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GOOG, AAPL getting attractive

admin — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:37:41 +0000

GOOG has dropped to a new 52wk low, this much more attractive entry here at $450 than the $700 level two months ago. (GOOG message board)

AAPL has also being subjected to some selling pressure, now at $116, a far more attractive price then the $200 two months ago. While this may not be the bottom, long term investors are better off buying these stocks at times of weakness like we are seeing today (AAPL message board)

Microsoft +Yahoo = Microhoo?

admin — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:11:45 +0000

A whole googol of lawmakers (yes, googol = 10¹⁰⁰ , do you like that?) are lining up to poke and prod the Microhoo deal. There are some pretty charts at the end of this article, so keep reading!

The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee wants to hold a hearing about online advertising market and other issues related to Microsoft’s bid to buy Yahoo. So as it stands, there are Energy and Commerce, Judiciary antitrust and a whole lot of other boring committee meetings set up before anything can happen.

This potential merger makes sense if any of these companies hope to challange Google in search and advertising, their biggest concerns are that of privacy.

So how should investors react?

MSFT – Back around $28 is a sweet…sweet support level. I like.

YHOO – The stock will hover around $27-$30 depending on if the deal gets a yay or nay. Sideway trends are a good way to sell options on and collect on the time decay.

GOOG – To quote Borat “I like! Is good!”. Below $500 is a nice entry for long term holds.

^microsoft

^yahoo

^google

Who is donating what to the candidates?

admin — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:22:37 +0000

With presidential candidates primed to raise $1B this election season, which big investment banks and tech firms are ponying up to support the top contenders?

Alexandra Twin of CNNMoney.com has the following share:
One of the most competitive presidential elections in years is also on track to become the most expensive election ever, according to OpenSecrets.org, the web site of the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.

And big publicly traded companies such as investment banks Lehman Brothers (LEH, Fortune 500) and Merrill Lynch (MER, Fortune 500) and tech leaders Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) and Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) are among the largest contributors to the top candidates.

In 2007, the major presidential candidates raised $582.5 million and spent $481.2 million.

Lehman Brothers and Microsoft were the biggest overall donors in the fourth quarter, while Goldman Sachs and Citigroup were the biggest corporate donors for the year.

Here are the full details for the top two candidates from each party. The CRP totals include money from PACs, contributors and their family members.
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D.-N.Y.

Clinton raised $26.6 million in the fourth quarter and nearly $117.7 million through year-end 2007.

Top contributors so far: DLA Piper ($470,150); Goldman Sachs ($407,561); Morgan Stanley ($362,700); Citigroup ($350,895); and Lehman Brothers ($237,270).
Sen. Barack Obama, D.-Ill.

Obama raised $22.8 million in the fourth quarter and nearly $102.2 million by the end of 2007.

Top contributors so far: Goldman Sachs ($421,763); UBS ($296,670); Lehman Brothers ($250,630); National Amusements ($245,843); and JP Morgan Chase ($240,788).
Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R.-Mass.

Romney raised $26.9 million in the fourth quarter and nearly $88.5 million through year-end 2007. The CRP notes that $35.4 million of his funding has come from his own pocket.

Top contributors so far: Goldman Sachs ($223,925); Merrill Lynch ($163,020); Citigroup ($162,950); Morgan Stanley ($152,050); and Lehman Brothers ($137,450).
Sen. John McCain, R.-Ariz.

McCain raised $9.7 million in the fourth quarter and $41.1 million as of the end of 2007.

Top contributors so far: Merrill Lynch ($155,950); Citigroup ($153,362); Blank Rome ($143,501); Greenberg Traurig ($130,587); and Goldman Sachs ($85,252). To top of page