Great article. Thanks for sharing. Also, I agree wholeheartedly with Rand Paul's comments to the Congress. It's interesting and really scary that so many liberals and progressives seem to think that the U.S. Congress can tax and spend this country into prosperity; and, that too many Americans are convinced that corporations are somehow part of the evil empire and that the burden for all our tax shortfalls should be shifted to those 'rich' corporations.
What I'm hearing is "Apple is doing great, Apple is not subject to just any type of analysis!" However, I agree with Trainer! The proof is in the pudding: $705--$385...and has now struggled back to $440. Unless they pull some new rabbits out of their hat very soon, will probably be well below $400 again. And, btw, where are the pundits that were predicting $1,000 just a few months back?
Interesting article and insights. Well written, James. Thank you. Your article will help me to better understand what is happening as I witness the precipitous fall of Apple.
Tim Cook: The (Negative) $250,000,000,000 Man [View article]
Thank you, Bill. We are most definitely on the same page! Too bad the optimists can't see through the fog of indifference and blunder after blunder. Unless there is a quick awakening over at headquarters, I think Cook may flush is all down the toilet!
@ Ashraf. Thank you! From a macro view, I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of Apple. They have had a great run and I think many investors believed them to be a great, innovative company with much more short--mid term upside potential than their recent numbers and news indicate, but ...(fill in the blanks). However, I have always had a healthy skepticism of the long term viability of seemingly great companies who ride the back of the proverbial tiger (consumer market) with the latest and greatest gadget(s)! Give me a great, well managed company with steady increasing income stream(s) and a substantial moat, anytime...and that is not today's Apple.
DanoX, do you have anything of value to add? Do you know why nothing came of any tax holiday that may have been offered? Apple could surely invest their huge cash hoard abroad and add shareholder value, but I don't see many company's bringing their cash back to the U.S. only to be double taxed, plus all the other strings/problems that go along with cash in the U.S. If you want to move to China, that is your prerogative!
Long AAPL. Agreed that Apple's embarrassingly huge foreign cash hoard could be used for many and varied purposes to increase shareholder value tremendously. I don't think many would argue that point.
My first point is that the U.S. tax code for individuals and corporations in America is BROKEN....and there is not the political will in Washington to fix it, and a fix doesn't appear to be on the horizon.
Apple happens to be just one of the many corporations who have been forced, by our ineffective government, to keep their capital out of reach of the hands of our short-sighted and tax-greedy politicians; consequently, AAPL is just one of the many corporations that brings our corporate tax code inequity to the fore. So, it appears that Apple as well as others are certainly making a dissenting political statement to our politicians. Will they listen and take action? Probably not, but I think many corporations are willing to wait out Congress and hope some type of repatriation tax bill is passed. Meanwhile, the Apple's cash hoard does little or nothing for the Apple investor. . Apple has many negative technical factors and other troubling headwinds that have caused the stock price to suffer, Chief among them, I believe, is very weak leadership...and without the Steve Jobs' vision.
This is purely 'blue sky', and a "what if" but wouldn't it be a profitable game changer for phones and banking if Apple can innovate and leverage their proprietary iPhones and tablets into iBanking? Just a thought!
A Start-Up Dividend Portfolio For Beginners [View article]
Another great article, Regarded Solutions! I only wish I'd had similar quality and extent of advice when I began investing. This is fantastic advice for any beginning investor and they can't go wrong with it (based on past performance)...and even for us more mature investors. Early on in my life, somehow, maybe by a stroke of luck, I happened upon the idea of investing in some or all of the top Blue Chip stocks of the Dow and re-balancing each year, or as one sees fit and holding them for the long term. At the time not many brokers would sell only a share or two and issue certificates, but I found one broker who would and issue certificates for the same. Of course, single shares were a little more expensive considering the large commissions, but that was fine with me considering my long term plan. I bought 1 or 2 shares each of the stocks I chose, received certificates, then sent the certificates to the different companies that managed DRIP plans for those companies. I even gave some certificates to family members and started them on the road to long term DRIP investing. Then, I began to apply those principles of investing in the top Dow stocks as I understood them and re-balancing. Over time, I bought GE, MO (the original Philip Morris), JNJ, CLX (my choice), and others. Over the years, MO (Philip Morris) became the star performer, spinning off company after company...and just recently separated Kraft and Mendelez. Now, after all these years, I look at these initial DRIP investments and compare them in value to trading accounts I've had. Guess what? I'm sure you 'guessed' the answer. I've made a good amount of money with the DRIP plan stocks in dividends, dividend growth, compounding, and stock growth, but the trading (churning) account stocks have made very little, if any, money for me over time. This is the one principle that young investors should be aware of and follow...and never falter--invest in great, well managed companies who pay exceptional dividends, have had great dividend growth in the past over many years, invest for the long term, and don't allow the lure of quick gains and quick riches of today's hottest stocks lure you out of a proven wealth maker! Thanks again for your article!
2 To Buy, 1 To Sell - Consumer Goods Companies With Greater Than 4% Dividend Yield [View article]
Trust me, I'll use the information in this article ONLY for "informational" purposes. Serious dividend investors should dig a lot deeper for information than anything contained in this article. Good try, though.
Could An iOS Exclusive iRadio Win The Summer Smartphone War For Apple? [View article]
Good article. Long AAPL...and wish I wasn't. What is a "market current"? Could it possibly be newspeak gibberish for an unfounded rumor? At any rate, Apple desperately needs to introduce something new like an iBlueSky device to get some support under their stock price.
Thoughts On Tim Cook's Testimony [View article]
It's interesting and really scary that so many liberals and progressives seem to think that the U.S. Congress can tax and spend this country into prosperity; and, that too many Americans are convinced that corporations are somehow part of the evil empire and that the burden for all our tax shortfalls should be shifted to those 'rich' corporations.
The Truth Behind Apple's Numbers [View article]
And, btw, where are the pundits that were predicting $1,000 just a few months back?
Apple Is Where The Value Is At [View article]
Tim Cook: The (Negative) $250,000,000,000 Man [View article]
Apple's Dirty Little Secret [View article]
Apple Should Pay Its Tax Bill [View article]
Long AAPL, but not a confident shareholder!
Apple Should Pay Its Tax Bill [View article]
Apple could surely invest their huge cash hoard abroad and add shareholder value, but I don't see many company's bringing their cash back to the U.S. only to be double taxed, plus all the other strings/problems that go along with cash in the U.S.
If you want to move to China, that is your prerogative!
Apple Should Pay Its Tax Bill [View article]
Agreed that Apple's embarrassingly huge foreign cash hoard could be used for many and varied purposes to increase shareholder value tremendously. I don't think many would argue that point.
My first point is that the U.S. tax code for individuals and corporations in America is BROKEN....and there is not the political will in Washington to fix it, and a fix doesn't appear to be on the horizon.
Apple happens to be just one of the many corporations who have been forced, by our ineffective government, to keep their capital out of reach of the hands of our short-sighted and tax-greedy politicians; consequently, AAPL is just one of the many corporations that brings our corporate tax code inequity to the fore. So, it appears that Apple as well as others are certainly making a dissenting political statement to our politicians. Will they listen and take action? Probably not, but I think many corporations are willing to wait out Congress and hope some type of repatriation tax bill is passed. Meanwhile, the Apple's cash hoard does little or nothing for the Apple investor.
.
Apple has many negative technical factors and other troubling headwinds that have caused the stock price to suffer, Chief among them, I believe, is very weak leadership...and without the Steve Jobs' vision.
A Closer Look At The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF [View article]
Why Most People Should Neither Trade Nor Try To Analyze Apple's Stock [View article]
Reflections On The Current State Of Apple [View article]
6 Reasons To Buy Back Into Apple [View article]
A Start-Up Dividend Portfolio For Beginners [View article]
Early on in my life, somehow, maybe by a stroke of luck, I happened upon the idea of investing in some or all of the top Blue Chip stocks of the Dow and re-balancing each year, or as one sees fit and holding them for the long term. At the time not many brokers would sell only a share or two and issue certificates, but I found one broker who would and issue certificates for the same. Of course, single shares were a little more expensive considering the large commissions, but that was fine with me considering my long term plan. I bought 1 or 2 shares each of the stocks I chose, received certificates, then sent the certificates to the different companies that managed DRIP plans for those companies. I even gave some certificates to family members and started them on the road to long term DRIP investing. Then, I began to apply those principles of investing in the top Dow stocks as I understood them and re-balancing. Over time, I bought GE, MO (the original Philip Morris), JNJ, CLX (my choice), and others. Over the years, MO (Philip Morris) became the star performer, spinning off company after company...and just recently separated Kraft and Mendelez. Now, after all these years, I look at these initial DRIP investments and compare them in value to trading accounts I've had. Guess what? I'm sure you 'guessed' the answer. I've made a good amount of money with the DRIP plan stocks in dividends, dividend growth, compounding, and stock growth, but the trading (churning) account stocks have made very little, if any, money for me over time. This is the one principle that young investors should be aware of and follow...and never falter--invest in great, well managed companies who pay exceptional dividends, have had great dividend growth in the past over many years, invest for the long term, and don't allow the lure of quick gains and quick riches of today's hottest stocks lure you out of a proven wealth maker!
Thanks again for your article!
2 To Buy, 1 To Sell - Consumer Goods Companies With Greater Than 4% Dividend Yield [View article]
Could An iOS Exclusive iRadio Win The Summer Smartphone War For Apple? [View article]