Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS)

All Comments on ERTS

  • commenter
    mollytjm
    Aug 30 12:48 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    it's hard to imagine the consumer who would want less in a product, as this author suggested. ok...some people with cars wish they had a horse instead, but not all that many.

    Jobs has not had a type of cancer that returns. it's completely curable and he is cancer free. the surgery bothered his digestive system and that made him skinny-er(..he's a pretty skinny guy anyway).

    Dell wishes they were Apple! and they're not alone!

    we all know manufacturing costs of products and the wholesale purchase of those products and the final cost to consumers usually drops as the number of sales increases.
    Apple is selling so many more iPhones than it's own estimates, that it could easily drop the price. and it's making profits hand over fist with it's macs, apps, itunes, etc...

    but let's not forget that Apple has the highest profit making retail space in the country.

    am i a fan of Apple. yes. for intelligent reasons not out of misguided fervor. they make the best OS, their products are innovative and easy to use and their tech support is superior to anyone else's.

    am i an Apple stock holder. yes. long term. and it's because Apple has a huge moat: no debt, enormous cash reserves, amazing talent (Jobs doesn't invent anything), a great reputation around the world (that Apple logo is becoming as well known as the golden arches but a lot more respected) and multiple streams of income.

    i'm not a day trader. i do buy when the stock dips. but this company has made a lot of $ for it's investors and that will continue even through a very messy climate, over time. and it will have that time..it's here for the long term.     Reply
  • commenter
    SmartyGuy
    Aug 30 12:07 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    Regarding a succession plan for Jobs, Tom Jackson wrote:

    "If you don't think that smart executives in Apple are planning for the long term - after Steve you aren't clear about the level of management. What bothers you and many is that Apple won't tell you in advance."

    This is the truth and this is what unnerves the naysayers. And while the perception of him not being able to lead the company in case of some health issue would affect the stock price, in the April issue of Fortune, Steve Jobs did say this:

    "When you hire really good people, you have to give them a piece of the business and let them run with it... The reason you're hiring them is because you're going to give them the reins. I want [them] as making good or better decisions than I would. So the way to do that is to have them know everything, not just in their part of the business but in every part of the business. So what we do every Monday is we review the whole business... All the stuff in development, we review. And we do it every single week."

    Does that sound like a company that can't mount a succession plan? I don't think so. Time to change perceptions.
    Reply
  • commenter
    Yousaidwhat
    Aug 30 11:59 AM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    Well, I would normally agree that the name calling from the posters above is really unnecessary. However, I have to admit that articles like this from such uninformed so called analysts are quite shocking. I found it hard not to get emotional myself. On the other hand, I'm convinced most these guys are just attention seekers and they know they're going to get blasted when they post the articles. So I think it's best to just ignore them. Reply
  • commenter
    mrlucky2day
    Aug 30 11:50 AM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    well i think one commenter "babushnik" summed it up pretty well but I would like to ad a sentence or so... What companies can you name that report consistently higher earnings, create the most innovative products in the consumer space on the planet, has a "cult like" following for many years, has a business model that every other company wants to follow..should i go on?

    Truth is apple gets little respect regarding stock price in my opinion...the stock should be over $200.00 but it is a favorite for hedge funds and other short sellers to play with...just because they can.

    The only reason it is a momentum stock is because of its fabulous earnings and inovations....thus the moves up have been fully justified, whereas, the moves down have been totally unjustified for the most part except that "traders" just want to take profits and short sellers want to put false stories out about jobs or the companies profits so they can profit...then they are "happy" to cover at the lower price and hold until the next earnings report.

    Regarding the market head winds you speak about....FACT IS...the economy is far better than is stated on the main stream media outlets, and all the negativity has been amplified by short sellers to scare the "investors" out of the market....i doubt there are many real investors in the market over the past 9 months.

    The public loves apple products and will continue to buy, especially the iphone which is now subsidized by the carriers...this hurts the carrier profit short term, but not apples and any loss of up front profit is made up in volume sales and features like the iphone and mobile me, and itunes etc.

    I dont know if you are an iphone or apple user but "make believe you were" and take your fake iphone purchase and log on to apple to activate it or download music to it and then you will see all the compelling "add ons" that you just "must have" including the $100.00 plus per year mobile me so you can sync all your computers and contacts etc to use anywhere, download the average 100 songs @ .99 each, then in a few months when you are thinking about getting a new computer, you will consider apple running the intel chip so you dont have to give up your windows enviorment....yes its a bit more expensive but by now you realize how happy you are with your iphone and mobile me and itunes experience and say....i got to have a computer that operates as good as theses devices

    WAIT THERES MORE...
    Lets not forget the enterprise market....apple did not make the iphone compatiable with the enterprise market for nothing....once the iphone is intergrated into corporate networks....bye bye RIMM and say hello to more apple computer sales for the reasons already stated above.

    Thats my story about AAPL and as a windows convert and long time apple investor and trader i can tell you that as the above mentioned things happen....i can confidently say that apple has not peaked by a long shot.


     Reply
  • commenter
    pendolino
    Aug 30 08:49 AM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    i love apple the company and aapl the stock because i love apple's products. in fact i sometimes rue the fact that they still dont control many other consumer products but that's probably for the better because they know where their strengths lie.

    and that last point brings me into another sometimes unnoticed fact in that apple know what NOT TO DO. they know when to ignore the many times raucous calls of their fans to build every conceivable product and have waited until good and ready. this is likely due to their failures with some widely touted product introductions in the first steve jobs kingdom and the stasis before his second coming.

    i also understand the importance of the market cap argument but feel that part of it can be countered if (sometimes a big if) they can continue to have amazing margins. who is the best example of this? Microsoft of course. they were at the top of the market cap tables on a global basis for years (decades?) and still are simply because they could maintain high monopolistic margins. the difference here lies in that apple does not seem to have as clear a monopoly going forward.

    finally, and as one of the posters commented above, their products truly change the tech lives of many people that make use of their products for their simplicity, robustness and beauty.

    steve jobs deserves to bask in the glow of what he has enabled and created. i wish him well with his health and hope he can take a break since i would guess much of it is due to his stress at apple.

    and a final word: insults instantly diminish the value of an argument since it means the writer does not think rationally and is prone to outbursts. its the difference between a clear and convincing statement and rubbish. please think before you speak.
     Reply
  • commenter
    bluemarlin14
    02
    Aug 29 05:56 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    @frdm45 "otherwise keep the elementary school insults to the schoolyard or other sites where such low class verbiage is acceptable"

    If I had said publicly that Apple sells an iphone for $199, the same as other phones, so there must not be a price premium associated with it. I would expect to be called an idiot. This is completely false and shows not even the most basic understanding of the sales model of the iphone.

    If my boss didn't call me an idiot I'd quit the company due to my new found lack of respect for him.     Reply
  • commenter
    nikster
    Aug 29 05:48 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    Others have already pointed out the weakness in some of these arguments. I think life expectancy for a 52 year old billionaire is pretty outstanding - I'm not worried.

    What I want to add is Apple's near-unlimited potential.

    In phones, it can take apart Nokia and others with ease because it has better software and better hardware design, with the latter being the single most important sales factor for mobile phones. U.S. analysts generally have no clue about this though because of the retarded - or, let's say, very different - nature of the U.S. mobile phone market.

    In international PC sales, Apple is several percentage points behind its US market share - in many countries, they're not even trying. Huge potential.

    Halo continues to have amazing effects, again growing from 5% means the potential is 95%. Its a fact that in a net-centric world Windows compatibility is unimportant for many people. In this sense Apple could out-Microsoft Microsoft by selling both hardware and software. 20% is realistic.

    The only worry I have is how Apple can manage to scale like this, and I think that's the big challenge ahead of them.     Reply
  • commenter
    KenC
    Aug 29 05:36 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    1) It's better to have room to grow, with 5% share, than to have no room to grow.

    2) What if the sky is falling? Honestly, mobile IS the next big thing. Also, recent projections DO NOT tie a significant amount of revenues to the App Store. Even if it were generating $1B in sales, Apple only gets 30%. No one is baking a large amount of sales in to the share price, due to the App Store. As for game developers, the fact that there are probably 10 million iPhones now, and probably 50 million iPhones by the end of next year, in the marketplace, with easy access to the App Store makes any other mobile game device dead in the water. Game developers, the TOP game developers are flocking to the iPhone, because of its installed base, and secure sales. No pirating of software. Your contention of another device is fantasy.

    3) Are you an investor or a trader? If you are an investor then Steve's health is not an issue, it's the product that matters and Apple's roadmap. Also, Steve is nearly at the 5-year benchmark for being "cured" of cancer.

    4) The price premium is a myth. iPods are not premium priced. Apple's margins have fluctuated from 27% to 35% over the last 5 years. They are not dropping margins on hardware to gain App Store sales. The App Store is breakeven, and brings down margins. Also, Apple's rivals have been targeting the iTunes store for ages, and have had zero success. That's Amazon, Walmart, Microsoft and others. What makes you think they will do any better in the future?

    5) The macroeconomic environment has been bad for a while now, and there has been no bump in Apple's sales or earnings. They've been hitting record after record.

    Every one of your 5 points has no factual basis, they are all conjecture. If you are going to do some analysis of Apple, you need to study the subject a little harder. You cursory glance is very superficial.     Reply
  • commenter
    Jax3
    Aug 29 04:30 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    Well, you probably got back what you expected from the Apple fans. Of course the comments are open to anyone, and we didn't see much substance coming back from other investors who don't believe in Apple.; I wonder what that means? Could it be that Apple has an emotional edge? Not a manufactured one but a real one that affects purchasing decisions and word of mouth. Could it be relevant that Apple was 10 points higher in customer satisfaction than the nearest competitors? Perhaps. Nothing lasts forever, and no one is making that argument, but a long run is what? Ask IBM, GE, Ford.

    On market cap: An old measure that is not an inhibitor but a simple score. If Apple was broken down to four markets- each as a separate company: Computers, Music delivery, Communication devices and Visual, and each had its own cap would that make it easier to visualize or imagine? Perhaps. If you don't think that smart executives in Apple are planning for the long term - after Steve you aren't clear about the level of management. What bothers you and many is that Apple won't tell you in advance.

    The key to Apple's success is the principle of lifetime customers- people who root for the company, its products and its success in a way that is unheard of. Can you think of many other firms who have such loyalty and trust? Is that a payoff for good publicity or hype? No, sorry, it is because of only one thing- they feel well served by the business and its products pure and simple.     Reply
  • commenter
    frammus
    Aug 29 04:05 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    Clearly this Mr. Verke guy is holding a short position on Apple.


    On Aug 29 09:49 AM fauxscot wrote:

    > Mr. Verke,
    >
    > I won't resort to calling names, but boy, I must admit to agreeing
    > with the prior posters... you seem to have drawn tenuous conclusions
    > from your dubious premises.
    >
    > Market cap? Sure, I'll buy the disconnect between Apple and some
    > other folks. This outfit is generating some serious cash, though.
    > Billions and billions of it. The company projects this to continue,
    > and regardless of its current overall market share, and/or the state
    > of the PC market at home, there is abundant room for growth in sales
    > from just capturing additional market share. The products are highly
    > desirable. They are day and night better than PC/Microsoft combos,
    > and the company has figured out how to service its customers so well
    > it occupies the TOP SLOT in customer satisfaction.
    >
    > Have you used one of these things? Good god, man! Eveything they
    > touch gets better. Hell, the even reinvented the concept of backup,
    > with their simple, obvious, and bulletproof Time Capsule/Time Machine
    > combo. They finally fixed one of the biggest headaches in all ConsumerCOmputerLand.....
    > the need for reliable and simple and transparent and fast and useable
    > (and wireless!) backup of data and program. Cheap. With decent
    > margins. Equivalent windows hardware has to be cobbled together
    > with the disparate products of companies that don't talk to each
    > other.
    >
    > The examples of greatness in this outfit are legion. I think you'd
    > be well served to consider how much of a game changer they are, then
    > revisit your arguments.
    >
    >     Reply
  • commenter
    reagan
    Aug 29 04:03 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    What a moronic blog. Reply
  • commenter
    offtheobt
    Aug 29 04:00 PM
    My Website
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    This clown is an investment advisor. He mentions the fantastic runup AAPL stock has had, but did not participate!
    All us Apple fanboys that are stockholders must really be a lot smarter than that! Based on his record, would you trust him with any of your money?     Reply
  • commenter
    man on the
    street
    Aug 29 03:26 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    im a small guy in the scheme of things, my broker had me in a mutual fund for 6 years in my ira. It went from 1000$ (my only investment ever) to 800$ I kept asking If I should buy an individual stock but he discouraged me. I read a few books, took the man on the street approach, fired my broker and moved my ira into a online discount brokerage account. I loved my apple computer at the time, I had already had a mac went to pc and back to another mac because it was simple. I got 49 shares with my 800 bucks about 5 years ago, I havent added a penny to this account, With the last split I now have 98 shares worth, (well you know) . I wonder how that old mutual fund has performed? Go to an apple store and see for yourself, see who is buying there products. You might even find something you like:) Reply
  • commenter
    frammus
    Aug 29 03:23 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    you are out of your mind. apple is transforming the entire computing ecosystem. mac's still only comprise a tiny percentage of the overall PC market. less than 10% by most accounts. look how quickly the came to dominate the smartphone industry and they are just starting. how about selling 60 million applications the FIRST month the Itunes app store came online and Apple gets 30% of the subscription/purchase price going straight to the bottom line. This is only the beginnings of what I believe is at least a 10 year growth cycle for them. The halo effects of IPhone/IPod are still paying dividends. One can only imagine what Apple has up its sleeve after acquiring a chip company (PAsemi). I do agree that Jobs is a possible single point of failure however but I think what he has started has a lot of legs and will play out over a long period of time with or without Jobs. Reply
  • commenter
    frammus
    Aug 29 03:23 PM
    Why Apple Stock Is Poised To Go Flat - At Best [view article]
    you are out of your mind. apple is transforming the entire computing ecosystem. mac's still only comprise a tiny percentage of the overall PC market. less than 10% by most accounts. look how quickly the came to dominate the smartphone industry and they are just starting. how about selling 60 million applications the FIRST month the Itunes app store came online and Apple gets 30% of the subscription/purchase price going straight to the bottom line. This is only the beginnings of what I believe is at least a 10 year growth cycle for them. The halo effects of IPhone/IPod are still paying dividends. One can only imagine what Apple has up its sleeve after acquiring a chip company (PAsemi). I do agree that Jobs is a possible single point of failure however but I think what he has started has a lot of legs and will play out over a long period of time with or without Jobs. Reply
Loading...
Symbols:
Authors:
Quick Links: