Tag Archives: Cisco Systems

What's Wrong With HP Today?

By Anders Bylund, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Hewlett-Packard just took a much-needed step toward a healthier business: Chairman Ray Lane and two other directors stepped down from the board of directors. Lane will remain a director but without the chairman’s leadership duties. Banking veteran G. Kennedy Thompson will leave the board entirely in May, alongside John Hammergren, who is also CEO of health care information company McKesson. Activist investor Ralph Whitworth serves as chairman until further notice. No replacements have been named for the two outright departures.

Investors have been calling for something like this to happen. Each of these three directors earned less than 60% approval ratings in HP‘s recent annual shareholder meeting, while every other director won more than 90% “yea” votes. This is the kind of “vote of no confidence” that drove Michael Eisner out of Walt Disney nearly 10 years ago. When you’re running for office unopposed, you really should expect far higher approval ratings. Lane and company are simply following the will of their shareholders.

Moreover, HP‘s board has long been seen as a liability. Corporate-ethics expert Nell Minow quipped that these people might as well carry a banner saying, “We have no idea what we’re doing.” That was two years and two CEOs ago — not to mention the whole Autonomy debacle. A wholesale housecleaning is very much in order.

And yet HP shares are down 1.6% on the news. It’s the third-worst performer on an already weak Dow Jones Industrial Average today. Financial giant American Express plunged 2.3% on weak payroll data, which will put direct pressure on the company’s top line. Cisco Systems fell 2.2% due to terrible earnings at rival F5 Networks; the entire networking sector is suffering today, and not even mighty Cisco is immune to sectorwide swings.

There are plenty of other losers on the Dow today, but only these two fared worse than HP.

Why, then, is HP plunging on what looks like good news for the long-term health of the company? Well, change is always scary. The action may have underscored HP‘s shaky situation to some investors. Maybe the changes didn’t go far enough; Lane is still on board, and his companions will stay around for another month.

The real reason is probably “all of the above.” That disgraceful shareholder vote set the stage for today’s action, but it still comes as a shock to the system.

Will CEO Meg Whitman pair up with interim chairman Whitworth and really shake HP up? I hope so. This is their chance to catch up with a rapidly changing market. The current strategy sure isn’t working.

The massive wave of mobile computing has done much to unseat the major players in the PC market, including venerable technology names like Hewlett-Packard. However, HP is rapidly shifting its strategy under Whitman’s leadership. Does this make HP one of the least-appreciated turnaround stories on the market, or is this a minor …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

"Let's Try This Cisco Thing Again," Says VirnetX

By Anders Bylund, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

A Texas jury found Cisco Systems not guilty of infringing on the patented security innovations of VirnetX last month. VirnetX shares have been falling ever since, and the stock price is less than half of what it was before that crucial Cisco verdict. Meanwhile, Cisco investors hardly noticed the event at all.

VHC data by YCharts.

The company isn’t appealing the Cisco decision to the next judicial level. Instead, VirnetX is asking for a whole new trial. The market response isn’t positive; VirnetX lost another 2% of its value this morning.

The action smacks of desperation. Here’s how CEO Kendall Larsen justifies this choice: “VirnetX fully believes in the jury system. We hope that with a new trial, a jury can decide the issues of infringement and damages based on the judge’s instructions and the merits of our claim.”

Well yes, a jury can indeed decide the issues based in case merits and the judge’s instructions. In fact, that’s what they just did. Larsen may not like the outcome, but he’s asking for a remedy that looks a lot like the alleged disease.

Didn’t Albert Einstein quip that insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”? I think that witticism applies to VirnetX today. I see no reason why another jury would reach a different verdict in this case.

The wider powers of the appeals bench might change the outcome, but VirnetX isn’t going there.

The motion will in no way affect VirnetX’s ongoing damage-collecting process against Apple, which was found to trample on some of the same patents seen in the Cisco case. It also won’t derail the company’s “licensing efforts to the 4G LTE mobile markets.”

Not that those licensing efforts have been keeping Larsen up all night or anything. His company may be doing research and certainly spends a lot of time in courtrooms, but the business outcome of this activity is negligible. Actual revenues are measured in the thousands, supplemented by court-ordered payments. If the lucrative courts are turning against VirnetX, the business is sure to collapse in short order.

This $877 million market cap floats on a sea of red ink, clinging to dreams of a 4G-powered paycheck that may never come. Gamblers can play around with poker chips like VirnetX, but serious investors should stay far away. My bearish CAPScall on the stock has served me well so far.

Once a high-flying tech darling, Cisco is now on the radar of value-oriented dividend lovers. Get the low down on the routing juggernaut in The Motley Fool’s premium report. Click here now to get started.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Apple's Done This Before. Can It Do It Again?

By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

There have been quite a few things that only Apple could have successfully pulled off. The ability to commandeer legally owned trademarks is on that list. Apple’s done it before — can it do it again?

The most prominent example of this was when Apple repurposed two of networking giant Cisco Systems‘ trademarks and made them its own. Both iPhone and iOS were once the property of Cisco. Apple famously unveiled the original iPhone in January 2007 without obtaining the rights to the “iPhone” trademark in advance, settling with the networker months later after the fact. However, Apple did ink a deal with the company over its use of IOS when it rebranded its mobile operating system platform in 2010.

The broader media has now taken to casually referring to the long-rumored Apple TV set as the “iTV,” even though iTV is also an existing recognized trademark that’s owned by British commercial television network ITV (uppercase “I”). In fact, when Apple first unveiled its first-generation set-top box for local streaming, it originally referred to the device as the iTV. Steve Jobs pointed out that this was just an internal code name, presumably due to some trademark issues.

Original Apple “iTV” unveiling. Source: Engadget.

A few months later, when Apple dropped the “Computer” from its name and unveiled the iPhone, it rebranded the device as Apple TV. In 2010, the company was rumored to be exploring a rebrand to iTV again, which caused a ruckus with the Brits. ITV Network said it has a very strong brand and has numerous registered trademarks, with exec Mike Large saying the network has “vigorously defended” its IP in the past.

There’s also the U.S.-based iTV Entertainment, which pre-emptively issued a press release roughly a year ago, warning Apple not to infringe on its trademark. iTV Entertainment noted that the ITV network appeared to have abandoned its U.S. trademark application in January 2012, and that ITV exec Paul Dale tweeted about being at Apple’s Europe headquarters.

iTV Entertainment hints that ITV Network may have inked a deal with Apple, saying the network “conspicuously” reversed its position and now denies it would take action against the Mac maker. iTV Entertainment is looking to finagle a license agreement.

Barring any official deals, Apple is unlikely to try to commandeer any trademarks these days. This is because Tim Cook is known to be a much more conservative leader that tends to play by the book, while Jobs was accustomed to simply willing things into existence. No other tech executive has been known to launch a breakthrough product that directly encroaches on legally owned trademarks, only to sort out the details later.

That’s just another way that Tim Cook differs from Steve Jobs. The only way that the rumored set is called the “iTV” will be if Cook scores the rights first.

Is Apple a buy? The Motley Fool’s senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Semtech Appoints Two New Directors

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Semtech Appoints Two New Directors

CAMARILLO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Semtech Corporation (NAS: SMTC) , a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, today announced the appointment of Sylvia Summers and Dr. Carmelo Santoro to its Board of Directors.

Ms. Summers has extensive experience in engineering, business development and leadership, including serving as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Trident Microsystems from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that experience, she held senior positions at Spansion LTD, Cisco Systems, Inc. and Storagetek. Ms. Summers currently serves on the Board of Directors for Headwaters, Inc., a public company providing product, technology and services to the heavy construction materials, light building products, and energy industries. She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Ecole Polytechnique Feminine in Paris, France, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from Thomson CSF, France.

Dr. Santoro is a business consultant with Santoro Technology Associates, which provides general management, strategic planning, marketing and operations services for the computer hardware and software, semiconductor, disk drive, networking, technology services, biotechnology and financial services industries. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Attensity, Inc., a leading provider of social analytics and engagement solutions. His prior experience includes executive positions with Platinum Software Corporation and Silicon Systems. Dr. Santoro currently serves on the boards of several privately-held companies. He earned his Ph.D. in Solid State Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. in Physics from Manhattan College.

“Our two newest board members together have more than 50 years of distinguished experience in the high-technology industry,” said Rockell Hankin, Semtech’s Chairman of the Board. “We are looking forward to leveraging their insights and expertise to help guide Semtech’s strategic direction.”

The appointment of Ms. Summers and Dr. Santoro brings Semtech’s total board membership to 10, including Semtech’s President and Chief Executive Officer Mohan Maheswaran. Stockholders of record will have the opportunity to re-elect all Company directors at the upcoming annual meeting to be held on June 20, 2013.


About Semtech

Semtech Corporation is a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors for high-end consumer, computing, communications and industrial equipment. Products are designed to benefit the engineering community as well as the global community. The company is dedicated to reducing the impact it, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

The First Quarter's 10 Best Bank Stocks

By John Maxfield, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

With the first quarter of 2013 officially over, it’s time to take a look back at the best performing bank stocks over the three-month time period.

As you can see in the table below, the list was led by little known First Financial Holdings . First Financial primarily operates as the holding company for First Federal Bank, a regional lender with 66 branches located throughout North and South Carolina.

Over the past two years, the holding company has been shedding assets at a considerable clip. In May of 2011, it disposed of its insurance agency subsidiary, First Southeast Insurance Services. Four months later, it completed the sale of its managing general insurance subsidiary, Kimbrell Insurance Group. And one month after that, it sold roughly $200 million in loans to a private investment group. If its performance in the first quarter of this year is any indication, this simplification has struck a chord with investors, as its shares were up more than 60%.

Bank

First-Quarter Performance

Market Cap ($ millions)

First Financial Holdings

60.74%

346

Virginia Commerce Bancorp

56.98%

456

Bank of the Ozarks

33.10%

1,568

Western Alliance Bancorp

31.43%

1,203

Bank Mutual Corp.

29.21%

257

Glacier Bancorp

29.03%

1,366

BofI Holding

29.02%

460

SVB Financial Group

26.75%

3,182

The Bancorp

26.25%

518

SCBT Financial

25.97%

857

Source: Finviz.com. Only banks with a market capitalization over $200 million were included in the analysis.

Another notable mention here is Bank of the Internet , a “nationwide branchless bank” that provides deposit and loan services to its customers principally over the Internet. As its website proclaims, “Because we do not incur the significantly higher fixed operating costs inherent in a branch-based distribution system, we are able to provide a better value to our customers. This means our interest rates on deposit products are generally among the highest available and our loan products feature low rates and fees.”

Using this model, BOFI has been able to nearly triple its asset base over the last five years. And it’s seemingly been able to do so without compromising on the quality of service. Two weeks ago, for example, it was named the 2012 top service provider by Costco Mortgage Services, a division of the membership retailing giant. According to Costco’s director of mortgage services: “We hold our service providers to the high standards that Costco members expect to receive from Costco services programs. We are pleased to award the honor of Top Service Provider to Bank of Internet for providing service above and beyond our already high standards.”

And finally, SVB Financial continues its impressive ascent, ending the quarter up by 27%. Short for Silicon Valley Bank, SVB counts among its clients some of the nation’s most innovative companies and, according to Forbes magazine, it “played an important role in the early days of companies including Cisco Systems, Electronic Arts, and Intuit.” Leveraging this model …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

These 3 Stocks Are Off to a Terrible Start in 2013

By Anders Bylund, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The markets are doing well in 2013, as the two most important indices set all-time records in March. But not every ticker was invited to the party.

Here’s a look at five of the year’s worst performers so far. I’ll tell you what went wrong, and where I think these stocks are going next.

Is it time to bail out of these plunging stocks?
Image source: pixabay.com.

Rare earth, common problems
Shares of rare-earth miner Molycorp fell 45% in the first quarter. The astronomic gains of 2009 and early 2010 are long forgotten, and shareholders have lost a stunning 93% of their investment in less than two years.

The company is losing money hand over fist and depends on loans and secondary stock offerings to keep its operations running. Plunging prices for Molycorp’s materials, paired with an ill-timed $1.3 billion acquisition, seem to have doomed the stock.

Molycorp may return to hypergrowth one day, assuming that the global market for rare earth-powered electronics rebounds. But it has to happen before the company runs out of increasingly desperate cash-raising options. The potential returns could be astronomical, but the risk of going to zero also looms large.

These dynamics make Molycorp more of a lottery ticket than an investment. Proceed with caution, dear Fool.

Pigs can fly in Cincinnati
Regional telecom Cincinnati Bell took a 40.5% steel bath in the first three months, driven by poor earnings and a lack of telecom-like dividend checks.

Unlike many sector peers, Cincinnati Bell doesn’t pay a regular dividend. The company has dropped hints that a dividend policy may be in the cards, but investors have yet to see a solid announcement. That’s a huge drag on stocks in this income-friendly industry.

But the company has a few potential tricks up its sleeves. CinBell owns 69% of data-center operator CyrusOne , which it spun out during the first quarter. The wireless division could be sold or spun out for a quick $300 million return. Finally, management is paying down much of its interest-bearing debt these days.

All things considered, fellow Fool Jim Royal sees a strong value in Cincinnati Bell. The risks are outweighed by the potential for a triple in Jim’s eyes, assuming that you can wait two years for all the simmering catalysts to kick in.

This stock may not bounce much in 2013, but long-term investors should be richly rewarded for their patience.

The patent mirage is fading fast
Wireless-security researcher VirnetX is another big loser in early 2013, its shares having fallen 35% in three months.

More to the point, VirnetX plunged 38% in two days when a Texas jury found networking titan Cisco Systems not guilty of infringing on the company’s patents.

That loss was a major reversal of VirnetX’s legal fortunes. The company has won or settled two major cases in the past two years, pocketing $200 million in the process and awaiting another check …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Cisco Lifts Dividend by More Than 20%

By Eric Volkman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Cisco is about to make its shareholders richer. The company will distribute $0.17 per share of its common stock on April 24 to shareholders of record as of April 8. That represents a 21% boost from the previous distribution, which was $0.14. This was paid in the preceding two quarters, most recently last December.

In the press release announcing the move, the company quoted its CFO, Frank Calderoni, as saying that its “continued execution and strong financial position enable us to provide a higher dividend directly to our shareholders.”

After many years of not rewarding those owners, the firm started to pay dividends in early 2011.

The new dividend annualizes to $0.68 per share. That yields 3.3% at Cisco’s current stock price of $20.90.

The article Cisco Lifts Dividend by More Than 20% originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Eric Volkman has no position in Cisco. 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.

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

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
mixpanel.init("9659875b92ba8fa639ba476aedbb73b9");

function addEvent(obj, evType, fn, useCapture){
if (obj.addEventListener){
obj.addEventListener(evType, fn, useCapture);
return true;
} else if (obj.attachEvent){
var r = obj.attachEvent("on"+evType, fn);
return r;
}
}

addEvent(window, "load", function(){new FoolVisualSciences();})
addEvent(window, "load", function(){new PickAd();})

var themeName = 'dailyfinance.com';
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-24928199-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

(function () {

var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type = 'text/javascript';
ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';

var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Brightcove Announces Speaker Lineup for PLAY 2013 Global Customer Conference

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Brightcove Announces Speaker Lineup for PLAY 2013 Global Customer Conference

Exciting lineup features speakers from Cisco Systems, Condé Nast Entertainment, Content Marketing Institute, Gannett Digital, IBM, Joyce Meyer Ministries, MRM Worldwide, Oracle, Rogers Digital Media, Showtime and Tribune Company

30+ breakout sessions across three tracks focused on online video best practices and hands-on training

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Brightcove (NAS: BCOV) , a leading global provider of cloud content services, today announced the first wave of industry influencers and digital media innovators who will participate in Brightcove PLAY 2013, the company’s third annual global customer conference, which is set for May 13 – 15 at the InterContinental Boston hotel. The agenda for the action-packed three day event features speakers from Brightcove customers and partners, including representatives from Cisco Systems, Condé Nast Entertainment, Content Marketing Institute, Gannett Digital, IBM, Joyce Meyer Ministries, MRM Worldwide, Oracle, Rogers Digital Media, Showtime, Tribune Company, and more.

“We have assembled a powerful lineup of customers, partners, and industry thought leaders to share their best practices and expertise with PLAY attendees,” said David Mendels, president, chief operating officer and chief executive officer-designate at Brightcove. “The most rewarding aspect of the event is the knowledge sharing that takes place across digital media and digital marketing experts across a variety of organizations and use cases. This is crucial in driving our industry forward and in helping to shape the future of innovation at Brightcove.”

The company also announced an exciting lineup of breakout sessions across three tracks — Strategy, User and Training — designed to fit the needs of attendees of all levels and backgrounds. Strategy sessions will dig into the themes and challenges facing digital media and digital marketing executives today, while User sessions will share best practices for day-to-day users of Brightcove solutions. The Training track provides a “how to” deep dive on topics ranging from live streaming and using Brightcove’s APIs, to mobile apps, encoding in the cloud and Facebook video.

PLAY 2013 sessions include:

Wake Up! Your Head Is in the Clouds!

By Tim Beyers, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

U.S. homes are overrun with smart devices — six per household and more than a half billion overall. In the past three months alone, we’ve seen the “installed base” of smartphone users grow by 9 million and tablet users by 18 million, according to research firm NPD.

This is the sort of breathtaking growth Cisco Systems talks about when it issues predictions about the geometric rise in mobile data. What does it mean for investors? For one thing, the “connected home” isn’t a future idea — it’s here now, and it’s changing habits as a result.

In the following video, Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova assesses the shift and offers some ideas for how to profit. Please watch, and then leave a comment in the box below. How many devices are in your home? How often are you on a tablet or smartphone? Let us know what you think.

The mobile revolution is still in its infancy, but with so many different companies, it can be daunting to know how to profit in the space. Fortunately, The Motley Fool has released a free report on mobile named “The Next Trillion-Dollar Revolution” that tells you how. The report describes why this seismic shift will dwarf any other technology revolution seen before it and also names the company at the forefront of the trend. You can access this report today by clicking here — it’s free.

The article Wake Up! Your Head Is in the Clouds! 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 Apple, Cisco Systems, and Netgear 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.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
mixpanel.init("9659875b92ba8fa639ba476aedbb73b9");

function addEvent(obj, evType, fn, useCapture){
if (obj.addEventListener){
…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Cisco to Acquire Cloud Services Provider SolveDirect

By Tim Brugger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Cisco has agreed to acquire privately held SolveDirect, an Austrian-based cloud software and services provider, according to a recent blog post from Hilton Romanski, vice president and head of corporate business development.

SolveDirect’s cloud solutions automate the sharing of information and processes for multiple service providers, enhancing efficiencies and reducing the need for manual practices, as per Cisco’s blog post. The acquisition will enable Cisco to “extend our portfolio of smart and connected IT services to our global ecosystem of customers, partners, and resellers,” according to Romanski.

Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, though the post states that Cisco intends to acquire a 100% ownership stake in SolveDirect. Mala Anand, Cisco senior vice president of Cisco Service Platform Group, will assume leadership responsibilities when the SolveDirect team is incorporated into Cisco.

The deal is subject to usual closing conditions and regulatory approval and is expected to close in Q4 of Cisco’s 2013 fiscal year.

The article Cisco to Acquire Cloud Services Provider SolveDirect originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Tim Brugger 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 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.

(function(c,a){window.mixpanel=a;var b,d,h,e;b=c.createElement(“script”);
b.type=”text/javascript”;b.async=!0;b.src=(“https:”===c.location.protocol?”https:”:”http:”)+
‘//cdn.mxpnl.com/libs/mixpanel-2.2.min.js’;d=c.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0];
d.parentNode.insertBefore(b,d);a._i=[];a.init=function(b,c,f){function d(a,b){
var c=b.split(“.”);2==c.length&&(a=a[c[0]],b=c[1]);a[b]=function(){a.push([b].concat(
Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0)))}}var g=a;”undefined”!==typeof f?g=a[f]=[]:
f=”mixpanel”;g.people=g.people||[];h=[‘disable’,’track’,’track_pageview’,’track_links’,
‘track_forms’,’register’,’register_once’,’unregister’,’identify’,’alias’,’name_tag’,
‘set_config’,’people.set’,’people.increment’];for(e=0;e<h.length;e++)d(g,h[e]);
a._i.push([b,c,f])};a.__SV=1.2;})(document,window.mixpanel||[]);
mixpanel.init("9659875b92ba8fa639ba476aedbb73b9");

function addEvent(obj, evType, fn, useCapture){
if (obj.addEventListener){
obj.addEventListener(evType, fn, useCapture);
return true;
} else if (obj.attachEvent){
var r = obj.attachEvent("on"+evType, fn);
return r;
}
}

addEvent(window, "load", function(){new FoolVisualSciences();})
addEvent(window, "load", function(){new PickAd();})

var themeName = 'dailyfinance.com';
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-24928199-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

(function () {

var ga = document.createElement('script');
ga.type = 'text/javascript';
ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';

var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();

Read | <a target=_blank href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/03/26/cisco-to-acquire-cloud-services-provider-solvedire/" rel="bookmark" …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Accenture Earnings: An Early Look

By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Earnings season is just about over, with almost all companies already having reported their quarterly results. But there are still a few companies left to report, and Accenture is about to release its quarterly earnings report. The key to making smart investment decisions with stocks releasing their quarter reports is to anticipate how they’ll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you’ll be less likely to make an uninformed, kneejerk reaction that turns out to be exactly the wrong response to the news

Accenture emerged from the Arthur Andersen scandal relatively unscathed and has remained a giant in the consulting industry. But given the massive rush toward high-margin consulting services in a number of key sectors, especially technology, Accenture faces more competition than ever before. Let’s take an early look at what’s been happening with Accenture over the past quarter and what we’re likely to see in its quarterly report on Thursday.

Stats on Accenture

Analyst EPS Estimate

$0.97

Change From Year-Ago EPS

0%

Revenue Estimate

$7.07 billion

Change From Year-Ago Revenue

4%

Earnings Beats in Past 4 Quarters

3

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

Will Accenture accentuate the positive this quarter?
Analysts have barely budged on their views on Accenture in recent months, keeping their estimates on the just-completed quarter stable while trimming $0.02 per share off their full-year fiscal 2013 calls. The stock has done reasonably well lately, though, rising about 10% since late December.

Accenture is a predominant firm in the global consultancy industry. Its strong reputation for highly driven employees and a competitive spirit have helped it survive and adapt to vastly changing economic conditions in the industry over the years. The company has also done a good job of sharing its returns with shareholders while still keeping employees motivated and working hard.

A big reason for Accenture’s success has been its ability to identify promising opportunities. Ever since India started emerging as a growing economic power, Accenture has turned to India to take advantage of its profit-making potential, with 70,000 employees in the emerging nation covering a wide variety of sectors. Moreover, the fast-growing energy industry has also benefited Accenture, as energy companies and investors turn to the consulting giant for data and expertise on all facets of the industry.

But recently, Accenture has had to deal with a huge number of competitors realizing the value in providing high-margin, low-cost services. Especially in technology, IBM and Cisco Systems have worked hard to go beyond their relatively low-margin commodity-like hardware businesses to capture a bigger share of the IT consulting market, squeezing Accenture’s early-mover advantage in the space. Moreover, General Electric has aimed squarely at the energy industry, with its expertise in nuclear, solar, wind, and other forms of energy production and infrastructure becoming an increasingly important part …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

A Short-Lived Battle to Be the Largest Tech Company of All Time

By Alex Planes, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

On this day in economic and financial history…

Duel of the dot-com dominators
Cisco passed Microsoft as the world’s largest company on Mar. 25, 2000. The networking specialist edged out the operating-system giant with a market cap of $579.2 billion to Microsoft’s $578.2 billion. Microsoft, which had topped out at a market cap of more than $600 billion at the close of 1999, had been sliding through 2000 in advance of the dot-com bubble’s peak, reached two weeks before the two companies changed places. Microsoft had lost its market-leading position in just a year, and Cisco secured its place among the legendary large public companies — and legendary bubbles — of history.

An Indian Reuters recap of the position switch noted:

Quite possibly, Cisco Systems, the biggest maker of equipment that powers the Internet, will become for the Internet what Microsoft, the biggest software company, was for the personal computer.

Judging by Cisco’s market capitalization, investors seem to believe that Cisco could become the technology standard bearer for Internet hardware. Microsoft, which was founded in 1975 and went public 11 years later, took 24 years to become the company investors value the most, but occupied that spot for less than one year. Analysts have said Cisco, which was founded in 1984 and went public in 1986, will likely remain top dog for much longer and has a shot at becoming the first firm ever to be worth $1 trillion.

This isn’t quite true, as Cisco actually went public in 1990. This glaring flub of the facts also helps underscore the folly of predicting a $1 trillion valuation. At the time, Cisco’s P/E was more than 200, which was nearly triple Microsoft’s inflated 70 P/E. The decade that followed Cisco’s market-cap triumph was not kind to either company — but Microsoft, as you might expect, held up a bit better. From 2000 to 2010, Cisco’s P/E fell nearly 90%, while Microsoft’s fell almost 80%, and for the decade Cisco’s stock posted a miserable loss of nearly 70% to Microsoft’s near-40% haircut.

Once a highflying tech darling, Cisco is now on the radar of value-oriented dividend-lovers. Get the lowdown on the routing juggernaut in The Motley Fool’s premium report. Just click here now to get started.

The tragedy that shaped a labor movement
A fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City on Mar. 25, 1911, shortly before quitting time. Fire escape exit doors had been barred shut, and the only fire escape collapsed as the panicked workers attempted to flee. The flammable fabrics of the textile factory quickly made for an inferno on the eighth through 10th floors of the 10-story building. Fire trucks that raced to the scene found that their hoses lacked the water pressure to reach the burning upper floors. Within half an hour, nearly 150 workers — mostly young women, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

The 5 Best Companies in America: You Won't Know Most of Them

By The Motley Fool

Cummins - Bloomberg News/Tom Strickland

Filed under: , , ,

Tom Strickland, Bloomberg News via Getty Images

There are dozens of ways to evaluate and measure the success of a company — from customer service to employee satisfaction to profits, payouts, peer rankings, and more.

From an investor’s perspective, however, the measures that traditionally receive the most acclaim are rapid earnings growth and a rising stock price.

Too bad this approach to analysis is severely flawed.

Had you based your investing decisions on rapid earnings growth and rising share prices, there would have been no question that Countrywide fit the bill to a T. The nation’s largest mortgage lender certainly delighted its shareholders with huge profits from 2003 to 2006. Alas, the company drove itself into bankruptcy by mistreating its employees, homeowners, and mortgage investors — three key stakeholders in its core business.

On a more mundane level, anyone who’s ever had to deal with a surly checkout clerk can tell you that failing to look after employees and customers can result in lost future business for a retailer.

Of, For, and By the People

A lot of people are involved in a company’s success — or failure. As professor Ed Freeman of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia puts it, “Business is about how customers, suppliers, employees, financiers, communities, and managers interact and create value.” Several studies suggest that companies that focus on multiple stakeholders tend to achieve better financial performance over the long term.

So which companies have got the mix right? Which ones are able to benefit all stakeholders?

The Best Company in America Is … What?

For the past several months The Motley Fool has been compiling data and analyzing more than 1,700 public companies to discover the 25 best public companies in America, measured by their success in serving investors, customers, employees, and the world at large.

Some of the names will be familiar to you. Costco earns a spot, as does Aflac, Intel, Whole Foods, Coach, and Starbucks. But there are many you may not have heard of — and as an investor, that’s a shame.

Here are the five that rose to the top of the list. You can get more details on how we made the rankings, and link out to the entire top 25 list from the last slide in our gallery.

%Gallery-181441%

The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Cisco Systems, Cummins, and Teradata. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Cummins, General Electric Company, and Northrop Grumman. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Tech Stocks and Cyprus Sink Dow

By Jeremy Bowman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Stocks had their worst day in nearly a month today, as concerns about Cyprus crept up again, and investors reacted to a disappointing earnings report from tech bellwether Oracle . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 90 points, or 0.6%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both dropped nearly 1%.

Towards the end of the session, Standard & Poor’s cut its credit rating on Cyprus further into junk, from CCC+ to CCC, and S&P said further downgrades could be on their way. The Cypriot parliament delayed a vote to approve a new bailout package until tomorrow, and the European Central Bank threatened to deny funding and force it out of the eurozone if an agreement wasn’t reached by Monday. A collapse in Cyprus could trigger tighter credit markets in Europe and around the world.

Oracle shares, meanwhile, finished down 9.7%, as the tech giant reported a drop in revenue, and missed estimates. The software-maker is a major supplier of corporations and governments, and its slowdown in sales is seen as a harbinger for the global economy. Management blamed the sales miss on a new sales force, but Wall Street seemed to see the quarter as more than a hiccup. Revenue from its hardware division fell 16%.

Tech stocks also paced the Dow’s drop, as Cisco Systems fell 3.8% after FBR Capital lowered its rating on the networking leader from market perform to underperform. FBR also downgraded Cisco peer Juniper. Analyst Scott Thompson said that the two companies will face lower demand for routing and switching devices as the industry model becomes more service-based.

Hewlett-Packard shares also dipped 2.6%, despite the PC-maker’s decision to hike its quarterly dividend to $0.1452 a share. Several board members narrowly survived re-election, and there was some serious criticism of its leadership at its shareholder meeting yesterday. Some investors had attempted to remove Chairman Ray Lane, as well. HP shares were also feeling pressure from fellow tech veteran Oracle’s big miss.

It wasn’t all bad though. Despite the concerns about Cyprus, economic reports at home were favorable. Initial employment claims remained low at 336,000, better than expectations of 345,000, and existing home sales in February also inched higher. The Philadelphia Fed also showed a slight expansion of manufacturing activity in March in the Mid-Atlantic region, beating expectations, and turning around a sharp drop in February.

Finally, Nike shares were up 8.2% after hours, as profits at the apparel-maker jumped 55%, to $866 million, or $0.73 a share, in its quarterly report, besting expectations of $0.67 a share. Sales climbed 9%, to $6.19 billion, and were particularly strong in North America, which saw an 18% increase. China, however, remained weak, as sales there fell 9%.

Once a high-flying tech darling, Cisco is now on the radar of value-oriented dividend lovers. Get the lowdown on the routing juggernaut in The Motley Fool’s premium report. Click here now to get started.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Wall Street Finally Wakes Up to the Risk in Cyprus

By Travis Hoium, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

It has taken all week for Wall Street to care about what’s happening in Cyprus, but today stocks have plunged as traders try to decipher how the mess in Cyprus will play out. The European Central Bank has given Cyprus until Monday to raise $7.5 billion, which may come from bank deposits, pension funds, or other assets in the struggling country. If Cyprus defaults or leaves the eurozone, it wouldn’t be devastating in and of itself, but it could stoke fears that Spain or Italy would do the same.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen 0.53% near the end of trading, while the S&P 500 is down 0.71%, as investors realize what a big risk the tiny island nation really poses.

Cisco Systems is the biggest loser on the Dow, falling 4.1% after FBR Capital Marts analyst Scott Thompson downgraded the stock to underperform and slapped a price target of $17 on it. That’s a low price for a stock that trades at 9.9 times forward earnings, yields 2.6%, and has a boatload of cash.

Once a highflying tech darling, Cisco is now on the radar of value-oriented dividend lovers. Get the lowdown on the routing juggernaut in The Motley Fool’s premium report. Click here now to get started.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; FoolAnalyticsData.push({ eventType: “TickerReportPitch”, contentByline: “Travis Hoium”, contentId: “cms.26087”, contentTickers: “DJINDICES:^DJI, SNPINDEX:^GSPC, NYSE:BAC, NASDAQ:CSCO, NYSE:VZ”, contentTitle: “Wall Street Finally Wakes Up to the Risk in Cyprus“, hasVideo: “False”, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Why the Dow Was Down More than 100 Points Earlier Today

By John Maxfield, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Shares in the major indexes are broadly lower today on the back of a bevy of economic reports and a disappointing earnings release in the technology sector. With roughly an hour left in the trading session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is lower by 70 points, or 0.48%.

The economic reports released today — which fellow Fool Dan Dzombak discusses at length — paint a generally positive picture of the domestic economy’s direction. Among other things, new claims for unemployment insurance came in lower than expected last week, existing-home sales climbed to a three-year high in February, and home prices for the month of January increased by 6.5% on a year-over-year basis.

Despite the generally upbeat news, however, all but six of the Dow’s 30 components are trading in the red. The explanation for this seems to be twofold. First, the ongoing crisis in Europe continues to roil the markets. Over the weekend, the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus was bailed out by the EU and IMF. But to unlock the support, Cyprus must come up with 5.8 billion euros in new revenue, something that it has failed to do thus far. It now has only four more days to find a solution.

Suffice it to say, a Cyprus-induced fracture in the EU would cause panic throughout the financial markets. It would wreak particular havoc on the likes of JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup , both of which have significant global trading operations that would expose them to potentially massive losses. For its part, JPMorgan is down by 1.2% today, while Citigroup is 1.4% lower.

And second, technology shares are down following Oracle‘s earnings announcement last night. For the fiscal third quarter ended Feb. 28, the technology giant posted a 2% decline in new software sales and cloud-related subscription revenue. According to CNBC, this dramatically underperformed its previous estimates, which called for growth rates of 3% and 13%, respectively.

The impacts of this are being felt throughout the technology sector, which is down in aggregate by 1.3% in afternoon trading. “When you have a big company like that, it’s going to have a big impact on the sector,” an analyst at Wells Fargo told The Wall Street Journal. It’s largely for this reason, in turn, that the three worst-performing components on the Dow today are all tech stocks: Cisco Systems , IBM, and Hewlett-Packard.

With respect to Cisco, as my colleague Matt Thalman noted earlier, the two companies are close competitors in many of the same areas with similar products and services. Consequently, to echo Matt’s point, while “Oracle’s weak performance could mean that Cisco is gaining market share, but based on today’s stock performance … it’s safe to say investors feel that the market for these devices is weakening.”

Want to learn more about Cisco?
Once a highflying tech darling, Cisco is now on the radar of value-oriented dividend lovers. Get the low down …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Why Cisco's Sinking the Dow This Morning

By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The stock market is stuck in a waiting game as investors wait for a resolution to the Cypriot banking crisis. In the meantime, the U.S. economy appears to be continuing its slow but steady recovery, although pressures from China and elsewhere have started to show impacts on major U.S. companies and could pose a longer-term threat to the bull market. Weighing these countervailing factors, investors chose to be cautious, and as of 10:45 a.m. EDT, the Dow Jones Industrials had fallen 75 points, roughly in line with the broader market.

Cisco Systems led the Dow lower, falling 3.5% after getting downgraded by a Wall Street analyst. Last night’s bad news from Oracle is likely having collateral damage on Cisco, as Oracle reported a generally weak environment across its various tech segments, sending its shares down 9%. Although Oracle‘s key software segment isn’t something Cisco has a lot of exposure to, both companies are trying to broaden their product offerings to compete more directly with each other. In particular, a big decline in Oracle’s hardware systems may foretell problems ahead for Cisco’s own hardware division.

Outside the Dow, SUPERVALU has climbed almost 6% on news that it completed the sale of five of its retail grocery chains to private-equity firm Cerberus. In addition, Symphony Investors said its tender offer for SUPERVALU shares had attracted tenders for roughly 5.5% of the grocery company’s outstanding shares — far less than the 30% maximum under the offer. Moving forward, SUPERVALU will have to find a way to grow without some of its most reliable brands behind it, including Albertson’s and Jewel-Osco.

Finally, Isis Pharmaceuticals has risen 5.8% after it released data from its Phase 1 study of children with spinal muscular atrophy and the effect of its drug ISIS-SMN Rx in treating the disease. Reporting a favorable safety profile and signs of significant increases in muscle function, Isis is confident about the future development prospects for the drug, for which Isis hopes to start phase 2 and 3 programs for infants later this year and for older children in the first half of 2014.

Cisco has been attractively priced for value investors for quite a while now, but is Cisco a buy given the tough competitive environment among tech giants? Our premium research report on Cisco will help answer that question and many others about the networking specialist. Click here now to get started.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; FoolAnalyticsData.push({ …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Will Cisco Protect You If the Market Collapses?

By Doug Ehrman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The market sold off sharply on Monday morning in reaction to fears over the Cyprus bailout situation, but was able to significantly pare losses before the end of the trading session. While some experts believe the concerns are overdone, others point out that widespread financial problems often start with tiny fissures. The broad market has been in the midst of a strong uptrend lately, helped in part by blind, unwavering support from the Federal Reserve. The dip may simply be a case of the market taking a much-needed breather, but given the run-up, a reversal would not be a huge surprise. Against this backdrop, Cisco Systems may be the perfect stock to help insulate your portfolio from either possibility.

Global finance, or is it politics?
On Tuesday, the broad market slipped further as continuing concerns linger surrounding the potential bailout of the tiny nation of Cyprus. The country’s banks remained close until Thursday while the government considers whether it will buckle to the demands of lenders to raid depositors’ accounts to pay for defaulted debts. The threat has affected the entire European Union as it represents a dangerous precedent should such a move be approved.

While the news has caused some immediate-term consternation among investors, it should, in fact, prove to be of some ancillary benefit. Renewed fears over the debt situation in the eurozone mean that the U.S. dollar has strengthened and taken some pressure off the Fed. As Pimco CEO and Co-CIO Mohammed El-Erian recently explained: “The Fed is really engaged. The Fed cannot afford to see asset prices go down, and the economy is healing. But there will come a time when we have to make that transition from assisted growth to genuine growth and there’s a big question as to when and how we’re going to do that.”

The extended period of artificially low rates and runaway bond buying has led to an expansion of the Fed’s balance sheet by roughly $3 trillion. A strong dollar will help to keep inflation in check as U.S. imports, especially of energy commodities, will then account for a smaller percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP). The Fed has set up a situation where it must defend assets, and the only thing making that possible is low inflation.

Should the situation in Cyprus spread, however, the effects of such a contagion could put dramatic pressure on stocks. Recessionary pressures will be hard to keep in check as rates are already about as low as possible. At the current level of quantitative easing, the Fed is, to some extent, out of ammunition.

Why Cisco?
Over the past few quarters, there has been much debate over whether Cisco can still be properly be qualified as a growth stock. A central issue of this debate is the fact that the company has begun to pay an increasingly attractive dividend. The stock currently carries a dividend yield of 2.6%, despite the fact that the …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Why Caterpillar Sagged on a Flat Day for the Dow

By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

For the first time in a while, no one today was seriously talking about new record highs for the stock market. Even positive news on the housing front wasn’t enough to dispel worries about the ongoing banking crisis in Cyprus and the possible reaction of the Federal Reserve, which is meeting today and tomorrow to discuss interest-rate policy. After seeing significant gains give way to losses by noon, the Dow Jones Industrials ended up splitting the difference, rising just 4 points as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both dropped modestly.

For Caterpillar , though, the Dow’s bounce didn’t lift its shares too far, as it finished with a loss of almost 1.25%. The ongoing disparity between a strengthening recovery in the U.S. and troubling trends in international markets has caused problems for the construction-equipment maker, which has identified the Chinese market as a key element of its overall growth strategy. Without improvement not just in the U.S. economy but throughout the world, Caterpillar will have a tough time dispelling the concerns investors have about the company — especially since Caterpillar itself hasn’t hesitated to pipe up with warnings about the fragile state of the global economy.

Alcoa also fell almost 1%, with the aluminum company facing similar macroeconomic concerns. But news from Japan that buyers agreed to accept aluminum shipments during the second quarter of 2013 at premiums of nearly $250 per metric ton was seen as positive, having risen from the first-quarter premiums of $240 to $245. Still, the levels aren’t as high as record levels near $255 from 2012’s fourth quarter, and some analysts point to the probability that producers will have to accept lower premiums for some buyers that are still holding out.

Outside the Dow, Cliffs Natural Resources fell more than 6% to a new multiyear low, as Goldman Sachs added its own negative sentiment to the chorus of investors who have become extremely bearish on the steel industry and the suppliers that provide raw materials for steel production. With Cliffs facing not only falling iron ore prices but also higher costs at its mine properties, the company doesn’t have any obvious catalysts that would help its shares hit bottom.

Finally, Juniper Networks fell 5%. Again, Goldman was the catalyst, downgrading the stock and citing intense competition not just from industry leader Cisco Systems but from smaller players as well. With new technology coming out, Juniper has to demonstrate its ability to keep up if it wants to stay competitive in the space, especially given the unpredictable capital-spending patterns among its key telecom customers.

Caterpillar has done a great job of dominating its market, but even with its advantages, the company still has to address how to deal with a troublesome global economy. Read all about how Caterpillar plans to execute a winning strategy by reading The Motley Fool’s brand new report, which includes discussion of the company’s strengths and weaknesses. Just …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Linksys brand name survives as Belkins takes over from Cisco

Belkin completed its acquisition of Linksys on Friday and will keep the longtime home networking company’s brand, products and support channels.

Cisco Systems agreed to sell Linksys to privately held Belkin in January for an undisclosed price. The move continued a shift by Cisco away from consumer products and toward large architectures for enterprises and service providers.

Belkin will maintain both its own brand and the Linksys brand into the future, according to Mathieu Whelan, a Linksys marketing manager who now works for Belkin.

Belkin will try to retain Linksys employees from all divisions and in all regions, though some jobs will be eliminated, company officials said.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld