With shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) trading around $31, is MSFT an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework.
T = Trends for a Stock’s MovementMicrosoft is engaged in developing, licensing, and supporting a wide range of software products and services. The company also designs and sells hardware, and delivers online advertising to customers. It operates in five segments: Windows and Windows Live, Server and Tools, Online Services Division, Microsoft Business Division, and Entertainment and Devices. As a mature company, Microsoft is also offering a stable dividend, which is currently yielding around 2.92 percent annually.
Microsoft agreed to purchase Nokia�� (NYSE:NOK) mobile phone unit, patents, and mapping services for a total of $7.2 billion. Nokia�� phones already use Microsoft�� Windows Phone software. The company�� Canadian head, Stephen Elop, will lead Microsoft�� mobile devices unit, and his name has even been tossed around as a possible replacement for retiring Microsoft CEO Steven Ballmer. Nokia used to dominate the mobile phone market, but has since fallen far behind rivals Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung in the highly competitive market.
Hot Canadian Companies To Own For 2014: SAP AG(SAP)
SAP AG provides business software primarily in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific Japan region. The company?s products includes SAP Business Suite software, which supports large organizations in their core business operations, such as supplier relationship, production, warehouse management, sales, administration, and customer relationship; SAP Business All-in-One, a business management software that assists midsize companies in managing various business functions, including financials, human resources, procurement, inventory, manufacturing, logistics, product development, sales, and marketing; SAP Business One, a business management application for small businesses; and SAP Business ByDesign, an on-demand solution for integrated business management applications. Its products also comprises SAP BusinessObjects Edge business intelligence and enterprise performance management solutions; Xcelsius, a data visualization software; Crystal Reports, which helps users design interactive reports; Sybase IQ, an optimized analytics server designed to deliver results for business intelligence, analytics, data warehousing, and reporting solutions; SAP solutions for sustainability; and SAP NetWeaver technology platform, which integrates information and business processes across various technologies and organizational structures. In addition, the company offers industry and solution-focused, business transformation, information technology transformation, custom development, and support services; and program, project management, quality assurance, and education and certification services. It sells its products through its subsidiaries and resellers. SAP AG has a strategic relationship with Cap Gemini S.A. to develop and deploy enterprise mobility solutions. The company was formerly known as SAP Aktiengesellschaft Systeme, Anwendungen, Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung. SAP AG was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Walldorf , Germany.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Brugger]
The good news for SAP (NYSE: SAP ) and Oracle (NYSE: ORCL ) , Nos. 1 and 2 on Gartner's list with $2.9 billion and $1.95 billion in revenues, respectively, each retained their top positions. The downside, and especially troubling for Oracle CEO Larry Ellison considering his desire to grow cloud and related revenues, is that Oracle saw a mere 2% improvement from the prior year and 2012 BI sales were essentially flat for SAP.
- [By Vanin Aegea]
Innovation and friendliness are two stewards that software developers value highly in order to retain and attract customers. Applications that are easy to navigate and to use have proved to be highly valued by users. Some companies were able to meet the challenge and deliver tailor made products, among them are: Sap Aktiengesellschaft (SAP) and Adobe Systems (ADBE). But, does catering to customer preferences generate profits?
Hot Canadian Companies To Own For 2014: Sensata Technologies Holding N.V.(ST)
Sensata Technologies Holding N.V., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells sensors and controls primarily in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, and Europe. It operates in two segments, Sensors and Controls. The Sensors segment offers pressure sensors, force sensors, temperature sensors, speed sensors, position sensors, motor protectors, and thermal and magnetic-hydraulic circuit breakers and switches. Its sensors are used in various applications, such as automotive air-conditioning, braking, transmission, air bag, heavy vehicle off-road, industrial, aerospace, defense, and data/telecom applications, as well as heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) applications. The Controls segment provides bimetal electromechanical controls, thermal and magnetic-hydraulic circuit breakers, power inverters, and interconnection products. This segment also offers application-specific products, including motor and compressor protectors, circuit breakers, semicondu ctor burn-in test sockets, electrical HVAC controls, power inverters, precision switches, and thermostats. Its products are used in heating and air-conditioning systems, refrigerators, aircraft, automobiles, and light industrial system applications in industrial, aerospace, military, commercial, and residential markets. The company offers its products primarily under the Sensata, Klixon, Airpax, and Dimensions brand names. It serves original equipment manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive, industrial, and commercial end-markets; and industrial and commercial manufacturers and suppliers in the climate control, appliance, semiconductor, datacomm, telecommunications, and aerospace industries, as well as motor and compressor suppliers. The company was founded in 1916 and is based in Almelo, the Netherlands. Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. is a subsidiary of Sensata Investment Company S.C.A.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Sensata Technologies Holding (NYSE: ST ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Best Clean Energy Companies To Invest In Right Now: Enerplus Corporation (ERF)
Enerplus Corporation, together with subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas in United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2011, it had 322 MMBOE of proved plus probable reserves. The company also held a portfolio of approximately 380,000 net acres of land comprised of 75,000 net acres at Fort Berthold targeting the Bakken and Three Forks; 65,000 net acres in the Duvernay; 33,000 net acres in the Montney; 67,000 net acres in the Stacked Mannville; 30,000 net acres in the Cardium and other emerging oil plays in Canada; and 110,000 net acres in the Marcellus. In addition, it had 120 gross producing wells. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Canadian oil and gas producer Enerplus (NYSE: ERF ) announced today its August monthly dividend of $0.09 Canadian per share, which is equivalent to $0.09 U.S. per share at an exchange rate of 0.9674.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Tomorrow, Enerplus (NYSE: ERF ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.
Hot Canadian Companies To Own For 2014: Canadian National Railway Company(CNI)
Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail and related transportation business in North America. It provides transportation for various goods, including petroleum and chemicals, grain and fertilizers, coal, metals and minerals, forest products, and intermodal and automotive products. The company operates a network of approximately 20,600 route miles of track that spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico. It serves the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert (British Columbia), Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile (Alabama), as well as metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth (Minnesota)/Superior (Wisconsin), Green Bay (Wisconsin), Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson (Mississippi), with connections to various points in North America. The company was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
On Wednesday, Westport announced it has begun producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) "tenders" for use by Canadian National Railway (NYSE: CNI ) . A tender�is a train car whose primary purpose is carrying fuel to supply the train's locomotive engine. Westport plans to deliver its first such tender to CNR in Q4 of this year, with three more tenders to follow subsequently.
- [By Sean Williams]
Canadian National Railway (NYSE: CNI )
Once more the theme is an earnings-driven event. Canadian National, known as CN, is a railroad company to the north that delivered net income of $541 million in the first quarter compared to the $755 million it reported in profits in the year-ago period. Despite tougher weather conditions being one of the primary factors for the volume shortfall, investors still came down on Canadian National. - [By Dan Caplinger]
But CSX has a couple of options to pursue to rebound. One way would be to take advantage of growing export demand for coal, as natural-gas prices in other areas of the world are far less competitive than they are within the U.S., and low shipping costs make global coal transport economically viable. The other alternative is to borrow a page from other railroads and seek to transport cheap domestic oil by rail from hard-to-reach areas to existing refineries, especially on the East Coast. Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP ) and Canadian National (NYSE: CNI ) have found high demand for their services in the oil-producing areas of Alberta and the Bakken, and although CSX's home territory is better served by existing pipelines, it could nevertheless have an opportunity to boost demand by meeting other needs.
- [By Sean Williams]
Notable railroads that could be hit by a slowdown in oil transports because of a declining spread include Canadian National Railway (NYSE: CNI ) , Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP ) , and Berkshire Hathaway�subsidiary BNSF.
Hot Canadian Companies To Own For 2014: Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(The)
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides investment banking, securities, and investment management services to corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals worldwide. Its Investment Banking segment offers financial advisory, including advisory assignments with respect to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense, risk management, restructurings, and spin-offs; and underwriting securities, loans and other financial instruments, and derivative transactions. The company?s Institutional Client Services segment provides client execution activities, such as fixed income, currency, and commodities client execution related to making markets in interest rate products, credit products, mortgages, currencies, and commodities; and equities related to making markets in equity products, as well as commissions and fees from executing and clearing institutional client transactions on stock, options, and fu tures exchanges. This segment also engages in the securities services business providing financing, securities lending, and other prime brokerage services to institutional clients, including hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, and foundations. Its Investing and Lending segment invests in debt securities, loans, public and private equity securities, real estate, consolidated investment entities, and power generation facilities. This segment also involves in the origination of loans to provide financing to clients. The company?s Investment Management segment provides investment management services and investment products to institutional and individual clients. This segment also offers wealth advisory services, including portfolio management and financial counseling, and brokerage and other transaction services to high-net-worth individuals and families. In addition, it provides global investment research services. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
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