Best Technology Stocks To Invest In For 2016 And Beyond

From the Focused Stock Trader

2015 was a great year for the technology sector. In fact, technology stocks outperformed the stock market in 2015, far outpacing the results of the S&P 500 stock index. Tech leaders Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet recently released impressive earnings reports and their stocks have risen accordingly. Every investor has their preferred strategy, whether it's income investing, growth investing or alternative strategies. The below tech stocks are strong contenders when it comes to the best technology stocks to invest in for 2016 and beyond.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Apple's stock has seen excellent growth over the past few months, topping out at a high of $134.54 per share. But nothing lasts forever in the world of stocks and Apple shares are now down. Tech analysts have announced that the smartphone market is ready to decline. Due to this, many investors are forecasting a troubled 2016 for Apple and have begun to sell. However, this is a great opportunity for long-term investors to grab some shares of this tech giant at an excellent price. Continue reading "Best Technology Stocks To Invest In For 2016 And Beyond"

Investors: Prepare For A Bumpy Earnings Season

By: David Sterman of Street Authority

The chickens are coming home to roost. After a remarkable eight-month rally in the dollar, many U.S. firms are finally feeling the pinch.

In the near-term, investors need to brace for a cautious earnings season. Yet, as I'll explain in a moment, there are still ample reasons for long-term optimism, especially when the dollar loses momentum and/or the global economy starts to rebound in earnest.

The strong dollar, which blunts the competitiveness of American firms, both at home and abroad, will have a clear impact on first-quarter results and forward outlooks. According to FactSet Research, 85 companies in the SP 500 have already warned of a Q1 profit shortfall, while just 16 companies have pre-announced that results will be better than expected. If that figure of 16 holds, it will be the lowest number since the first quarter of 2006. Continue reading "Investors: Prepare For A Bumpy Earnings Season"

The Biggest Lesson from Microsoft's Recent Battle with the US Government

By: Nick Giambruno, Senior Editor, InternationalMan.com

A court ruling involving Microsoft’s offshore data storage offers an instructive lesson on the long reach of the US government—and what you can do to mitigate this political risk.

A federal judge recently agreed with the US government that Microsoft must turn over its customer data that it holds offshore if requested in a search warrant. Microsoft had refused because the digital content being requested physically was located on servers in Ireland.

Microsoft said in a statement that "a US prosecutor cannot obtain a US warrant to search someone's home located in another country, just as another country's prosecutor cannot obtain a court order in her home country to conduct a search in the United States."

The judge disagreed. Continue reading "The Biggest Lesson from Microsoft's Recent Battle with the US Government"

Coke Vs. Pepsi: By The Numbers

History has shown us that America was built on the back of positive rivalries.

Like the long-standing feud between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox... or the U.S. vs. Russia in the Olympics. That's to say nothing of more serious rivalries like the political feud between Democrats and Republicans.

Nothing can drive competitors to perform their best like a well-matched rivalry. This is particularly true in the world of business. Think of Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Ford (NYSE: F) and General Motors (NYSE: GM), or ATT (NYSE: T) and Sprint (NYSE: S).

All of these (and dozens of others) have resulted in increased innovation, industry growth and -- most critically for investors -- shareholder value. One rivalry in particular stands out to me in terms of longevity, pure competitive zeal and using nearly every trick in the book for the upper hand: the epic cola war between Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and Pepsico (NYSE: PEP).

Both of these companies have made great investments over the years, both offer solid growing dividend yields, and both excel in a particular niche. However, going forward, I think one of these companies has the edge on the other as an investment. Continue reading "Coke Vs. Pepsi: By The Numbers"

How To Buy Your Favorite Stock At A Steep Discount

Imagine buying ATT (NYSE: T) for $25 a share, Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) at $16 or Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) for $20.

And imagine not only buying these or any stock at a much lower price -- but actually being paid to do so.

Sound too good to be true? I know it seems like a dream, but sophisticated investors accomplish this on a regular basis. Here's how... Continue reading "How To Buy Your Favorite Stock At A Steep Discount"