technology investing
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A Tech Investing Homerun
You don't always have to buy a stock to double your money.
Sometimes, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) can pack just as big a wallop.
ETFs with that kind of horsepower don't come along all that often, which is why you have to pick the right one ... at the right time.
And that's the tech-investing home run that I have for you today - an ETF with actual double-your-money profit potential.
In fact, you'll be stunned at just how quickly every $1 you invest in this fund will turn into $2 in holdings.
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The Ultimate Tech Stock "Treasure Map"
On Saturday, I introduced you to the "stealth small-cap" - aging-and-slow big-cap tech firms that were rediscovering the fast growth of their small-cap roots ... thanks to the newly emergent Cloud Computing trend.
Judging from the comments and correspondence I received, a lot of you were really intrigued by that concept - and by the huge opportunity for profits that the cloud was creating for investors.
In fact, Strategic Tech Investor subscriber Dionisios S. was so intrigued by that column that he asked me to identify some other "stealth-small-cap" profit plays.
What a great question.
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The Big Lie in Tech Today
There's a number floating around the tech industry that is nothing short of amazing.
And it adds up to big money...
Here's the thing. Noted tech analyst Mary Meeker delivered a powerful message last week that turned the industry on its ear.
Speaking at the D: All Things Digital conference in southern California, Meeker revealed a stat that explains the force behind the unprecedented wave of tech innovation that's fueling the market's huge rally.
Meeker noted that people are using the Web to share roughly 500 million photos.
Not monthly, mind you. Not even weekly, but every single day.
As incredible as that sounds, it actually gets better -- the number is set to double in the next year...
No, that's not a misprint. By the end of 2014, we'll be sharing some 1 billion photos every 24 hours, or 41.6 million per hour.
Talk about a tidal wave...
As recently as 2009, shutterbugs exchanged on any given day roughly 75 million photos. So, we're talking about a more than 10-fold increase in roughly six years.
If that doesn't define exponential growth, I don't know what does...
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How to Really Make a Fortune on the "Mobile Wave"
If you've been riding along with me for any length of time, you know I get really revved up whenever I talk about the "Mobile Wave" in technology.
The truth is, I can't help it: I look at the forecasts, calculate all the money that can be made, and end up feeling as jazzed as can be about the windfall profits we can reap from this transformational trend.
And I'm not the only one who's feeling this technology-fueled ebullience: The folks over at Amazon.com are clearly experiencing the same adrenalin-driven affliction.
Amazon, you see, is coming out with its own smartphone.
And not just any smartphone. Amazon's entry into smartphone derby is going to be one cool mobile device - highlighted by a 3D screen that will display photos so realistically that you'll want to just reach out and touch them.
Why in the world, you might ask, is an "e-tailer" entering the wireless-phone business?
Just look at the numbers.
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Apple Bond Offering is Proof It'll Do Anything to Avoid Taxes
The record $17 billion Apple bond offering this week will do more than just placate shareholders eager to get some benefit from the company's $144.7 billion in cash.
It will help Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) avoid paying taxes, a feat that the Cupertino, CA tech giant has elevated to a high art.
The company has kept the bulk of its cash - some $102 billion - in overseas accounts to avoid paying the 35% corporate tax rate here in the United States.
Borrowing money to fund its plans for dividend increases and stock buybacks allows Apple to reward its shareholders without repatriating those foreign profits and paying U.S. taxes.
Better yet, the interest Apple will pay out in its bonds is tax deductible, which will reduce the company's tax bill even more.
It's all so elegantly devious - and perfectly legal.
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Apple Stock is Up After Earnings – But Are Gains Here to Stay?
Apple stock was up 5% in after-hours trading Tuesday when its earnings report turned out to be better than expected - but, not great.
Everyone was bracing for the worst when Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) released second-quarter earnings Tuesday after the close. The big question was just how bad things were going to be.
The answer turned out to be... not so awful. The iPhone maker surprised Wall Street with better than expected numbers, mostly because expectations were so low.
However, as expected, forward guidance was glum.
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Apple: Cash or Trash?
With Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) off nearly 50% from its $705.07 a share high set last September, many investors want to know if it's a buy.
Not in my book. Here's why:
1. The company has held on to its premium pricing strategy for too long. Going out on price as it has recently with iPhones, for example, is the death knell of competitive differentiation. Businesses that engage in price wars have a very difficult time climbing back up the proverbial ladder.
2. The present management team is having trouble fulfilling the late Steve Jobs' vision, and execution appears to be stumbling. The Maps thing, for instance, was an unmitigated disaster and shattered Apple's image of invincibility. The public noticed.
