Companies you believe in (1 Viewer)

[IGKYA!!!]

XOM, COP, MRO

 

[adonis]

But I am not sure a prudent investor should be piling into either of them right now.

I'm not really sure why this would be the case.I'm not sure how to accurately value the company, as much of its price is based on speculation and future earnings, but if it dips anywhere near even 140 again, I'd think it a pretty good deal.A few weeks ago, when it was down near 125, I tried in vain to convince my friends that it was a great discount and they should get in. All the stuff that is coming out now has been in the works for a long time. Some of my first posts in this thread were looking forward to events that still haven't happened yet, and many that have. I still think there are many good times ahead for Apple and its stock, although with this higher price tag, maybe not QUITE as good a times as it's been in recent past.Just read an article talking about how mac shares in college campuses has been greatly increasing. This too bodes well for the future. Oh, and Leopard OS will be very good too.I think I read something about apple seeding something having to do with ZFS. As of yet, leopard can only read ZFS, but if it is released with the ability to read/write ZFS, it would easily blow the socks off of any other OS out there.

 

[One]

AAPL

161.45 +5.21

 

[adonis]

AAPL

161.45 +5.21

Not really sure exactly why that is, but I won't complain .

 

[Buckna]

XOM, COP, MRO

I'm a fan of COP and so is Warren Buffet.

 

[One]

AAPL

161.45 +5.21

Not really sure exactly why that is, but I won't complain .

167.91 +6.41I'm not sure I get it either. Can anybody shed some light?

 

[goonsquad]

AAPL

161.45 +5.21

Not really sure exactly why that is, but I won't complain .

167.91 +6.41I'm not sure I get it either. Can anybody shed some light?

Expectations for Leopard and rumors of a new portable in January combined with already strong sales.

Analyst weighs in on Leopard, expected Macworld launches

Apple's upcoming release of Mac OS X Leopard could provide a major boost to the company's bottom line during the fall and could be bolstered even further by a new portable in January, according to a new report by analyst Gene Munster of investment firm Piper Jaffay.

The researcher maintained that Apple was "on track" to release Leopard by the end of October and that its timing could result in a surge of about $240 million to Apple's calendar fourth quarter results, even if adoption rates were similar to those from Mac OS X Tiger, which launched in April 2005. At the time, 15 percent of Apple's users bought either Tiger or a Mac preloaded with the software within six weeks of launch -- a feat possible due to the Mac maker's smaller customer base, but still widely believed to be a major accomplishment.

This uptake was expected to be higher as Apple's overall number of users running Mac OS X had nearly doubled from 12 to 23 million, Munster said. And unlike the launch of Windows Vista in January this year, Mac buyers were less likely to dent sales by waiting to receive the upgrade with a new computer, even as many enthusiasts upgraded or replaced existing systems specifically due to the new features.

"While we do not believe many consumers delay the purchase of a Mac because of Leopard, we expect its new features and updated look to be positive for Mac sales," the analyst wrote.

Munster supported the argument by drawing attention to projected Mac shipments in the quarter, which he predicted would range between 2.0 and 2.1 million units thanks in part to the new aluminum iMac and the back-to-school rush. iPhone and iPod sales traffic was likewise strong at retail outlets.

Apple was also unlikely to remain idle after the holiday season wrapped up, he added. The Piper Jaffray expert noted that the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer builder was most likely to expand its portable devices with at least one new system at Macworld show in January. Either a new Mac subnotebook or a multi-touch tablet was said to be '80 percent likely' for the IDG-run event.

Based on the new estimates, Piper Jaffray maintained its Outperform rating on Apple's stock, which surged 4 percent on Monday to close just short of $168.

ETA: LINK

 

[Otis]

Jesus.

I hate hate hate myself. Why didn't I sell all my belongings two years ago and sink 100% of it into this company?

 

[Challenge Everything]

My wish is for Apple to come out with a 12" MacBook. I do not watch movies on my computer and my current 12" Powerbook is great for what I need it to do. I also wish they would redo the keyboard on the MacBook but a new 12" MacBook would solve that.

 

[One]

AAPL @ 170.71 (+3.12 ) so far this morning, not sure if it's based on this news though. This could be pretty big news IMO. I was using 'Installer.app' before the update and loved what it brought to the iPhone. ...even that was just scratching the surface of iPhone's potential.

Apple to Announce 3rd Party iPhone App Development?

Tidbits's Glenn Fleishman claims that he has heard from a number of sources that Apple is nearing an announcement "of some sort" regarding 3rd party application development on the iPhone.

Details are unknown but the announcement is expected "soon" and perhaps as early as this week.

The bits and pieces I've heard are maddeningly non-specific: I don't know, for instance, whether a full software developer's kit (SDK) will be released; what tier of Apple Developer Connection (ADC) program member you need to be (if any); and how much of the innards would be unleashed. I don't even know whether Apple is announcing that a program is coming, or the program itself.

This news comes after a number of conflicting reports about Apple's plans for future iPhone application development. At the heart of the issue is a lack of an official developer's kit for the iPhone. Instead, Apple has advocated the use of Web-based "applications" based on Javascript. These Web-applications are very limited, however, and require the user to be internet-connected during their use.

Despite Apple's stance, an active (though unofficial) iPhone development community had sprung up and deployed a number of native applications for the iPhone. The latest 1.1.1 iPhone update, however, closed the door to these unofficial applications.

A recent a report from 9to5 suggested that Apple was planning on allowing certain 3rd party developers to launch native applications for the iPhone, but in a very restricted manner. Meanwhile, Arstechnica's sources have claimed that Apple intends to keep 3rd Party iPhone application development Web-based, but is planning on introducing significant improvements, such as off-line execution, and tighter integration to iPhone functionality. It's possible that the expected announcements could be related to these improvements.

Another possibility is that this announcement could simply be related to an expected iPhone WebApp Directory that Apple appears to be compiling on their site.

 

[Gordo]

Jesus. I hate hate hate myself. Why didn't I sell all my belongings two years ago and sink 100% of it into this company?

Or Google.IPO of $100 on 8/19/2004 and it broke $640 for a while today.

 

[Gordo]

Goldman Raises Apple Target - Advises Clients to Buy

Shares of Mac maker Apple Inc. rose nearly 2 percent in morning trading on the Nasdaq stock market after an analyst for investment bank Goldman Sachs raised his price target on the company to $195 from $165.

"We would buy Apple shares into year-end as market momentum and earnings upside drive the shares higher," analyst David Bailey advised clients, explaining that across-the-board strength in Macs should drive revenue, gross margin, and earnings upside versus Wall Street's consensus estimates for the company's recently-ended September quarter.

The analyst expects the iPhone and iPod will take a back seat to Mac when Apple announces its September quarter results on October 22, but remains confident that sales of the handhelds to meet his expectations of 810,000 iPhone units and 11.3 million iPod units.

"Better-than-expected component pricing, mostly in DRAM, and a richer mix of Macs -- including a rebound in Apple's commercial desktop (Mac Pro) on the back of the Adobe CS3 upgrade cycle – should push gross margin to around 32 percent, 250 bps higher than the company's target," he wrote.

Along with his price target hike, Bailey also increased his revenue estimate for the quarter to $6.1 billion from $5.8 billion (compared to the company target of $5.7 billion and the Street's $6.0 billion) and his earnings-per-share forecast to $0.85 from $0.75 (compared to the company target of $0.65 and the Street’s $0.83).

Looking ahead, the Goldman analyst believes Apple will undoubtedly remain characteristically conservative with its December quarter guidance, "probably providing targets below the Street’s revenue forecast of $8.5 billion and earnings estimate of $1.35." He's currently forecasting the Cupertino-based firm to generate sales of $8.1 billion and per-share earnings of $1.31.

Bailey also told clients that the European launch of iPhone together with a seasonal jump in iPod sales after the recent line-up refresh should add to strong Mac sales in the December quarter.

"Although details are few at this point, we expect Apple to announce a new model of the iPhone, at least one new iPod and, with lesser conviction on our part, a sub-notebook at MacWorld on January 14," he added.

Shares of Apple rose $3.26 or 1.95 percent to $170.

 

[Challenge Everything]

iPod prices

Last gen iPod Nano's but looking much better at these prices.

2 GB = $79

4 GB = $99

8 GB = $149

30 GB = $199

80 GB = $219

 

[adonis]

 

[goonsquad]

AAPL=174.36. Leopard release is in three days. And the holidays are coming up.

Apple profits soar 66 percent as Mac sales exceed 2.16 million

By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 04:30 PM EST

Apple said Monday that fourth-quarter profits rose 66 percent to $904 million, or $1.01 per diluted share, on sales of $6.22 billion for the three-month period ended September 29, 2007.

The results compare to revenue of $4.84 billion and net quarterly profit of $542 million, or $.62 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 33.6 percent, up from 29.2 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 40 percent of the quarter's revenue.

"We are very pleased to have generated over $24 billion in revenue and $3.5 billion in net income in fiscal 2007," said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs. "We're looking forward to a strong December quarter as we enter the holiday season with Apple's best products ever."

Apple shipped 2,164,000 Macintosh computers, representing 34 percent growth over the year-ago quarter and exceeding the previous quarterly record for Mac shipments by 400,000. The Company sold 10,200,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 17 percent growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone sales were 1,119,000, bringing cumulative fiscal 2007 sales to 1,389,000.

"Apple ended the fiscal year with $15.4 billion in cash and no debt," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO. "Looking ahead to the first quarter of fiscal 2008, we expect revenue of about $9.2 billion and earnings per diluted share of about $1.42."

 

[Otis]

And it just keeps going...

 

[One]

11:30 EST

185.15 +10.81

 

[RedmondLonghorn]

Wow, I must say that my reservations were misplaced.

 

[adonis]

Wow, I must say that my reservations were misplaced.

It's no longer the beginning any more, but there's still a fair share that can be gained. Apple is still rising, and has a few smaller heights to reach, with broader acceptance after leopard launch, great holiday sales, and a new iphone version sometime next year.The huge gains to be made are mostly done i think, for a while, but still there's solid growth potential in just continuing to expand in the markets they're in.

 

[Gordo]

"I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders." — Michael Dell in October 1997 about Apple

"Apple as we know it is cooked. It's so classic. It's so sad." — Stan Dolberg of Forrester Research, quoted by the New York Times in 1996.

See also Fortune's "By the time you read this story, the quirky cult company…will end its wild ride as an independent enterprise,"

from the same year. Time: "Certainly No Future."

Microsoft's Nathan Myhrvold couldn't even predict the present: "Apple is already dead," he said after Jobs' return.

"[Apple] seems to have two options. The first is to break itself up, selling the hardware side. The second is to sell the company outright." — The Economist, Feb. 1995

 

[goonsquad]

"I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders." — Michael Dell in October 1997 about Apple"Apple as we know it is cooked. It's so classic. It's so sad." — Stan Dolberg of Forrester Research, quoted by the New York Times in 1996.See also Fortune's "By the time you read this story, the quirky cult company…will end its wild ride as an independent enterprise,"from the same year. Time: "Certainly No Future."Microsoft's Nathan Myhrvold couldn't even predict the present: "Apple is already dead," he said after Jobs' return.

To quote Mark Twain, "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

 

[puspawn]

And what database does SAP run on?

Oracle, SQL, DB2, and a couple others - and they are developing their own db platform: SAPDBSAP hasn't exploded into the U.S. market yet, but look out when they do, and they will.Take SAP and the points.

 

[puspawn]

For whatever reason, I'm enamored with Apple right now. I think there is huge potential with the company in the coming years, their innovations are heading in the right direction, and the door is only now opening for their technologies to grab hold. They have the apple TV coming out, they will be introducing a new OS that will enable windows to be loaded onto their machines as well as OS X, they will be launching the iPhone later this year, they're patenting a lot of cool new technology, and it looks like they're hiring programmers to move games over to the mac OS. Their ipod lines are still the best out there, the OS X is a great OS that people will learn about soon, more and more PC guys like me are making the switch to Apple once dual-booting is possible. There's a lot of positives to be said for Apple's future.I really don't know of another company that I can think of right now that is doing more right for the future or who has better potential to dominate in the next decade than Apple. I'm putting my money where my mouth is in this case and even though I've never opened an investment account, I recently opened a Roth IRA and am buying apple stock, in addition to a few other companies I believe in (TM, CSCO, RESP, SIAL).What companies do you believe are heading in the right direction, whose products you see really taking off in the future, that you would be willing to invest long term in their stock?

As Linux on small appliances evolves and the Open Source trend grows, Apple is going to be under a huge amount of downward pressure. However, Apple is in the envious position of being able to sit on the sidelines and watch other titans like Microsoft and Netapp fight the legal battles against Open Source.Nobody is better positioned in IT than EMC right now. Their acquisition of a majority stake in VMWare makes them gold. Hypergrowth and in a recession-proof sector of IT. Demand for storage never declines.

 

[goonsquad]

AAPL: 191.79 (+5.61)

 

[goonsquad]

AAPL: 191.79 (+5.61)

AAPL: 175.35 (-10.9499)Um, ouch.

 

[adonis]

Google's down 50.

As far as Apple goes, should be good buying opportunity soon.

 

[goonsquad]

AAPL: 191.79 (+5.61)

AAPL: 175.35 (-10.9499)Um, ouch.

AAPL: 165.37 (-10.0963)BERNANKE!!!!!

AAPL takes a nosedive amid market jitters

US Federal Reserve chariman Ben Bernanke triggered a general plunge in the US stock market on Thursday when commenting that the shrinkage of the US housing industry, a weaker US dollar, and higher oil prices were all combining to put the brakes on the US economy as a whole.

The negative outlook prompted one of the largest sell-offs in recent months for the Dow Jones exchange and hit technology stocks particularly hard, many of whom had previously been climbing upwards at a rapid pace.

Although not the worst-hit in terms of money lost, Apple was particularly vulnerable to investors' fears. The company's stock dropped as much as 11 percent in the day to reach $167.77 before partially recovering near the end of the trading day to reach $175.47, or a drop of 5.8 percent.

 

[Challenge Everything]

Down 11 points again today. I hope some of you guys shorted it in the 180's or higher.

 

[Sand]

Earlier in the thread I thought AAPL was worth $125-$130. Given their latest results with their core Mac lines making such good gains it is probably worth a bit more - $140 to $150 or so. If it dips back down to $125 I will probably buy this thing.

BTW, today was an exceptionally volatile day. Over half my portfolio was either +4% or better or -4% or worse. Crazy.

VIX has gone over 30 for the first time since August. The AAPL move really isn't all that out of the ordinary given that - just another normal day...

 

[adonis]

Down 11 points again today. I hope some of you guys shorted it in the 180's or higher.

It's time to buy if you've missed out lately. They will be introducing an ultra-light notebook next year, iphone will be introduced to more countries, christmas sales, etc...good times ahead.More and more people I know are getting macs too. This will be yet another bargain period...even if it's extended.

 

[Mario Kart]

194.30

 

[One]

194.30

:X

 

[goonsquad]

AAPL: 200.67 ( +1.87 )

 

[Otis]

AAPL: 200.67 ( +1.87 )

I hate myself. Hate hate hate. Is it too late to get in? Can this thing keep going??

 

[Linus Scrimmage]

Split anyone? :hyper:

 

[bueno]

I´m holding apple, but I wouldn´t buy right now.

 

[Otis]

Very low-tech comp'd to AAPL, but I'm all over Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG). While tastes may differ amongst people, you can't deny the popularity of these restaurants. If you've ever been in one at lunchtime, chances are, the line is out the door. They're only located in 20-something states right now, but they have great management as they were spun off from McDonald's and they just do things right. It's a stock in the 60s now, but there's still plenty of room for it to grow and I'm going to keep holding and buying more. Everytime they have a bump in price due to good earnings, etc., I always make it a point to get a celebratory burrito bol.

This was an amazing call too. Up almost 200% since February. Patoons on this board holds a ton of it and has been a huge fan for a long time. Still a good buy? Will this one keep going?

 

[bueno]

Very low-tech comp'd to AAPL, but I'm all over Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG). While tastes may differ amongst people, you can't deny the popularity of these restaurants. If you've ever been in one at lunchtime, chances are, the line is out the door. They're only located in 20-something states right now, but they have great management as they were spun off from McDonald's and they just do things right. It's a stock in the 60s now, but there's still plenty of room for it to grow and I'm going to keep holding and buying more. Everytime they have a bump in price due to good earnings, etc., I always make it a point to get a celebratory burrito bol.

This was an amazing call too. Up almost 200% since February. Patoons on this board holds a ton of it and has been a huge fan for a long time. Still a good buy? Will this one keep going?

Never get in on the end of a run, GB.

 

[goonsquad]

AAPL: 200.67 ( +1.87 )

I hate myself. Hate hate hate. Is it too late to get in? Can this thing keep going??

Depends on what kind of return you're expecting I guess. I've recently seen analysts with targets of $230-250 for it. Many expect the announcement of the Ultra-portable and/or tablet and maybe even 2nd gen iPhone at the MacWorld Expo (Jan 15). Holiday sales have been strong, market share is on the rise, iPod continues to roll with rumors of movie rentals and subscription services, Leopard is a hit, Multi-Touch is in it's infancy. There's still a lot to be excited about.

 

[bueno]

BTW, GMO. $2.97 this time last year, currently at $12.44. These are the ones you want to find early.

 

[packertazman]

I have a small time business with my brother, and we're in our 3rd year, and we may both have some extra money available soon. We would be looking to re-invest this money in our current business, or possibly getting into stocks.

I just joined the board this year on my brother's recommendation, but since being here, value a lot of the advice and thoughts people post on here.

This thread really intrigued me, and I don't want to hijack this thread at all, but wanted some advice.

Do we get a broker, go online, you peeps seem to know this stuff, what do you recommend.

Should we diversify our initial investment too, into say how many stocks?

Should we still look at companies like apple? Or are we on the end of the run, as someone put it.

I would appreciate any useful advice anyone can provide.

TIA

 

[Buckna]

Took a small position yesterday afternoon after the news that the rumor of the production cuts was all BS. Wish I had gotten in this morning instead when it sagged down below 130, but I guess that's just splitting hairs.The iphone is all the news right now, but I'm very encouraged by the pickup in their pc business and the further growth of itunes. Because it's already so high I'm not sure I see the gangbuster type gains in its future that it's had the last few years, but I still think it will outperform the overall market.

45% return since August. One of my few positions during that time frame that hasn't been completely clobbered or gone haywire zigzagging between positive and negative territory. GB a diversified portfolio.

 

[Otis]

Took a small position yesterday afternoon after the news that the rumor of the production cuts was all BS. Wish I had gotten in this morning instead when it sagged down below 130, but I guess that's just splitting hairs.The iphone is all the news right now, but I'm very encouraged by the pickup in their pc business and the further growth of itunes. Because it's already so high I'm not sure I see the gangbuster type gains in its future that it's had the last few years, but I still think it will outperform the overall market.

45% return since August. One of my few positions during that time frame that hasn't been completely clobbered or gone haywire zigzagging between positive and negative territory. GB a diversified portfolio.

Do you have to ask the stock to quit the NASDAQ or else you will sell all your NASDAQ stock?

 

[Buckna]

Took a small position yesterday afternoon after the news that the rumor of the production cuts was all BS. Wish I had gotten in this morning instead when it sagged down below 130, but I guess that's just splitting hairs.The iphone is all the news right now, but I'm very encouraged by the pickup in their pc business and the further growth of itunes. Because it's already so high I'm not sure I see the gangbuster type gains in its future that it's had the last few years, but I still think it will outperform the overall market.

45% return since August. One of my few positions during that time frame that hasn't been completely clobbered or gone haywire zigzagging between positive and negative territory. GB a diversified portfolio.

Do you have to ask the stock to quit the NASDAQ or else you will sell all your NASDAQ stock?

 

[goonsquad]

AAPL: 200.67 ( +1.87 )

I hate myself. Hate hate hate. Is it too late to get in? Can this thing keep going??

This guy seems to think so:

``There's so much growth to look forward to for the iPhone,'' said Stephen Coleman, chief investment officer at St. Louis-based Daedalus Capital LLC, which owns about $7 million of Apple shares. He projects the stock will hit $600 in 18 months.

Link

 

[adonis]

AAPL: 200.67 ( +1.87 )

I hate myself. Hate hate hate. Is it too late to get in? Can this thing keep going??

This guy seems to think so:

``There's so much growth to look forward to for the iPhone,'' said Stephen Coleman, chief investment officer at St. Louis-based Daedalus Capital LLC, which owns about $7 million of Apple shares. He projects the stock will hit $600 in 18 months.

Link

Oh absolutely. Maybe not $600 in 18 months, but their entry into consumer electronics has only begun. Think Apple TV, second Generation iPhone, increasing market share, moving into home entertainment...really, there is still PLENTY of room for expansion.However, I still think our economy will go into a recession sooner than later, so I'm only moderately investing in apple still, waiting for the downturn and the major pullbacks to pour my money in.

 

[Otis]

Holy crap. That's it. Tomorrow I'm starting to buy up as much AAPL as I can afford.

 

[goonsquad]

Holy crap. That's it. Tomorrow I'm starting to buy up as much AAPL as I can afford.

 

[One]

Holy crap. That's it. Tomorrow I'm starting to buy up as much AAPL as I can afford.

 

[Otis]

Loaded up on April options on the dip today. Here's to a good 3 months