Apple Inc (AAPL)

‘t get it.

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Take this curiois statement from Phil Schiller, Apple head of marketing, on the eve of the widely promoted and talked about new Samsung smartphone. In the Walls Street Journal today, Mr. Schiller declined to comment about future products. Instead, he discussed the iPhone 5, which went on sale last September. He said the screen is “still the best display of any smartphone.” “Given the iPhone 5 is so thin and light, the reason that people are making their devices bigger is to get up to the battery life the iPhone 5 offers,” he said. Gee, Mr. Schiller.  Do you really … Read more

Apple, if not a perfect 10, very close.

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This is a checklist I use to quickly come to a conclusion on a stock.  I score a stock, each line getting a 1, 0, or -1.  A stock that scored 1 on each line would be a perfect 10.  Buy it! Some of these items are quite subjective.  For example how would I score Cash Flow?  If a company’s cash flow is much lower than it’s reported earnings, that raises a flag and I would score it a -1.  If there are more insiders buying than selling, I would score it a 1.  If there are no apparent catalysts … Read more

Looking ahead September 12th could be pivotal day for two reasons

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One thing we talk about in our Investment Survival Workshops is learning to develop a horizon further out than tomorrow.  I know that sounds obvious but it’s harder to do than you think.  Most people including myself, hesitate for a moment to recall what they did yesterday and most of us wake up and think about what we are going to do that day, not the next day or the following week.  When I moved from Eastern Standard time to Mountain Standard time zone, I dreaded getting up two hours earlier in the predawn to read the papers and analyst … Read more

Zagg: Real Sales Numbers Do Not Match Reported Earnings Claims – Seeking Alpha

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Zagg: Real Sales Numbers Do Not Match Reported Earnings Claims – Seeking Alpha. It’s hard to find companies that look this enticing to short.  As an early adopter of both iPhone and Zagg products, I can say unequivocally I don’t’ need Zagg protective covers any longer. In fact they intefere with the user experience in my opinion.  The advent of Corning’s Gorilla glass has made them obsolete as far as I’m concerned.  It’s nearly impossible to short sell though but you can buy put options. I’d go as far out as you can, because its hard to predict how slow … Read more

Second City in China Halts Sales of Apple iPads – NYTimes.com

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According to the NY Times, yet another city in China has halted the sale of the iPad over the trademark dispute with Proview Technology.  About 45 units have already been confiscated from stores and most have been removed from displays, although the devices are still reported to be available under the table. “Proview has also made a filing with the General Administration of Customs in China, he said, putting Apple on notice that the company could seek to block the export of iPads, should Proview’s ownership claims be upheld.  The seizures follow a ruling in December in which a court … Read more

‘s Purchase of Motorola Cleared by EU

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Looks like one more hurdle is out of the way for Google to challenge Apple in the wireless world.  The European Union allowed the deal to pass, but warned against excessive fees charged for licensing technology.  The addition of Motorola’s portfolio of patents would provide the search engine giant a strong defense against infringement claims on its Android operating system. From WSJ: “The European Union on Monday approved Google Inc.’s $12.5 billion acquisition of smartphone and tablet developer Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., setting the stage for U.S. antitrust clearance expected this week.  The deal will give Google a powerful arsenal … Read more

Saudi Arabia Will Not Let Oil Go Above $100

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According to Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al Saud, the billionaire head of Kingdom Holding Co., Saudi Arabia is poised to limit the appreciation of oil to no greater than $100 a barrel. “We can use our leverage, our excess capacity to be sure to pump more [oil] if needed so it will not impact the consumer countries while they’re getting out of their recessions slowly but surely,” the prince said. As for Iran, he said it is important for the U.S. and other nations to put sanctions on the “renegade country” to force its government to negotiate. Issuing an … Read more

‘s not enough to read the news, you must predict it. Intel Apple new alliance

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  Apple Intel prediction Intel stock has been less than stellar lately for two reasons.  One was their ill-advised overpriced purchase of McAfee.  See SA article for more background on that purchase.  More importantly is their apparent failure to dominate the low power consumption mobile chip market the way they have PCs.  Apple  doesn’t use Intel processors inside the iPad or their phones and there are rumors that the next AirBook could even have an ARM processor.  Microsoft also has been cited as having next generation designs for their tablet product to include ARM processor compatibility.  Analysts are worried that Intel … Read more