October 31, 2012

GOOGLE NEXUS PRICED TO BITE INTO APPLE’S LOW END $AAPL $GOOG $MSFT $QCOM

In the middle of the news surrounding hurricane Sandy, the big news from Google (GOOG) seems to have been lost. With the introduction of Nexus 4, Google has pulled off a big price coup.

An unlocked version of Nexus 4 is priced at $299, a remarkably low price for a phone of this quality. An unlocked 16 GB Nexus 4 is priced at $349 compared to a similar iPhone 5 which is priced at $649.99 unlocked without a contract.

Setting aside personal preferences for Apple or Android, both phones are roughly equal for most practical purposes.

Display

Nexus 4 is a massive 4.7 inch device offering 1280 x 768 pixel resolution and 320 pixels-per-inch (ppi) for clear text and sharp images. … Please click here or the title below to read more.

October 31, 2012

APPLE AXES HEIR APPARENT IN MAP FLAP BUT PROBLEMS RUN DEEPER $AAPL $GOOG $MSFT

The ouster of Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iPhone Software at Apple, and the former heir apparent to the top job, indicates that problems at Apple run deeper than generally understood.

Forstall was often compared to Steve Jobs, both for his brilliance and his abrasiveness.

On the surface Forstall’s ouster is related to his refusal to sign his name on an apology for problems with Apple Maps and his abrasive personality. The reality is that Forstall’s ouster is only a symptom. Forstall was hired by Steve Jobs at NeXT. When NeXT was purchased by Apple in 1997, Forstall came to Apple. … Please click here or the title below to read more.

October 31, 2012

DISNEY BETS LUKE SKYWALKER MAKES MORE MONEY WITH MOUSE EARS $AAPL $DIS $NWS $VIAB

The Walt Disney Co. is buying Lucasfilm for about $4.05 billion in stock and cash. Lucasfilm is best known for its lucrative Star Wars franchise. Disney will makeStar Wars: Episode VII for release in 2015.

With this purchase, Disney is expanding in the tent-pole feature film business. In recent years, Disney has expanded here by buying Pixar and Marvel.

The Pixar acquisition brought Apple’s then-CEOSteve Jobs to Disney’s board of directors. Interestingly, Pixar was born as the Graphics Group in 1979, a part of Lucasfilm. In 1986, Pixar was spun out with financing by Steve Jobs. In 2006, Disney bought Pixar for $7.4 billion making Jobs the largest shareholder of Disney stock.… Please click here or the title below to read more.

October 31, 2012

HOW TO PLAY 20 HURRICANE STOCKS $HD $LOW $GNRC $BECN $M $USG

In the coming days, several stocks that are affected by hurricane Sandy will offer trading opportunities both on the long and the short side.

Here is how to play them based on the historical data from previous storms.

Insurance stocks

Insurance stocks such as Travelers TRV, Chubb CB, and Allstate ALL will be in play.

It is too early to tell, but insured losses are likely to be in the range of $5-$10 billion.

Property and casualty industry in the United States is capitalized at about $500 billion. Insured losses are likely to be under 2% of the capital. Further, some losses will be covered by reinsurance and typically water damage is not covered by insurance.… Please click here or the title below to read more.

October 31, 2012