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Stephanie Faris

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  • Is Tumblr a Good Purchase for Yahoo?

    By Stephanie Faris - May 24, 2013 | Tickers: FB, GOOG, YHOO

    In the late 90s, Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) seemed to dominate the cyberworld as the search engine of choice for masses of new web surfers. As with many companies, Yahoo! suffered from the dot-com bubble, tumbling from $118 a share in early 2000 to $4.05 a share in September 2001. Once Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) came into the picture, Yahoo!'s place in the market seemed uncertain, remaining that way to more »

  • Pandora's Music Service Still Beats All Others

    By Stephanie Faris - May 24, 2013 | Tickers: CCO, P, SIRI

    Pandora Media, Inc. (NYSE: P) emerged in 2005 with its Pandora Radio "music genome project." The online streaming service went beyond simply airing straight radio, with its thumbs-up, thumbs-down approach that allows listeners to create radio stations that match their own personal music tastes.

    It's a model that is as-yet unmatched in the streaming-radio market. Apps like Spotify and iHeartRadio have given it a try, but Pandora boasts 200 more »

  • Coupons and Sales Are Vital to Department Stores' Performance

    By Stephanie Faris - May 23, 2013 | Tickers: KSS, M, SKS

    It emerged at the turn of the century, expanding throughout the country just as the heyday of indoor malls was coming to an end. With a combination of good timing and a firm understanding of its customer base, Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) quickly emerged as the leader of department stores, with quarterly revenue in the billions. In 2012, Kohl's brought in $18.8 billion in revenue and is now more »

  • Cisco's Success Goes to the Clouds

    By Stephanie Faris - May 22, 2013 | Tickers: CSCO, IBM, JNPR

    From its start in 1984, Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) was a leader in network services and provided the latest technology to businesses of all sizes throughout the world. As those businesses have chosen to upload their valuable data to cloud-based servers, however, the face of networking has been changing. And Cisco is evolving with it.

    The work is paying off. Cisco's third quarter earnings were better than analysts expected more »

  • McDonald's Still Reigns, Despite Customer Preference

    By Stephanie Faris - May 20, 2013 | Tickers: BKW, MCD, WEN

    During the tough economic times of the last few years, restaurants got crafty in attracting cash-strapped customers. McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) began marketing its dollar menu and other fast food restaurants followed. But as customers slowly begin to recover disposable income, which fast food restaurant will prevail?

    Customer favorite

    Despite McDonald's being a $100 billion company, the company isn't without its disappointments. First, same-store sales were down .6 more »

  • Does Young and Hip Win the Clothing War?

    By Stephanie Faris - May 16, 2013 | Tickers: ANF, AEO, GPS

    Just as Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) was showing major earnings improvements, the teen-oriented clothier is once again courting controversy. This time, the trouble stems from comments made by CEO Michael S. Jeffries in 2006. The comments resurfaced thanks to a book titled The New Rules of Retail. As petitions are circulated and social media masses post angry comments, investors are nervously watching their investments in the company.

    But will Jeffries more »

  • Can Online Sales Tax Win the Battle for This Retailer?

    By Stephanie Faris - May 14, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, SPLS, WMT

    As legislators continue to vote on a bill that will levy a sales tax on all Internet purchases, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) recently reclaimed its top spot on the Fortune 500. But, Wal-Mart's celebration is bad news for online giant Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) after a  long period of competition that culminated in Wal-Mart removing Amazon's Kindle from its shelves.

    Billions in sales

    Granted, Wal-Mart has always been the more »

  • As the Stocks Turn: Hulu Tries Soap Operas

    By Stephanie Faris - May 13, 2013 | Tickers: CBS, CMCSA, DIS

    It will go down in history as either a bold stroke of genius or a complete misstep. Either way, fans of ABC TV shows All My Children and One Life to Live will at least enjoy new episodes of their canceled shows.

    Hulu, a joint venture of Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ABC, Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA) NBC Universal, and News Corp., is poised to gain one major thing from airing more »

  • Is Original Programming the Key to Online Streaming?

    By Stephanie Faris - May 2, 2013 | Tickers: AMZN, CSTR, NFLX

    For Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) investors, life has been a roller coaster the past couple of years. The gradual decline of media-based movie-viewing had rendered Netflix's DVDs-by-mail program outdated, and the company's increase in prices for those wanting both DVDs and streaming had investors concerned. But, the bad publicity seems to have leveled off, and in retrospect, it seems pretty clear that splitting off its online streaming program from more »

  • Can New York Taxis Jump Start the Electric Car Market?

    By Stephanie Faris - April 29, 2013 | Tickers: NSANY.PK, NRG, TSLA

    So far, consumers and investors have been ho-hum about the release of one electric car after another. An idea that seemed great in conceptualization has had tepid response since it came time to put it into practice. Electric cars simply lack the technology it will take for mass consumer adoption.

    Namely, consumers are reticent about the fact that electric cars have to be charged. Not only are charging stations hard more »

  • Is Microsoft Moving in the Right Direction?

    By Stephanie Faris - April 29, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG, MSFT

    Everytime Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) unveils a new operating system, investors hesitate. The release of Windows Vista cost the company its stranglehold on the market. In 2004, the ratio of Microsoft computers to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) computers peaked at 56 to 1. In 2012, 20 Microsoft computers were sold for every one Apple computer, according to data from Asymco. That figure doesn't include tablet and smartphone sales.

    Lessons learned from more »

  • Can Nostalgia Keep Under Armour on Top?

    By Stephanie Faris - April 27, 2013 | Tickers: ADDYY, NKE, UA

    If you haven't heard of Under Armour (NYSE: UA), you're already behind the times. The company, founded in 1996, has been giving the big-name athletic companies a run for their money for several years.

    Nostalgia at play

    The latest line of athletic shirts from the in-demand company takes wearers back to their childhood. Anyone who's ever had a childhood has likely heard of Underoos, now owned by more »

  • Enrich Your Portfolio With These Toymakers

    By Stephanie Faris - April 22, 2013 | Tickers: HAS, LF, MAT

    She's beautiful and versatile--after all, she can be anything from a doctor to a stay-at-home mom, depending on which clothes she wears. But has Barbie fallen out of favor with the buying public?

    Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) shareholders are certainly watching. As are toy industry analysts. The toy industry, in general, has been suffering along with the rest of the economy in recent years, so any success story is welcome more »

  • Will Wearable Technology Take Off?

    By Stephanie Faris - April 18, 2013 | Tickers: AAPL, GOOG, NKE

    We live in a society that seems to be attached to our smartphones. A device originally intended to be used to make and receive phone calls is now a receptacle for our entire lives--from checking e-mails to depositing checks to playing games and beyond.

    As technology aficionados watch these new, exciting developments, investors are keeping an eye on them, as well. When it comes to technology, timing is everything, and more »

  • What's in Store for This Telecom Company?

    By Stephanie Faris - April 18, 2013 | Tickers: T, DISH, S

    The announcement that DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH) was interested in acquiring Sprint (NYSE: S) was no surprise to those who watch the stock market. In fact, it seems reading news of DISH trying to buy up yet another cell phone provider is almost a daily thing these days.

    As a quick review, DISH has already reportedly considered several other companies, including T-Mobile. As wireless providers battle to win customers away more »

  • Can Discount Prices Save Carnival Cruise Lines?

    By Stephanie Faris - April 18, 2013 | Tickers: CCL, NCLH, RCL

    Just a few years ago, the buying public would have been wowed by the price. A week on one of the world's most popular cruise ships for only $38 a night! Better yet, the cruise takes passengers to the Caribbean.

    Carnival (NYSE: CCL) posted the offer on its website recently--four days in the Caribbean for only $149 per person--which breaks down to $37.25 a night. For a cruise more »

  • Is Barbie No Longer Mattel's Star?

    By Stephanie Faris - April 17, 2013 | Tickers: HAS, LF, MAT

    She's beautiful and versatile--after all, she can be anything from a doctor to a stay-at-home mom, depending on which clothes she wears. But has Barbie fallen out of favor with the buying public?

    Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) shareholders are certainly watching. As are toy industry analysts. The toy industry in general has been suffering along with the rest of the economy in recent years, so any success story is welcome more »

  • Dish, Southbank Courting Sprint

    By Stephanie Faris - April 15, 2013 | Tickers: T, DISH, S

    The announcement that Dish (NASDAQ: DISH) was interested in acquiring Sprint (NYSE: S) was no surprise to those who watch the stock market. In fact, it seems reading news of Dish trying to buy up yet another cell phone provider is almost a daily thing these days. As a quick review, Dish has already reportedly considered several other companies, including T-Mobile. As wireless providers battle to win customers away from more »

  • Can Discount Prices Save Carnival Cruise Lines?

    By Stephanie Faris - April 14, 2013 | Tickers: CCL, NCLH, RCL

    Just a few years ago, the buying public would have been wowed by the price. A week on one of the world's most popular cruise ships for only $38 a night. Better yet, the cruise takes passengers to the Caribbean.

    Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE: CCL) posted the offer on its website recently--four days in the Caribbean for only $149 per person--which breaks down to $37.25 a night. For more »

  • Facebook's New Home Screen Brings Three Tech Giants Together

    By Stephanie Faris - April 10, 2013 | Tickers: T, FB, GOOG

    As Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) teased yet another exciting announcement, rumors began to run rampant through the investment community. Many were saying the announcement was that the company was debuting a "Facebook Phone," a device that centered around a Facebook-centric operating system.

    When the announcement came, Facebook chairman Mark Zuckerberg simply unveiled the latest smartphone software goody--owners of Android-based devices will now have access to a shiny new version of Facebook more »

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