Four Stocks Bloggers Can’t Write Poorly About

By Andrew Dillard - February 17, 2012 | Tickers: AAPL, NFLX, SHLD, TSLA | 0 Comments

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Welcome to the world of blogging, the place where individuals can make educated (and sometimes not) opinions and theories about topics of their desire.  Spread across thousands of miles, writers and readers alike come together to discuss their thoughts and interact as a global community.  I have been following the Motley Fool Blog Network from the beginning, and found that when it comes to certain stocks and opinions, bloggers sometimes miss the boat.  Below are some of the companies that can cause the comments section to explode, complete with reader commentary. (Warning, hilarity may ensue.)

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX)

Netflix has been well documented across all media avenues and blog spots alike.  Over the past year Netflix has had its share of problems, from the price hike to the ill-devised splitting of the two business models, mail and streaming.  The result of this is a stock price that has plummeted and was resurrected with a sizable bounce back.  There are many questions that are left to be answered regarding the strategic vision and direction of Netflix, but here is an article about Netflix that the public feels rather strongly about.

Some of the points that bloggers like to make, such as in the article above, the author mentions several legitimate points that all raise questions about the long-term viability of Netflix such as their recent earnings release, price hike and customer purge.

One barometer of public opinion that I like to use is the Motley Fool’s CAPS game.  Looking up a company’s underperform/outperform ratio really helps to illustrate the public sentiment towards a company. 

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA)

Where do I begin on Tesla?  Tesla is a company that, quite honestly, has had poor financial results pushing a year now.  Since Tesla has gone public, they have yet to post a profit.  When reading articles from news sources and bloggers, there are a wide degree of opinions and thoughts on the future of Tesla. One thing is for sure however, the public, and Tesla investors are rather passionate about this company.  Here are some great blog examples from the Fool that illustrate how passionate readers are.

One of the most amazing things to witness when it comes to the comments and responses by readers to negative Tesla blog articles revolve around one aspect, wishful thinking.  A common theme amongst bloggers who are skeptical about Tesla is their lack of financial success on the time they have been a public company.  Many readers of these articles adamantly defend their decisions to invest/support Tesla based on nothing more than hopes and dreams.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)

I’ll be the first to admit that finding any negative articles about Apple is not an easy task.  Between possible dividend rumors, new product offerings, a skyrocketing stock price and the legacy of Steve Jobs, most bloggers and analysts are utterly smitten with Apple.  Every now and then, a blogger dares to pen an article that calls out, or question different aspects of Apple, and generally the public disagrees rather strongly.

One of the points raised in opposition of Apple revolves around the internal politics and the question of did Apple make Steve Jobs, or did Jobs make Apple?  I'm sure you can guess who the public sides with on this debate.

Sears Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD)

Sears took me by great surprise.  Sears has been long known for being an American retail icon, which is possibly a reason that so many individuals feel so strongly about Sears.  Lately, Sears has announced massive store closings, and employment layoffs, that has caused many investors and bloggers to become rather uneasy with the thought of placing money in Sears.  After one blogger expressed her displeasure with Sears, the public response was rather interesting. 

In my experiences with Sears, I tend to agree with the author, Sears does have poor management and terrible customer service.  She raises valid points about the success of merging Kmart and Sears under one roof.  Many of those who chose to respond to such an article argued on the side of brand loyalty.  Many nasty comments were used in the defense of Sears, which is particularly poor etiquette on the part of those individuals, but many people believed in Sears for two reasons, they are a long term American company, and many seem to believe that because of its Americana everything would be alright (as if no major American company has failed before) and brand loyalty.  Many readers were loyal to many of the brands that are carried at Sears, and justified their position on that basis.

Regardless of individual thoughts on the articles presented, blogging is a great way for individuals to express their thoughts and ideas among a community of people.  Blogging gives a platform to express those ideas in a manner that the writer best sees fit.  However, when it comes to the context of those thoughts and ideas, there are some companies that appear to be on a pedestal above us all.

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