walloped originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Brian Pacampara has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/11/why-fortinet-shares-got-walloped/

Why Is Apple So Weak?

By Tim Beyers, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

First, a bit of old news. Apple apologized to Chinese consumers last week for failing to live up to expectations for warranty and repair service. CEO Tim Cook promised to do better in a letter reminiscent of an earlier mea culpa over Apple Maps.

Why bring this up now? Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova also insists that Cook’s apology — his second — reflects a broader trend at Apple, and one that should have investors concerned.

In the following interview with The Motley Fool’s Erin Miller, Tim says that Apple may be losing the swagger that was so visible during Steve Jobs‘ tenure as CEO, replaced by Cook’s easy, mollifying demeanor. Thus far, investors haven’t seen any benefits from the shift.

Has Apple become weak? Please watch this short video to get Tim’s full take, and then leave a comment to let us know whether you’d buy or sell Apple stock now, and why.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Why Is Apple So Weak? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the 
Motley Fool Rule Breakers
stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He and Erin Miller both owned shares of Apple at the time of publication. Check out Tim’s Web home and portfolio holdings, or connect with him on Google+Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Are Shareholders Losing the Battle for Clearwire?

By Michael Lewis, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

While the majority of news regarding the M&A world revolves around the Dell takeover, one long, drawn-out battle continues for wireless company Clearwire . Telecom giant Sprint Nextel is the majority shareholder of the beleaguered, spectrum-rich company, and the leading prospect for the acquisition. But with competing (and more appealing) offers from other suitors and a minority shareholder suit on the rise, it looks like this battle isn’t anywhere near over. What should investors expect for the future of Clearwire?

Update
Clearwire is in constant need of cash, and Sprint has been its sugar daddy. While absolutely necessary and responsible for keeping the company afloat (not to mention shareholders), the Sprint relationship has left a sour taste in some investors’ mouths.

The telecom giant has a standing offer of $2.97 per share for the 52% of the company it doesn’t already own. That comes in at a sharp discount to today’s market price of $3.26 — a number partially fueled by speculation that Clearwire is worth more than Sprint’s offer, and also from a $3.30-per-share bid from satellite-television juggernaut DISH Network . One caveat to the Sprint deal, which must be very appealing to the Clearwire board, is immediate access to $800 million in financing — money that would go straight to the company’s 4G LTE buildout. The new network would give the company some much-needed cash flow, but it would come at the cost of an unappealing acquisition price.

Luckily for retail investors, the leading minority shareholder has taken action to provide a viable alternative.

Crest the savior
Clearwire’s largest minority shareholder, Crest Financial, has offered the board $240 million in short-term financing to give the company its desired cash infusion while allowing it time to shop for a better deal than Sprint’s. Crest also opened a lawsuit against Clearwire, alleging that it left “minority stockholders with the unfair choice of acquiescing to Sprint’s inadequate merger offer or suffering significant dilution at the hands of Sprint.”

Even if Clearwire dismisses Crest’s offer, it will accomplish part of the intended goal by delaying Sprint’s takeover and giving other suitors, mainly DISH Network, an opportunity to sweeten the deal and push Sprint to the side.

Investors need to keep a close eye on the situation, as there is mounting evidence that the Sprint deal truly isn’t in the best interest of shareholders.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Are Shareholders Losing the Battle for Clearwire? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Michael Lewis and The Motley Fool have no position in any of the stocks

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Ask a Fool: Green Tech ETFs

By Andrew Tonner, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

In the following video, Motley Fool tech and telecom analyst Andrew Tonner takes a question from a Fool follower on Facebook, who asks, “What are your thoughts on green tech investing and any related ETF recommendations?”

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool‘s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Ask a Fool: Green Tech ETFs originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Why ADTRAN Shares Ran Higher

By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Although we don’t believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes — just in case they’re material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of ADTRAN have run higher today by as much as 15% after the company reported first-quarter earnings.

So what: Revenue in the first quarter was $143 million, topping the $139.8 million that the Street was expecting. That top-line beat translated into an even bigger bottom-line beat, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.17 easily besting the $0.08 per share that investors thought was in store.

Now what: CEO Tom Stanton said that the company’s domestic carrier business was getting stronger, and international sales helped the company put up a sequential revenue increase. ADTRAN also announced a $0.09 per share quarterly dividend. Jefferies analyst George Notter isn’t impressed though, keeping an “underperform” rating and citing intensifying competition that could lead to market share losses.

Interested in more info on ADTRAN? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Why ADTRAN Shares Ran Higher originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Did You Know That BlackBerry 10 Exists?

By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

It’s now been nearly three months since BlackBerry unveiled its new BlackBerry 10 platform — the same operating system that the entire company is riding on. The company has also boosted its marketing efforts in the hopes of regaining consumer mindshare and relevance, attempting to shed the perception that it’s stuck in the past.

A new survey conducted by MKM Partners analyst Michael Genovese doesn’t bode well for the smartphone maker. Genovese polled 1,500 domestic consumers regarding smartphone ownership and purchasing plans. An incredible 83% of respondents weren’t even aware that BlackBerry had launched BB10 in Canada and Europe in January. As a follow-up question, 68% of respondents said they weren’t even interested in or curious about the new platform.

BlackBerry isn’t the only one being ignored; Microsoft Windows Phone hardly fared better. Of respondents, 61% didn’t know that the software giant had released its new Windows Phone 8 platform, with 64% not really caring to learn more about it. That lack of interest will hurt Nokia more than anyone else, since the Finnish company is the predominant seller of Windows Phones.

Unsurprisingly, Apple and Samsung earned the highest ownership scores. Within the sample size, 51% of people own a smartphone, with another 37% planning on making the plunge within the next year. Of current smartphone owners, a third own iPhones and 28% own Samsung devices.

The data reinforces the continued duopoly in the U.S. smartphone market, which mirrors the Apple and Samsung hegemony throughout the rest of the world. That’s in part why the analyst has “sell” ratings on both BlackBerry and Nokia. BlackBerry shares fetch a $10 price target, while Nokia shares are worth about $3, according to Genovese.

Both companies are in the midst of attempted turnarounds, but they will only be possible if consumers actually know and care about their new platforms.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Did You Know That BlackBerry 10 Exists? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Apple Joins the Smartphone Price War

By Doug Ehrman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

While Apple is well-known for going its own way, it should not come as a surprise that the company has finally decided to release an iPhone with a much lower starting price, according to The Wall Street Journal. Not only will this move allow the company to finally compete in the emerging markets in a far more meaningful way, it will give the company the potential to attract a new base of customers at home.

In the following video, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses the development and some of the potential it represents for Cupertino.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Apple Joins the Smartphone Price War originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Doug Ehrman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

PayPal's Biggest Nightmare Is Coming True

By Steve Heller, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

It seems that once you’ve grown large enough to disrupt business as usual for MasterCard and Visa , you run the risk of getting muscled. MasterCard recently announced plans to raise prices on intermediated payment processors (read: digital wallets) that chose to withhold valuable transaction details from MasterCard. In other words, this measure takes direct aim at eBay‘s PayPal and other digital wallets such as Google Wallet that do not share transaction details with the payment processor.

Priceless data
The more transactional data a company can get its hands on, the more insight it has on consumer behavior. In an age where marketers are working to better connect the advertising world with the world of commerce, transactional data becomes the equivalent of marketing gold. Considering that PayPal conducted nearly $145 billion in transactions last year, it’s not surprising to learn that MasterCard’s fee could impact eBay’s bottom line in the neighborhood of $0.03-$0.04 per share for the year. Should Visa follow suit, eBay investors can expect its earnings to be affected by another $0.07-$0.08 for the year.

Although a potential 4% impact on next year’s earnings doesn’t sound too detrimental to eBay’s bottom line, MasterCard and Visa together command nearly 90% of the global payment market. In other words, this duopolistic regime commands a serious amount of pricing power, which they could use to bully companies like PayPal that happen to be growing transaction volume hand over fist.

Just a matter of time
At this time, Visa has no official plans to implement the same fee hike that MasterCard will be implementing this June, but this official statement came after the CEO of Visa called such a fee hike “appropriate.” Should MasterCard’s fee increase make it past regulators without any hiccups, it’s likely just a matter of time until Visa follows suit.

The future may be costly
By 2015, eBay is expecting to enable $300 billion of global commerce, a 71% increase from its 2012 levels. For investors, this increase in activity should translate into a 50% increase in revenue, of which about half should come from PayPal. As PayPal continues its forward march, investors should expect that MasterCard and Visa will continue upping the price, unless PayPal decides to share more information with the payment cartel. Either way, it should be considered the price of doing business.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article PayPal’s Biggest Nightmare Is Coming True originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Steve Heller owns shares of Google and eBay. The Motley Fool recommends eBay, …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Google Is Smarter Than You May Think

By Rick Munarriz, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

It’s official: Google‘s going to roll out its high-speed Internet and television service in Austin, Texas. After days of swirling rumors, the search giant confirmed Austin as its second expansion market on Tuesday.

Google Fiber is already giving residents of Kansas City (both Kansas and Missouri) Internet access at speeds that are 100 times faster than traditional broadband for just $70 a month. Gigabit Internet paired up with a high-def TV for just $120 is a steal — and that’s the point.

Google doesn’t want to compete against Comcast and smaller cable and satellite television providers. Big G just wants to keep them honest. In this video, Rick Munarriz details why Google is doing the right thing by taking on Comcast and other service providers, even if a model that’s high in initial capital outlays and low in subsequent profit margins is foreign to Google’s flagship other online pursuits. 

Google needs to keep the Internet fast and affordable, and Rick says it may as well lead by example.

The battle of titans isn’t just taking place when it comes to access. It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Google Is Smarter Than You May Think originally appeared on Fool.com.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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It's Still Too Early to Call BlackBerry a Winner

By Steve Heller, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Coming off an earnings release, shares of BlackBerry seem to be showing signs of life. The company reported a 10% boost in its gross profit margin by selling 6 million BlackBerry devices, which 1 million were of the BlackBerry 10 variety. However, aggregate subscriber growth still remains an issue for the company. In this video, Motley Fool contributor Steve Heller discusses the report and what he’d like to see before calling shares a long-term buy.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool‘s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article It’s Still Too Early to Call BlackBerry a Winner originally appeared on Fool.com.


Erin Miller has no position in any stocks mentioned. Fool contributor Steve Heller has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Why VirnetX Shares Jumped

By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Although we don’t believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes — just in case they’re material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of VirnetX have jumped today by as much as 12% after the company announced that it has identified an additional developing specification related to its 3GPP LTE, SAE project.

So what: The company has submitted updates to its licensing declaration to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute as well as the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions to include the new specification. That brings its tally up to 18 specifications or developing specifications in its 3GPP LTE, SAE project where it hopes its patents and patent applications are or may become essential.

Now what: VirnetX will extend non-exclusive licenses to any company interested in implementing its IP, assuming its specifications are adopted as final standards. CEO Kendall Larsen said that the company believes its IP will be essential to the next generation of wireless networks. Shares got crushed last month after VirnetX lost a patent infringement suit to networking giant Cisco Systems, so today’s bounce shows that investors are optimistic that VirnetX can recover.

Interested in more info on VirnetX? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Why VirnetX Shares Jumped originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Cisco Systems. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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The 2 Most Important Drivers of Tech Growth Today

By Andrew Tonner, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

In this video, Andrew Tonner reviews the drivers of consumer electronics: smartphones and tablets. In this market, Apple and Google are the major players, with entrenched businesses and markets. The PC is projected to decline and to probably drag on Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and even Microsoft. Wireless connected devices are the wave of the future, Andrew says, and Apple and Google are most likely to benefit.

Check out the video for more details.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article The 2 Most Important Drivers of Tech Growth Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Andrew Tonner owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google and owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Will Samsung's Next Big Thing Be Mega?

By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Always one to give just about anything a shot, smartphone heavyweight Samsung may be preparing to go even bigger with its “next big thing.” The South Korean conglomerate was rumored to be launching a smartphone with a 5.8-inch display, calling it a “Fonblet” instead of the phablet term that’s become unavoidable these days.

A recent round of rumors out of SamMobile now suggests that Samsung has realized how terrible a name “Fonblet” is, and instead has decided to rebrand its upcoming jumbo models under the Galaxy Mega moniker. The pair of Google Android devices will carry 5.8-inch and 6.3-inch displays and will be called Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3, respectively.

Samsung’s current flagship phablet is the Galaxy Note 2, which sports a 5.5-inch display, showing that Samsung is intent to continue experimenting with every imaginable form factor and everything in between. That’s the exact opposite strategy that primary rival Apple has employed, as the iPhone maker has historically released only one new model per year and has changed the display size a total of once in its lifetime.

In a recent Bloomberg Businessweek profile describing Samsung’s ascent to the top of the smartphone market, analyst Benedict Evans is quoted as saying: “Samsung makes every kind of handset in every market in every size at every price. They’re not stopping to think. They’re just making more phones.” On the other hand, Apple says it thinks long and hard at any changes to the iPhone.

Still, evidence is mounting that the phablet rise is mostly a niche phenomenon. Flurry Analytics found that only 7% of all Android devices fall into the phablet category (5-inch to 6.9-inch), which would include both of these rumored Mega models. The mainstream market still highly prefers smartphones in the medium-size category (3.5-inch to 4.9-inch).

Don’t expect Galaxy Mega to dominate the mainstream anytime soon.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Will Samsung’s Next Big Thing Be Mega? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple and Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance