Top Tickers of the Week: Jan. 25
Editors Note: The list of top tickers is derived from the quote pages that received the most views on Yahoo! Finance by examining data for the current week. It is not, however, a list of the most searched-for tickers on our site.
1. Apple (AAPL)
Apple, once again, was the most-viewed quote page on Yahoo! Finance this week. The company’s descent continued, aided by earnings results on Wednesday that missed analysts’ lofty expectations. Granted, there were record quarterly revenues, profit and iPhone and iPad sales. But guidance was cautious and there’s still little sign of the next great revolutionary product coming down the pipeline.
Our own Jeff Macke offered three suggestions of how Apple can right the ship on Thursday. Much of the blame he places squarely on CEO Tim Cook.
“Since Cook arrived Apple has missed Street estimates about half the time and released no earth shaking new products despite endless hints that a TV revolution was imminent,” said Macke.
“Innovative products that fail don't kill a company but milking the same old stuff forever does," he added. "As it stands, Apple is operating on the playbook Sony came up with in 1990. It didn't work for them, and it won't work for Apple.”
And Matt Nesto noted that no less than six different analysts cut their outlooks on the company in one day, bringing the median price target down to $647 from $792 in a matter of months.
Shares were down nearly 12% for the week as of Friday’s close and were down nearly 18% for the year.
2. Research in Motion (RIMM)
As Research In Motion gets nearer to the January 30 launch date of its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones, so too does the buzz surrounding its beleaguered stock.
Shares got a boost on Tuesday after CEO Thorsten Heins said the company continued to consider strategic options, including selling off portions of the company.
On Wednesday, the company announced the smartphone’s new software will manage not only the BlackBerry 10, but can also be used to manage devices that use the Android or iOS operating systems.
A little rumor about possible takeover bids also never hurts when you’re about to launch a new phone that you hope will save the company. On Thursday, shares rose after Lenovo CFO Wong Wai Ming told Bloomberg that the Chinese computer giant has included RIM in its list of potential acquisition targets.
Shares were up more than 12% for the week and are up more than 51% year to date.
3. Nokia (NOK)
Nokia garnered investors’ attention this week by managing to return to profitability in the fourth quarter compared with a loss of 1 billion euros in the same period a year ago. Strong sales of Lumia smartphones were credited with the reversal.
However, it wasn’t all good news. In an effort to maintain that profitability, the company announced that it was doing away with its dividend.
“Nokia has slashed one in three jobs and has sold off assets including its company headquarters under Chief Executive Stephen Elop, who was hired from Microsoft in 2010 and promptly tied the company's fortunes to the untried Windows Phone operating system made by his former employer,” noted Reuters.
Shares of Nokia were down 5.4% for the week and are up 3.6% for the year to date.
4. Facebook (FB)
Facebook pushed higher on Tuesday on growing confidence that the social media giant will be able to monetize its massive user base. Several analysts shared their bullish outlooks and raised price targets this week as well. The company’s earnings will be announced after the market close on Jan 30.
Privacy issues are likely to dog Facebook for the remainder of its existence, and this week saw the launch of a new app that will help users clean up their acts.The tool, called Facewash, aims to save the unsavvy social-network user from himself.
Facewash works by searching the comments posted on your wall, your status updates, comments on photos you’re tagged in, photos you posted, links you’ve ‘liked.” After connecting your Facebook account, the site scans your profile to find “dirty” words and potentially unsavory photos.
It was also reported that Mark Zuckerberg will be having a Valentine’s-eve fundraiser for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at his home in California next month.
Facebook shares are up 11% year to date.
5. Google (GOOG)
Shares of Google took off on Wednesday after the search giant reported strong quarterly earnings.
Yahoo! Finance Sr. columnist Michael Santoli says the most bullish part of Google's quarter was a slowing in the rate of the decline in cost per click, or what the company makes from advertisers. An 8% decline in Q3 slowed to a 4% drop in Q4.
Behind the earnings, there were other signs of Google's plans for the futures. Google quietly submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission last week for permission to build an “experimental radio service.” According to BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk, Google’s interest in a wireless license might mean the company has plans to construct a 50-site test wireless network at its headquarters.
Shares of Google were up more than 4% for the week.
