amazon.com Inc.
NASDAQ symbol AMZN, is the leading bookseller on the Internet, as well as a leading video and music seller. It also has numerous other store categories, including electronics, computer games, toys and tools. Through Amazon Services, the company also offers programs that let sellers market on its web sites.
Most U.S. markets have risen lately, while Canada’s resource-heavy Toronto Stock Exchange has lagged. But as always, both remain subject to unexpected downturns. Even so, the long-term outlook is for higher stock prices.
One way to profit from rising markets is to add exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track major stock indexes to your portfolio.
ETFs trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks....
One way to profit from rising markets is to add exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track major stock indexes to your portfolio.
ETFs trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks....
YAMANA GOLD INC., $11.81, symbol YRI on Toronto, owns seven operating gold mines in Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Argentina. It also holds a 12.5% stake in the Alumbrera copper/gold project in Argentina and has three other properties in advanced stages of development. The stock fell 11% this week in response to concerns that Cyprus may sell some of its gold reserves as it deals with its financial crisis. Investors, who typically buy gold as a hedge against inflation, are also worried that the U.S. Federal Reserve may scale back its quantitative easing policy, which would slow inflation. As a result, gold prices fell from around $1,500 U.S. an ounce to today’s price of $1,401. We feel Yamama’s high-quality mines give it an edge over other junior gold companies. It also plans to increase its production by at least 20% in 2013. Moreover, Yamana’s strong balance sheet is a plus: its debt of $765.9 million (as of December 31, 2012) is a low 8.6% of its $8.9-billion market cap. The company also held cash of $349.6 million, or $0.46 a share....
AMAZON.COM (Nasdaq symbol AMZN; www.amazon.com) is a major online retailer. It gets about 33% of its sales from books, music and videos. Other products, including electronics, computer games and toys, make up the other 67%. Amazon Marketplace lets other companies sell their products through Amazon’s websites....
POWERSHARES QQQ ETF $67.02 (Nasdaq symbol QQQQ; buy or sell through brokers; www.invescopowershares. com), formerly called Nasdaq 100 Trust Shares, holds stocks that represent the Nasdaq 100 Index. That index consists of the 100 largest shares on the Nasdaq exchange, based on market cap.
The Nasdaq 100 Index contains shares of companies in a number of major industries, including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology. It does not contain financial companies. The fund’s expenses are about 0.20% of its assets.
The index’s highest-weighted stocks are Apple, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Google, Cisco Systems, Intel, Amazon.com, Oracle Corp., Comcast Corp. and eBay.
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The Nasdaq 100 Index contains shares of companies in a number of major industries, including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology. It does not contain financial companies. The fund’s expenses are about 0.20% of its assets.
The index’s highest-weighted stocks are Apple, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Google, Cisco Systems, Intel, Amazon.com, Oracle Corp., Comcast Corp. and eBay.
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Rackspace Hosting, $54.84, symbol RAX on New York (Shares outstanding: 136.9 million; Market cap: $7.5 billion; www.rackspace.com), provides cloud computing and information technology services for a wide range of businesses. These include web hosting and tools that help its clients manage their data centers, networks and devices. Cloud computing is where data and software are kept on remote servers that users access over the Internet. Rackspace’s revenue rose 24.6% in the three months ended December 31, 2012, to $352.9 million from $283.3 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 16.7%, to $0.21 from $0.19....
WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE $59.05 (New York symbol WYN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (973- 753-6000; www.wyndhamworldwide.com; Shares outstanding: 140.3 million; Market cap: $8.3 billion; Dividend yield: 1.6%) is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, with 7,340 franchised hotels worldwide.
In addition to hotels, Wyndham manages vacation resorts, rental properties, luxury clubs and time-shares....
In addition to hotels, Wyndham manages vacation resorts, rental properties, luxury clubs and time-shares....
AMAZON.COM $269.47 (Nasdaq symbol AMZN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (206-266-1000; www.amazon.com; Shares outstanding: 454.6 million; Market cap: $122.5 billion; No dividends paid) is a major online retailer. It gets about 33% of its sales from books, music and videos. Other products, including electronics, computer games and toys, make up the other 67%. Amazon Marketplace lets other companies sell their products through Amazon’s websites.
In the three months ended December 31, 2012, Amazon’s earnings fell 45.2%, to $97.0 million, or $0.21 a share. A year earlier, it earned $177.0 million, or $0.38 a share. The profit decline came despite a 22.0% jump in sales, to $21.3 billion from $17.4 billion.
In the latest quarter, the company spent $1.3 billion on “technology and content,” up 56.0% from $862 million a year earlier. That was a major reason for the lower earnings. This additional spending included investments in new models of its Kindle reader, including the Kindle Fire tablet computer. It also invested in cloud computing services and expanded its digital content business to compete with rival Apple Inc.
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In the three months ended December 31, 2012, Amazon’s earnings fell 45.2%, to $97.0 million, or $0.21 a share. A year earlier, it earned $177.0 million, or $0.38 a share. The profit decline came despite a 22.0% jump in sales, to $21.3 billion from $17.4 billion.
In the latest quarter, the company spent $1.3 billion on “technology and content,” up 56.0% from $862 million a year earlier. That was a major reason for the lower earnings. This additional spending included investments in new models of its Kindle reader, including the Kindle Fire tablet computer. It also invested in cloud computing services and expanded its digital content business to compete with rival Apple Inc.
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CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORP., $20.33, symbol CHK on New York, is up 7.0% from $19 this week. That’s largely because the company’s controversial co-founder, CEO and chairman, Aubrey K. McClendon, has agreed to retire on April 1, 2013. McClendon is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for taking out $1.1 billion of loans from EIG Global Energy Partners that may have put him in a conflict of interest. EIG is a big lender to Chesapeake, and that’s where the potential conflict arises. It has also come to light that McClendon ran a $200-million hedge fund between 2004 and 2008 that traded in the same commodities that Chesapeake produces....
Most stock markets have risen lately. But as always, they remain subject to unexpected downturns. Even so, the long-term outlook is for higher stock prices.
One way to profit from rising markets is to add exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track major stock indexes to your portfolio.
ETFs trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks....
One way to profit from rising markets is to add exchange traded funds (ETFs) that track major stock indexes to your portfolio.
ETFs trade on stock exchanges, just like stocks....
AMAZON.COM $268.93 (Nasdaq symbol AMZN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (206-266-1000; www.amazon.com; Shares outstanding: 453.0 million; Market cap: $121.8 billion; No dividends paid) and ADOBE SYSTEMS $37.88 (Nasdaq symbol ADBE; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (408-536-6000; www.adobe.com; Shares outstanding: 495.1 million; Market cap: $18.8 billion; No dividends paid) are part of a 12-company consortium that is buying bankrupt Eastman Kodak’s 1,100 digital-imaging patents for $525 million U.S.
Other members of the consortium include Apple, Google, Samsung, Research in Motion, Microsoft, China’s Huawei, Facebook and Fujifilm.
Under the deal, each of the 12 companies in the consortium will pay a portion of the total cost and then have access to all the patents.
Patents are increasingly important to technology firms like Amazon.com and Adobe because they let them protect their market shares from rivals....
Other members of the consortium include Apple, Google, Samsung, Research in Motion, Microsoft, China’s Huawei, Facebook and Fujifilm.
Under the deal, each of the 12 companies in the consortium will pay a portion of the total cost and then have access to all the patents.
Patents are increasingly important to technology firms like Amazon.com and Adobe because they let them protect their market shares from rivals....