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Chris Lau

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  • Why Opening Up BBM Is The Right Move For BlackBerry [View article]
    The basis of whatsapp's valuation of $1bn was that it was a number that floated around on what a company would pay for all those users. Tumblr has unknown value until Yahoo decided it was worth 1500x sales.
    May 21 09:54 PM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Why Opening Up BBM Is The Right Move For BlackBerry [View article]
    WhatsApp also auto-searches your phone books and just adds them to your favorites. They are your friend contact even if you don't want them to be (though you can just delete them).

    Am assuming BBM's contact add will be GREATLY facilitated. PIN #'s and Q-Code. Still?
    May 21 09:53 PM | 2 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Why Opening Up BBM Is The Right Move For BlackBerry [View article]
    Skype may have that feature, but BusinessWeek showed how governments in the middle east (or it could have been China) were able to install a skype virus and then eaves drop on the chats of a skype user.

    So BBM's security might trump all of those features.
    May 21 09:51 PM | 2 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Why Opening Up BBM Is The Right Move For BlackBerry [View article]
    WhatsApp was released on Blackberry 10 just last week. Including that option was not made in the analysis, because it's too early to predict what the WhatsApp on BB10 usage will be like, especially now with BBM available on other platforms. BB users can still use BBM while everyone else can finally reach them via BBM.
    May 21 09:50 PM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Why Opening Up BBM Is The Right Move For BlackBerry [View article]
    Two sets of data were provided. One was iOS/Android users using WhatsApp but not switching. The second set was those same users who were once blackberry users, deciding they want to go back to Blackberry.

    The timing of BBM opening, and Q10, isn't accidental.
    May 21 09:48 PM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • Why Opening Up BBM Is The Right Move For BlackBerry [View article]
    Crude but effective. As effective as Yahoo buying tumblr and making the sharing of p0rn ad-free. As the investors said in that case, that plan ought to be profitable.
    May 21 09:42 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • More on Yahoo/Tumblr: Kara Swisher reports Tumblr founder/CEO David Karp "will stay at Yahoo for four years at least and retain much control over the service." There are concerns about how Yahoo will deal with Tumblr's mountains of adult content without alienating either users or advertisers; Peter Kafka argues they're overblown, since marketers decide which blogs to advertise on. Discussing comparisons between Tumblr and Yahoo's failed 1999 acquisition of Geocities, Tristan Louis notes Tumblr has seen top execs jump ship. But he adds Geocities faltered in part because a flood of ads drove users away; Tumblr seems to be avoiding that pitfall[View news story]
    Will Yahoo run it to the ground like it did with Flickr? If not, then things will be different this time.
    May 20 12:02 AM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • The Billion Dollar COPD Deal: Who Gains The Most? [View article]
    Good summary on the events taking place as the COPD drug reaches market. (THRX) shares have mostly priced in the upside for the full year, so look for shares to correct steadily over the next 3 months.

    Great for those who still hold shares. Note that mighty Seth Klarman owns a big position in THRX and entered a new position in Elan in Q1 (Jan/Mar 2013). The Elan long is probably a double-long on the deal.
    May 18 10:46 AM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • 3D Systems Is Still A Buy [View article]
    (SSYS) was not as thoroughly covered compared to (DDD). They just had a conference call on May 13. Will go through it, and may write a focus piece on it.

    Subscribe to get the update! (Trick - see "about" to be sure to get an email alert when the publication is accepted by SA).
    May 15 10:28 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • 3D Systems Is Still A Buy [View article]
    The bears are ignoring the power of positive sentiment and (DDD) raising even more shares to grow its business. They count on scrutiny over growth by acquisition as the reason for having such a high short-sale. The macro picture is too positive: the markets are frothing up every day, which makes short-selling a favourite, especially 3D printing, dangerous.
    May 15 10:26 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Blackberry (BBRY) is downgraded to Hold by Bernstein's Pierre Ferragu, who lowers his price target to $15 from $22. "We dislike the risk/reward of our BB10 trade," he writes. "With Blackberry Live behind us, we see few additional positive catalysts coming through in the next 6 months." Shares -2.3% premarket. [View news story]
    Translation: Our clients are short, so we'll downgrade it to give ourselves an edge.

    I just got BB10, and set up the Enterprise Server 10. It makes competitors look very obsolete, even though the competition is not Android/Apple (which owns nearly 90% of the market).

    Will write-up an in-depth article on this experience and post it shortly.
    May 15 11:03 AM | 7 Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • Seth Klarman's Worst Performing Stock Picks Year-To-Date [View article]
    Thanks for the post.. Note his great pick on (THRX)
    May 13 09:04 PM | 1 Like Like |Link to Comment
  • PDL BioPharma CEO Discuses Q1 2013 Results - Earnings Call Transcript [View article]
    PDLI is top on my research list for pharmas right now. Short n sweet - makes reading and getting the points across much easier.
    May 9 09:24 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • AMD (AMD +9.7%) just won't take a breather. Share are now up 42% on the week even though the chipmaker hasn't seen any major news and has been hit with a downgrade. Bernstein speculates enthusiasm about AMD's next-gen console design wins is responsible, but they've been well-known for some time. Is a major short-seller or two covering? Is an activist investor moving in? Regardless, shares are up 57% YTD in spite of a pretty ugly Q1 for PC sales. [View news story]
    Was bullish on (AMD) on Apr 22 (on an article publication) when it was $2.60 or so. Stock is probably trading ahead of all the news. Look for profit-taking if the news gets announced.
    May 3 03:23 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
  • 4 Reasons Cliffs Natural Resources Could Be Bottoming [View article]
    Knowing when it is a bottom is hindsight 20/20 - today's monster rally could have signalled a bottom. It could test a low again or keep moving up.

    The results are being reviewed right now - look out for a follow-up article by me in the future ("follow" me to get an email alert - instructions on email alert is posted on the profile page)
    Apr 25 09:53 PM | Likes Like |Link to Comment
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