The yen (FXY -0.9%) legs down to a new multi-year low - the dollar now buying ¥103.24 - continuing a truly remarkable move since late last year. It's an instance where politicians told you they were going to devalue, every trader and strategist around told you they were shorting the yen, and sure enough the yen went down ... hard, and in as straight of a line as markets ever allow. Ah, if it were always that easy. Other ETFs: JYN, YCL, YCN. [View news story]
The Yen's tumble is truly remarkable but should come as no real surprise. Many reason's for this move include a monumental shift into equities. Investors are concerned about missing records set by the S&P and the pop in the Nikkei, etc. Equities are hot and money moves to the beat of the momentum.
Further, Greece has been upgraded and there's less risk in global financial markets. Europe continues to improve, records highs in the U.S., and now the Nikkei joining the jubilation - investors have to consider the opportunity cost of having their money sit in a broken trade i.e. long the yen.
Additionally, Yen shorts have been burned for so many years, the pent up demand to short the currency has finally come to fruition, and the momentum has certainly solidified since December '12.
Regardless of how much emphasis is put on the BoJ's (Bank of Japan) willingness to print and devalue and "Abenomics" being credited for the move, the fact is the global market drives currencies more than anything else. As long as equities ride higher and break higher, and financial institutions shore up their liquidity, there's no reason to stay conservative, in other words there's no reason to search for safe haven investments. Gold is certainly feeling the effects of this trend as well.
Why Microsoft's 7.5% Tablet Market Share Is Surprising [View article]
Common knowledge, but Haswell from Intel is definitely a step in the right direction. Whether this translates into quicker adoption of Windows Blue and Win8 tablets in general remains the question.
Apple, Microsoft, And The Case To Connect And Conquer [View article]
The argument the article presents gives a glimpse of the what Microsoft has to offer. Perhaps the cloud segment is an interesting catalyst, however I tend to focus more on the company equal to the sum of what the tea leaves show me.
Scenario one is where Ballmer finally exits the company. Stock reacts positively, a given. This may or may not happen anytime soon, but it's inevitable and I'm leaning on more pressure for the stock to perform particularly since ValuAct has taken a sizable position.
Scenario two is the continued adoption of W8 (Blue) coupled with WP8 and Intel (soon to) release Haswell chips that are battery friendly. Regardless of the laughably low market share, the fact is the slice of the pie is moving in the right direction.
Scenario three is the Xbox 720 becomes what MSFT has planned all along, the all-in-one living room media device. High end video games, check. Netflix, Hulu, and downloadable content, check. Casual cable box option for those who aren't into gaming and don't want to buy the top-of-the-line console, check. Xbox Live subs growing, check.
MSFT has rarely if ever been the leader of innovation, but long term they punish the competition with their enormous amount of resources. Nintendo Wii? Oh you have a cool new device? Incomes Kinect, and remind what were the sale numbers for the Wii U? Classic example of how MSFT operates.
Microsoft - Growing Strength In The Enterprise Is Where The Real Value Is [View article]
Lmao, I thought you'd chime in with the same worthless dribble even as MSFT climbs higher.
On a semi-serious note: Why all the hate? It's not like you're backing any of your claims with any empirical data or evidence. Let me guess, you were writing a paper in college when Word crashed and you've hate the company ever since with the passion of a thousand suns.
If You Think Microsoft Is Dying, You Need A Reality Check [View article]
Accumulating shares for an inevitable Ballmer departure may not be the best way to play the market, but I'm convinced his time at MSFT has a lot more yesterdays than tomorrows, meaning his time there is nearing an end. He's been there for well over a decade and the BoD cannot be pleased with the SP.
Even taking into consideration how under his tenure the balance sheet has continued to get better, the company is in tech, therefore needing excitement to spur the price higher. Ballmer is a joke in the tech world for his gaffs, blunders, and flat-out weird reactions with no charisma.
He may not be the sole reason MSFT has floundered, but I don't think anyone can dispute the likelihood that once an announcement of his departure, resignation, or retirement hits the airwaves, MSFT will pop north of 5% and another 5% if the new CEO is young-ish and within the circle of cool in the tech-verse (think Meyer YHOO).
Reviewers (I, II, III) of Microsoft's (MSFT) Surface Pro often like the device more in theory than in practice. While praising its display and performance, and admitting the value of a tablet that can morph into a fully-fledged Windows notebook, the Pro's battery life (when used as a tablet), thickness (ditto), and storage (when used as a notebook) lead to generally muted reviews. Walt Mossberg: "Like many products that try to be two things at once, the new Surface Windows 8 Pro does neither as well as those designed for one function." Paging Tim Cook... (Surface RT) [View news story]
MSFT really has a monkey on its back when it comes to pleasing consumers, and by consumers I mean the ones who aren't neck deep in fruit products. When they release a new product its usually followed by "Why can't it do this?" or "This is great but this isn't."
When the other hardware maker, particularly the one with fruit on the cover, release products that lack in something it's completely overlooked such as missing a full OS, missing ports, or static icons. But but but, the ecosystem Island_Dweller!!!
The drawbacks are emphasized while the positives are cast aside like some sort of tech-desensitization. MSFT is expected the release perfection or it's DOA.
If anything I fault MSFT for trying to do too much too soon. The Surface Pro has a single solitary flaw, battery life. That's it. Everything else is nitpicking,
Problem is he lacks charisma, which combined with some short-shortsightedness and missed opportunities means MSFT's stock gets no love from W street. However, the company is not weak, it's just unexciting.
Apple (AAPL) apparently goes after enterprise users, announcing the release of the 128GB version of the 4th generation iPad with Retina display (available Feb. 5 for $799). Whither the MacBook Pro? Shares +1% premarket. (PR) [View news story]
Smart tech consumers buy the lowest amount of space of any portable device and get the SD card to make up the difference at half the cost.
Apple (AAPL) apparently goes after enterprise users, announcing the release of the 128GB version of the 4th generation iPad with Retina display (available Feb. 5 for $799). Whither the MacBook Pro? Shares +1% premarket. (PR) [View news story]
Battery life is a huge selling point, and the Surface Pro is going to miss out on a lot of sales because of it, but the trade off is an enormous amount of utility.
For simply an increase in storage, which is cheap nowadays, AAPL sure thinks it can squeeze the consumer who's ignorant about what other tablets offer.
Apple (AAPL) apparently goes after enterprise users, announcing the release of the 128GB version of the 4th generation iPad with Retina display (available Feb. 5 for $799). Whither the MacBook Pro? Shares +1% premarket. (PR) [View news story]
Completely agree.
Where's the SD card slot giving consumers an economical choice? Oh but you could get adapters essentially blowing more money on what should be standard.
$799? How is this a smart choice for a device that relies on a closed ecosystem (large one and growing, yes) and the OS isn't even a full version. A cellular-enabled version of the higher-capacity iPad costs $929.
No wonder AAPL isn't coming out with a TV, they would ask the price of a slightly used mid 2000s Kia.
To the readers rolling their eyes at negative comments about this launch, clearly this move was defensive due to the Surface Pro launching soon.
Apple (AAPL): FQ1 EPS of $13.81 beats by $0.37. Revenue of $54.51B (+18% Y/Y) misses by $220M. 47.8M iPhones, 22.9M iPads, 4.1M Macs, 12.7M iPods. Expects FQ2 revenue of $41B-$43B, below $45.6B consensus. Shares -4.3% AH. (PR) [View news story]
The problem is AAPL is a stock under an electron microscope, probably the most closely watched stock out of all of them. When you have the world watching your every move, and results are mixed investors get cautious. So goes the "stock of a generation."
FWIW, I think AAPL will be up by the end of the month from where it lands tomorrow. There's one more thing, on the tip of my tongue...oh yea, AAPL SPLIT YOUR STOCK ALREADY.
Research In Motion: The Party Is Over... Sell Now [View article]
I don't see empirical data that would support a 90% move in 3 months. We don't even know the device's full specs yet, price range, presale numbers. All there's to go on is teasers, rumors, and speculation - how do you suppose the sudden jump in shares will be met when the device is fully launched?
My money's on NOK, but I still want RIMM to survive (read thrive) and find its place in the market.
If you're sitting on a nice gain sitting on a foundation of pre-launch news, the actual launch better be Apple-esque (I mean the sought after "Oh, one more thing") if it doesn't blow some people's minds, it's not going to be easy holding on to that 90%. If AAPL's launch of phones nowadays doesn't cause the stock to pop, what makes you think RIMM will be any different?
Advanced Micro Devices: Is Goldman Sachs Right? [View article]
It's quite simple, if you hate money listen to Goldman Sachs.
The yen (FXY -0.9%) legs down to a new multi-year low - the dollar now buying ¥103.24 - continuing a truly remarkable move since late last year. It's an instance where politicians told you they were going to devalue, every trader and strategist around told you they were shorting the yen, and sure enough the yen went down ... hard, and in as straight of a line as markets ever allow. Ah, if it were always that easy. Other ETFs: JYN, YCL, YCN. [View news story]
Further, Greece has been upgraded and there's less risk in global financial markets. Europe continues to improve, records highs in the U.S., and now the Nikkei joining the jubilation - investors have to consider the opportunity cost of having their money sit in a broken trade i.e. long the yen.
Additionally, Yen shorts have been burned for so many years, the pent up demand to short the currency has finally come to fruition, and the momentum has certainly solidified since December '12.
Regardless of how much emphasis is put on the BoJ's (Bank of Japan) willingness to print and devalue and "Abenomics" being credited for the move, the fact is the global market drives currencies more than anything else. As long as equities ride higher and break higher, and financial institutions shore up their liquidity, there's no reason to stay conservative, in other words there's no reason to search for safe haven investments. Gold is certainly feeling the effects of this trend as well.
Why Microsoft's 7.5% Tablet Market Share Is Surprising [View article]
Apple, Microsoft, And The Case To Connect And Conquer [View article]
Scenario one is where Ballmer finally exits the company. Stock reacts positively, a given. This may or may not happen anytime soon, but it's inevitable and I'm leaning on more pressure for the stock to perform particularly since ValuAct has taken a sizable position.
Scenario two is the continued adoption of W8 (Blue) coupled with WP8 and Intel (soon to) release Haswell chips that are battery friendly. Regardless of the laughably low market share, the fact is the slice of the pie is moving in the right direction.
Scenario three is the Xbox 720 becomes what MSFT has planned all along, the all-in-one living room media device. High end video games, check. Netflix, Hulu, and downloadable content, check. Casual cable box option for those who aren't into gaming and don't want to buy the top-of-the-line console, check. Xbox Live subs growing, check.
MSFT has rarely if ever been the leader of innovation, but long term they punish the competition with their enormous amount of resources. Nintendo Wii? Oh you have a cool new device? Incomes Kinect, and remind what were the sale numbers for the Wii U? Classic example of how MSFT operates.
Microsoft - Growing Strength In The Enterprise Is Where The Real Value Is [View article]
On a semi-serious note: Why all the hate? It's not like you're backing any of your claims with any empirical data or evidence. Let me guess, you were writing a paper in college when Word crashed and you've hate the company ever since with the passion of a thousand suns.
If You Think Microsoft Is Dying, You Need A Reality Check [View article]
Even taking into consideration how under his tenure the balance sheet has continued to get better, the company is in tech, therefore needing excitement to spur the price higher. Ballmer is a joke in the tech world for his gaffs, blunders, and flat-out weird reactions with no charisma.
He may not be the sole reason MSFT has floundered, but I don't think anyone can dispute the likelihood that once an announcement of his departure, resignation, or retirement hits the airwaves, MSFT will pop north of 5% and another 5% if the new CEO is young-ish and within the circle of cool in the tech-verse (think Meyer YHOO).
Reviewers (I, II, III) of Microsoft's (MSFT) Surface Pro often like the device more in theory than in practice. While praising its display and performance, and admitting the value of a tablet that can morph into a fully-fledged Windows notebook, the Pro's battery life (when used as a tablet), thickness (ditto), and storage (when used as a notebook) lead to generally muted reviews. Walt Mossberg: "Like many products that try to be two things at once, the new Surface Windows 8 Pro does neither as well as those designed for one function." Paging Tim Cook... (Surface RT) [View news story]
When the other hardware maker, particularly the one with fruit on the cover, release products that lack in something it's completely overlooked such as missing a full OS, missing ports, or static icons. But but but, the ecosystem Island_Dweller!!!
The drawbacks are emphasized while the positives are cast aside like some sort of tech-desensitization. MSFT is expected the release perfection or it's DOA.
If anything I fault MSFT for trying to do too much too soon. The Surface Pro has a single solitary flaw, battery life. That's it. Everything else is nitpicking,
What Is Wrong With Microsoft? [View article]
Apple (AAPL) apparently goes after enterprise users, announcing the release of the 128GB version of the 4th generation iPad with Retina display (available Feb. 5 for $799). Whither the MacBook Pro? Shares +1% premarket. (PR) [View news story]
Apple (AAPL) apparently goes after enterprise users, announcing the release of the 128GB version of the 4th generation iPad with Retina display (available Feb. 5 for $799). Whither the MacBook Pro? Shares +1% premarket. (PR) [View news story]
For simply an increase in storage, which is cheap nowadays, AAPL sure thinks it can squeeze the consumer who's ignorant about what other tablets offer.
Apple (AAPL) apparently goes after enterprise users, announcing the release of the 128GB version of the 4th generation iPad with Retina display (available Feb. 5 for $799). Whither the MacBook Pro? Shares +1% premarket. (PR) [View news story]
Where's the SD card slot giving consumers an economical choice? Oh but you could get adapters essentially blowing more money on what should be standard.
$799? How is this a smart choice for a device that relies on a closed ecosystem (large one and growing, yes) and the OS isn't even a full version. A cellular-enabled version of the higher-capacity iPad costs $929.
No wonder AAPL isn't coming out with a TV, they would ask the price of a slightly used mid 2000s Kia.
To the readers rolling their eyes at negative comments about this launch, clearly this move was defensive due to the Surface Pro launching soon.
Apple (AAPL): FQ1 EPS of $13.81 beats by $0.37. Revenue of $54.51B (+18% Y/Y) misses by $220M. 47.8M iPhones, 22.9M iPads, 4.1M Macs, 12.7M iPods. Expects FQ2 revenue of $41B-$43B, below $45.6B consensus. Shares -4.3% AH. (PR) [View news story]
Apple (AAPL): FQ1 EPS of $13.81 beats by $0.37. Revenue of $54.51B (+18% Y/Y) misses by $220M. 47.8M iPhones, 22.9M iPads, 4.1M Macs, 12.7M iPods. Expects FQ2 revenue of $41B-$43B, below $45.6B consensus. Shares -4.3% AH. (PR) [View news story]
Apple (AAPL): FQ1 EPS of $13.81 beats by $0.37. Revenue of $54.51B (+18% Y/Y) misses by $220M. 47.8M iPhones, 22.9M iPads, 4.1M Macs, 12.7M iPods. Expects FQ2 revenue of $41B-$43B, below $45.6B consensus. Shares -4.3% AH. (PR) [View news story]
FWIW, I think AAPL will be up by the end of the month from where it lands tomorrow. There's one more thing, on the tip of my tongue...oh yea, AAPL SPLIT YOUR STOCK ALREADY.
Research In Motion: The Party Is Over... Sell Now [View article]
My money's on NOK, but I still want RIMM to survive (read thrive) and find its place in the market.
If you're sitting on a nice gain sitting on a foundation of pre-launch news, the actual launch better be Apple-esque (I mean the sought after "Oh, one more thing") if it doesn't blow some people's minds, it's not going to be easy holding on to that 90%. If AAPL's launch of phones nowadays doesn't cause the stock to pop, what makes you think RIMM will be any different?