MSFT - Microsoft Corporation
| Previous Close | 138.41 |
| Open | 138.21 |
| Bid | 0.00 x 1100 |
| Ask | 0.00 x 900 |
| Day's Range | 137.24 - 138.70 |
| 52 Week Range | 93.96 - 141.68 |
| Volume | 21,188,998 |
| Avg. Volume | 24,383,975 |
| Market Cap | 1.048T |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 0.97 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 27.13 |
| EPS (TTM) | 5.06 |
| Earnings Date | Oct 22, 2019 - Oct 28, 2019 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | 1.84 (1.34%) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | 2019-08-14 |
| 1y Target Est | 154.41 |
- TechCrunch
GitHub adds 21 new partners to its free Student Developer Pack
For a few years now, GitHub has been running a program that gives students around the world free access to GitHub Pro and various free and discounted services from other partners as part of its GitHub Education program.
- TechCrunch
Microsoft's new Chromium-based Edge browser is now in beta
Microsoft today launched the first beta builds of its new Chromium-based Edgebrowser for Windows and Mac
- Motley Fool
Here’s Why You Should Be Buying AMD Stock’s Latest Pullback
Temporary problems shouldn't distract AMD investors from the long-term opportunity.
- Market Realist
Gamescom 2019: NVIDIA Ray Tracing, Cloud Gaming Updates
Gamescom 2019 started today, and some of the most exciting announcements involved NVIDIA’s (NVDA) GeForce RTX gaming GPUs.
- GuruFocus.com
Lee Ainslie Trims Microsoft Position, Exits Anthem
Guru's largest sales of the 2nd quarter Continue reading...
- Investopedia
How Does Fortnite Make Money: Online Gaming, eSports
Fortnite is the most popular battle royale game worldwide, and generates huge revenues even though it is offered for free by developer, Epic Games.
- Zacks
Quality ETFs for Volatile Markets
Stocks with excellent earnings growth and strong balance sheets deliver better risk adjusted returns over the long term
- InvestorPlace
3 Great Active Mutual Funds for the Current Environment
There's a lot of debate over using active mutual funds versus their passive cousins. Much of that debate has low-cost index ETFs and mutual funds winning the fight. The truth is, most active mutual funds and their managers tend to underperform passive vehicles such as the iShares S&P 500 Index (NYSEARCA:IVV).However, investors shouldn't be so quick to throw away active mutual funds from their portfolios. There are situations when being active can pay some serious benefits. This is especially true in a volatile and rocky time such as this.For one thing, active funds don't have to stick to a certain basket of stocks. They can flee to cash when the market gets rough to avoid losses. At the same time, they can use down days to scoop up bargains. Moreover, multi-asset and go-anywhere funds don't have to stick out in stocks. They can go get a good return in any asset class -- stocks, bonds, you name it.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential The reality is, there are plenty of reasons to go active when the market gets wonky like this. Ignoring active mutual funds could be a recipe for disaster when volatility spikes and the market trends downwards. And with that, here are three top active mutual funds worth buying today. BlackRock Global Allocation Fund (MDLOX)Source: David Tran Photo / Shutterstock.com "Unconstrained in search of opportunity." That's how the BlackRock Global Allocation Fund (MUTF:MDLOX) bills itself. For nearly 30 years, the team at MDLOX has been combing the world's markets in search of better returns and they have succeeded in spades.With nearly $26 billion in assets, MDLOX is one of the largest go-anywhere mutual funds on the planet. Its wide-sweeping mandate allows it to buy stocks and bonds from nearly 40 countries as well as plenty of non-traditional asset classes.The fund's investment committee of more than 29 individuals aligns its portfolio with their general macroeconomic predictions. This has the fund changing its holdings as the market shifts direction or the managers see opportunities. In this case, a shift towards volatility and lower global economic conditions have it allocating more towards U.S. fixed-income assets of quality. Currently, the fund has roughly 65% of assets in stocks and about 30% in bonds.However, this could and will shift if the overall global economic situation changes.MDLOX's mandate has served investors well. The fund has long held a Morningstar Bronze Medal as well as top scores from Lipper. This has translated into some strong returns for the fund. Since its inception in 1994, the fund has managed to score a 9.74% average annual return. The best part is that it has managed to do just that with lower overall volatility than the S&P 500.In the end, MDLOX is a wonderful core active mutual fund for investors and it has proven itself over time. Expenses run 1.08%- or $108 per $10,000 invested. Many brokerages offer it without a sales charge and low minimums. T. Rowe Price Equity Income (PRFDX)Source: Shutterstock Dividends remain a great way to beat market volatility and get through the current environment. It's here that active mutual funds can shine. As the market dips, yields on quality dividend stocks go up. Active managers can snag these higher yields and quality stocks often on the cheap. A great fund to take advantage of this fact is T. Rowe Price Equity Income (MUTF:PRFDX).PRFDX focuses its attention on large-cap stocks here in the U.S. that pay dividends. However, the focus isn't just on headline yield. Manager John Linehan and his team are value investors at heart, and put more emphasis on quality over quantity. To meet the test, stocks have growing revenues, low debt levels and improving profit margins to be considered. Particular attention is made to price paid -- P/E, P/B, P/S ratios -- for shares. This conservative value investment approach is specifically done to limit potential downside and volatility over time.This focus on quality and value creates a rather concentrated portfolio. The fund stretches its nearly $21 billion dollars over just 127 different names including Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), utility Southern (NYSE:SO) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT).The focus on quality dividends has also worked wonders in the returns department. Over the last ten years, PRFDX has managed to return over 12% annually. With a big part of that return coming from dividends. And with the fund adding value over its benchmark in the recent bouts of volatility this year, it's worthy of a portfolio addition. * 10 Mid-Cap Dividend Stocks to Buy Now Expenses for the active mutual fund run at just 0.64%. Nuveen Preferred Securities and Income Fund (NPSAX)Source: Shutterstock With everyone running to safety these days, bond yields aren't exactly returning anything. Right now, you can score a 10-year Treasury bond paying about 1.67% in interest payments. That's not great at all. But holding too much in equities could make for a bumpy ride. The best bet? Combine them in preferred stock.Blending both attributes of equities and bonds, preferred stock provides a happy medium of high returns and lower risk. One of the best active mutual funds to dabble in the sector is the Nuveen Preferred Securities and Income Fund (MUTF:NPSAX).NPSAX combs the full gamut of preferred stocks to find values. That includes common $25 par issued retail preferreds as well as institutional $1,000 par valued stocks. Moreover, the team at Nuveen will search for deals across the entire credit spectrum and even internationally for bargains or high yields. the idea is to optimize value and create a balance between risk and reward. That has worked wonders for the active mutual fund -- with NPSAX gaining an annualized 9.66% per year over the last decade. That's pretty close to the broader market's return over that time and it came with far less volatility.There are other benefits to owning the fund as well. For one thing, NPSAX pays its dividend monthly. Even better is that dividend could be tax-advantaged for many investors. Most preferred stock dividends are considered qualified. This allows them to come in at 15% tax rate. This allows many investors to score a high monthly income -- currently a 4.82% yield -- at a low tax rate.With a Morningstar four-star rating and a low expense ratio of 0.78%, NPSAX offers one of the best active mutual funds to ride out the market's current storm with ease.At the time of writing, Aaron Levitt did not hold a position in any stock mentioned. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On * The 10 Biggest Losers from Q2 Earnings * 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy The post 3 Great Active Mutual Funds for the Current Environment appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace
3 Reasons Alphabet Stock Is Still a Bargain Amid Trade War Peril
Fears of a trade war with China, coupled with the specter of an upcoming recession, have hit the market hard. But shares of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) have so far managed to stay afloat, falling from a 52-week high of $1,289 down to a recent close of $1,164. This modest fall of just under 10% shows just how resilient Alphabet stock is.Source: Valeriya Zankovych / Shutterstock.com By comparison, both Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) are both down by nearly 15% from their 52-week highs.With last week marking the fourth anniversary of the creation of Alphabet stock, which has Google as its core operating unit, there is still plenty of gasoline left in the tank.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThe restructuring of the company separated the core internet business, www.Google.com, from the peripheral mega-tech moonshots, which may take a decade or more to pay off. Whether its self-driving vehicles, artificial intelligence or healthcare, buying Alphabet stock is like placing many different bets on many different areas of the global economy that technology will re-invent. At the same time, GOOGL's core business generating internet advertising revenues remains rock-solid and growing.With all of that in mind, here are three key reasons why GOOGL stock is a strong buy. GOOGL Is Unaffected by the Threat of a China Trade WarThe bulk of Alphabet's revenues are generated in Western economies, particularly North America and Europe. Advertising sales in these markets are not affected by a slowdown in exports to China nor increased tariffs of cheap Chinese imports. * The 10 Best Cheap Stocks to Buy Right Now Goldman Sachs has recommended a service sector strategy, as opposed to goods manufacturers, for investing around the threat of a trade war."Services stocks have less exposure to trade conflict given they have lower foreign input costs that might be subject to tariffs and lower non-US sales than Goods firms," said Goldman Sachs strategist David Kostin.In his client note, Kostin recommends buying stocks such as Alphabet as well as Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) and Amazon as a part of a greater strategy to circumvent trade war woes. Alphabet Stock Is Backed by Strong Top Line RevenuesGoogle has consistently delivered growth in top lines revenues for the last five years. There is little reason why this trend will stop anytime soon.Further, GOOGL posted net positive earnings every year for the previous five years. At the same time, GOOGL is heavily invested in moonshots that should help bolster the GOOGL stock price in the future when the ideas behind these businesses are fully realized and start to pay off. And many of these moonshots should pay off just when the internet sector becomes a mature industry, just like steel, autos and telecom from decades past with ever-dwindling profit margins.This aspect alone makes GOOGL stock an appealing long-term stock to buy. Google Cloud Is Driving GrowthGoogle cloud revenues are not broken down separately but instead reported within the broader Alphabet segment "Google Other Revenues." While Alphabet management has made it clear that Google Cloud Services (GCS) is their fastest-growing business, they have not given specific numbers.However, the management consulting firm Gartner estimates that the total global cloud market is expected to grow to $331.2 billion in 2022 at a CAGR of 16.1%. Google has invested heavily in cloud technology with many analysts estimating that GCS alone could generate $20 billion form Alphabet stock by the end of 2020. Bottom Line on GOOGL StockAlphabet has covered the roulette table with chips. From their proven core business of internet advertising to the further-off possibility of autonomous vehicles -- propelled by a dynamic cloud business in-between -- Alphabet is undoubtedly holding out well in the current market storm.When the selloff in tech stocks finally plays out, the GOOGL stock price could be set for a strong bounce back.As of this writing, Theodore Kim did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On * The 10 Biggest Losers from Q2 Earnings * 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy The post 3 Reasons Alphabet Stock Is Still a Bargain Amid Trade War Peril appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks
NVIDIA and Microsoft Collaborate on Minecraft's Ray Tracing
NVIDIA's (NVDA) Ray tracing technology, RTX GPUs, will enhance the PC gaming experience on Microsoft's video game, Minecraft.
- InvestorPlace
Microsoft Stock Is a No-Brainer Buy
In today's market of rich valuations and erratic trading, it can be difficult to come by solid, long-term investments. That's especially true when you're talking about the tech space, but Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is one such stock that investors shouldn't pass up.Source: gguy / Shutterstock.com MSFT stock has already risen nearly 30% so far this year, but don't let that put you off -- the tech giant has further to climb in the years ahead. Growth Ahead for MSFT StockOf the 32 analysts covering MSFT stock, 27 have given the firm a buy rating, while just one recommends selling. While you should never follow analyst advice blindly, the fact that 90% of analysts have given Microsoft stock a buy or overweight rating should at least give you reason to consider adding the tech stock to your portfolio.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThe big reason that many analysts are bullish on Microsoft stock is the fact that the firm's cloud business, Azure, is becoming increasingly larger and more profitable. A few years ago, many were skeptical about Microsoft's ability to change with the times and become a cloud competitor. However, what skeptics didn't take into account was the fact that Microsoft is already a huge part of many business' operations with its Office suite and other business solutions. That has given the firm the foot-in-the-door it needed to build out a compelling cloud offering. * 10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential Shifting to cloud computing is relatively painless for current Microsoft customers, a huge selling point for Azure. As long as management is able to keep Azure's offerings in key growth areas like the internet of things and artificial intelligence up-to-date, MSFT's cloud arm looks poised to continue adding new customers. Pentagon ProjectOn top of its current potential in the business world, MSFT's Azure also has the potential to win a massive contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to power the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program. Project JEDI is the federal government's proposed solution to connect government employees and military personnel across the globe. This project would allow for more efficient decision making. While the DOD appears to have narrowed its choice of providers down to just Microsoft and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), it's worth keeping in mind that as with anything government-related, a series of probes, questions regarding legality and general disagreement about how to proceed are likely to tie JEDI up for months to come. The Perfect SetupWhile most agree that Microsoft can't dine out on its Office suite forever, the firm has done well switching over to subscriptions. MSFT still holds a monopoly on productivity software and that position at the top of the food chain brings in a lot of cash for the firm each year. Microsoft has wisely been using that money to build out Azure in hopes of eventually building the cloud provider into as large a part of the firm's business as Windows and Microsoft Office have been.MSFT stock faced some backlash when it announced plans to add an additional fee in order for its Microsoft SQL Server and Windows Server licenses to be used on third-party clouds. Starting in October, the company will require its customers to pay for "license mobility" in order to keep using its software systems on another cloud infrastructure. However, according to Deutsche Bank's Karl Keirstead the "license mobility" could be a boon for Microsoft stock. He argued that as long as Microsoft is careful not to be too restrictive, the added fee could make licensing much simpler and entice more clients to use Azure over smaller rivals. The Bottom Line on MSFTAny way you slice it, Microsoft stock looks to be in a great position right now. The company's future growth plans look solid. Its Azure cloud computing arm appears to have a long growth runway ahead. MSFT has been leveraging its dominance in the software space and it's paying off. Unlike some of its peers, MSFT isn't teetering on the edge of a turnaround. The company appears to have pivoted with the times and is already on an upswing. It doesn't have a particularly juicy dividend with a yield of 1.3%, but it's safe and reliable.As of this writing Laura Hoy was long AMZN. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On * The 10 Biggest Losers from Q2 Earnings * 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy The post Microsoft Stock Is a No-Brainer Buy appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Bloomberg
Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital Enters Singapore With $100 Million
(Bloomberg) -- Vulcan Capital, the investment house of late Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, has opened its first international office in Singapore. The multi-billion dollar fund intends to invest an initial $100 million across Southeast Asian startups.Vulcan Capital is an unusual addition to the city-state’s investment scene. It is part of Vulcan Inc., which oversees the billionaire’s holdings and supports his causes in everything from elephant conservation to artificial intelligence research. Chief Executive Officer Bill Hilf channeled his late boss’s methodical approach when Vulcan took almost three years to decide on Singapore as an Asian base.“Before we take a step into Singapore, we know everything about it; we know every university, we know every politician, the politician’s friends,” Hilf said, describing the cautious approach. “That’s because we hold Paul, his family name and the Vulcan reputation as a sterling brand.”Allen died in 2018 and left a $26.1 billion fortune behind, an estate that some experts predicted could take years to sort out. Hilf said the process of shifting Vulcan from a management company to an estate trust may take close to a decade to complete because of the complexity of businesses it oversees.The Seattle-based company plans to use the nine-figure allocation in Singapore to back tech startups in Southeast Asia, making it one of the largest early-stage platforms in the region. The firm has hired financiers Tommy Teo and Minjie Yu as managing directors to lead the Singapore outfit. They will focus on seed, Series A and Series B investments in a broad range of areas including financial services, real estate technology and consumer internet, according to Teo. Their initial target markets will be Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.“There is a great momentum right now,” said Teo, who formerly worked at Singapore-based private equity firm Northstar Group and Citigroup Inc. among others. “It’s early enough for us to come in here in a meaningful way.”Investors like Vulcan will help build the ecosystem in the region, said Wilton Chau, who teaches entrepreneurship, VC and PE in Hong Kong and Singapore. “International VCs will have the network, the expertise and the knowledge of different markets and they will be more attractive to ventures here,” he said.Vulcan Capital takes an unusual approach to investing. Like any venture capital firm, it will aim to maximize returns from its investments. But the returns from those investments will go directly into Vulcan’s broad range of philanthropic projects, including climate change and wildlife conservation in Africa. The company is hoping its model will help attract young and mission-driven startup founders in the region.Paul Allen, Billionaire Who Co-Founded Microsoft, Dies at 65 (3)Southeast Asia is drawing more attention from U.S. investors. With deepening mobile penetration and an emergent middle class, the region has given birth to tech giants such as Grab, Gojek and Tokopedia in the past decade.“There are some really powerful players here,’” Hilf said. With 5G and satellite telecommunications, “I think we are going to leapfrog in connectivity in a way that most people are not even predicting.”To contact the reporters on this story: Yoolim Lee in Singapore at yoolim@bloomberg.net;David Ramli in Singapore at dramli1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net, Edwin ChanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Zacks
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon
- Zacks
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Microsoft, Merck, Walmart, Coca-Cola and Visa
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Microsoft, Merck, Walmart, Coca-Cola and Visa
- Motley Fool
Disney Announces Additional Launch Dates for Disney+
Soon after its U.S. debut, the streaming service will begin rolling out globally.
- InvestorPlace
Why Apple Stock May Be Peaking Again
The recent history of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock has been consistent -- even if trading in AAPL stock has been anything but. Investors generally have followed the iPhone upgrade cycle. As the cycle nears, investors buy Apple stock. Once it passes, fears about the seemingly inevitable end of iPhone growth dominate the coverage of the stock -- and AAPL shares fall.Source: View Apart / Shutterstock.com Indeed, Apple stock fell sharply starting in late 2012 amid worries that the company couldn't offer much innovation beyond that contained in the iPhone 5, which launched that year. It faded in 2015-2016 as investors grew impatient waiting for the iPhone 7. And AAPL shares fell in the fourth quarter last year, not long after the launch of the $1,000-plus iPhone XS seemed to cement the fact that the iPhone's best days were behind it.Apple stock of course has rallied again, gaining around 31% in 2019 alone. And the bullish focus has turned away from the iPhone, to services, wearables and other offerings.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsBut I've long believed that the company, and the stock, are at significant risk from potentially declining smartphone sales. That's still the case. And with AAPL stock hitting technical resistance, and the news surrounding the company still not quite that impressive, recent levels may in retrospect prove to be another iPhone-driven peak -- even if it doesn't appear to be at the moment. Why AAPL Stock Fell (Briefly) After EarningsAAPL stock didn't get much mileage out of its fiscal third-quarter earnings beat at the end of July. In fact, Apple shares actually lost 9% of their value over the following three sessions. * 7 Safe Dividend Stocks for Investors to Buy Right Now To be sure, tariff and Federal Reserve concerns played a role. But given that Apple's numbers were nicely ahead of the Street earnings per share of $2.18 beating consensus by 8 cents and revenue increasing 0.7 points better than expected -- it might have seemed like Apple gave enough to offset external fears.Perhaps it did: AAPL stock has climbed steadily since tariffs were delayed through December. It's now back to basically the same level at which it traded before earnings. That said, from here, Q3 earnings, despite the headline beat, look somewhat concerning.The key reason is that Apple's earnings actually were pretty good looking close. Services revenue grew 18% excluding the effects of currency and a one-time legal settlement boost in the prior-year quarter. Wearable sales, per the Q3 conference call, increased "well over 50%" year-over-year. Revenue in Greater China, which includes Taiwan and Hong Kong, after a nearly 25% decline in the first half of the fiscal year, bounced back to a 4% drop in Q3. According to the call, sales grew in constant currency.Those are three of the key drivers for Apple's growth going forward. Indeed, they are three of the pillars of the bull case for Apple stock. And yet, on a consolidated basis, revenue increased just 1%. Operating income declined 8.5% against Q3 FY18.In other words, Apple did what bulls hoped it would do. Profits (both pre-tax and after-tax) still declined. The Hardware Problem for Apple StockAnd so skeptics, myself included, might see the quarter -- and indeed, year-to-date results -- as validating the bearish thesis here. There's no argument that Apple can and will grow its services business. The Apple Watch is a clear hit and long since has left the likes of Fitbit (NYSE:FIT) in the dust. AirPods are a winner, and even the iPad has made an impressive recovery, with revenue up 15% so far in fiscal 2019.But this still is a company with a market cap of some $950 billion. Those products would be hits for any other company. For a company this size, they barely move the needle. CFO Luca Maestri said on the Q3 conference call that wearables on a trailing four quarters basis were now the size of a Fortune 200 company. The 200th company in the Fortune 500 (which measures companies by revenue) is General Mills (NYSE:GIS), with revenue around $16 billion.$16 billion is less than seven percent of Apple's trailing four quarter revenue. The profit contribution may be even smaller, given that services gross margins are roughly double those of products. Again, the business grew 50%+ in Q3 -- and total revenue rose 1%. Profits fell.This still is an iPhone story, which even with a 15% year-over-year decline has driven 55% of year-to-date revenue. (That says something about just how awe-inspiring that product is in sales and profits.) And that's still a really, really big problem.It's likely unit volumes have peaked, as phones last longer. Models that run on the Android OS from Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG,NASDAQ:GOOGL) have much greater market share internationally and will catch up in quality over time.There might be one more demand spike when the 5G model comes out. But over half of Apple's revenue -- at least, depending on the long-term health of the iPad and the Mac business -- is in decline. Q3 shows just how difficult it is for Apple, even running on all cylinders, to offset that problem. The Trillion-Dollar CurseAnd so there's been some reticence for the market to truly jump on board the Apple story over the past year-plus. It's really only Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) that has been able to avoid the so-called "trillion-dollar curse." That market cap level has proven to be resistance for Apple stock -- and may well do so again.Technicals aside, the trade war still can buffet AAPL stock. Apple still needs to prove it can actually grow earnings if iPhone revenues are declining. It hasn't done so yet. And until it does, history suggests that at some point hardware-related worries will return -- and Apple shares will again pull back.As of this writing, Vince Martin held no aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On * The 10 Biggest Losers from Q2 Earnings * 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy The post Why Apple Stock May Be Peaking Again appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace
Tuesday’s Vital Data: Home Depot, Baidu and Microsoft
U.S. stock futures are circling unchanged this morning as markets digest the gains from a two-day rally.Source: Shutterstock Heading into the open, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average are up 0.01%, and S&P 500 futures are lower by 0.05%. Nasdaq-100 futures have shed 0.02%.Optimism permeated the options pits yesterday with put volume falling dramatically. Overall volume returned to average levels with 18.5 million calls and 15.3 million puts changing hands on the session.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsOver at the CBOE, the action was similar with calls leading the charge. The single-session equity put/call volume ratio plunged to 0.55 -- a one-month low. Meanwhile, the 10-day moving average continued its rollover by dropping to 0.73.Options traders zeroed in on Home Depot (NYSE:HD), Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), among others.Let's take a closer look: Home Depot (HD)Home construction giant, Home Depot, released fiscal second-quarter earnings this morning. Investors are cheering the mixed results, and HD stock is up 2.5% at the time of this writing.The company missed sales estimates by a whisker and lowered its full-year forecasts citing trade war concerns, but still delivered a bottom-line beat for the quarter. Revenue came in at $30.84 billion versus estimates for $30.99 billion. Adjusted earnings-per-share were $3.17 versus $3.08 expected. * 10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential HD stock performed poorly over the past month alongside the broad market beatdown. But, with yesterday's 2% pop and this morning's additional gains, it's well on its way to reclaiming all that has been lost.If it holds, today's gap will propel HD back above its 20-day and 50-day moving average, clearing horizontal resistance in the process. The prior highs near $219 are the next upside target.On the options trading front, traders favored calls ahead of the release. Activity swelled to 384% of the average daily volume, with 98,041 total contracts traded. Calls accounted for 58% of the tally.The options board was pricing in a 3% gap, so this morning's 2.5% jump is just inside of expectations and should deliver a slight win to volatility sellers this morning. Baidu (BIDU)Baidu approached its second-quarter earnings release in desperate need of a win. Shares of the Chinese internet company are 63% off last year's high and have one of the worst looking charts in the market.Fortunately, Wall Street likes the results, and BIDU stock is up 10% premarket. This comes on the heels of yesterday's 7.8% rally. The company earned 10.11 yuan per share, nearly doubling estimates for 6.12 yuan. Revenue grew to 26.3 billion yuan compared to forecasts of 25.76 billion yuan.On the options trading front, calls were the hot ticket during yesterday's stock surge. Total activity climbed to 228% of the average daily volume, with 148,632 contracts traded; 66% of the trading came from call options alone.Given last quarter's dramatic gap post-earnings, implied volatility was sky-high ahead of this week's report. Premiums were pricing in a 10% move, which places this morning's jump right in-line with expectations. Microsoft (MSFT)Microsoft shares have led the tech sector all year long and remain one of the strongest stocks on the planet. Yesterday's 1.7% rally returned MSFT stock to the north side of its 20-day and 50-day moving average, healing virtually all the damage inflicted during the market's recent temper tantrum.With last month's record highs of $141.68 now a stone's throw away, MSFT has a shot at reaching new heights over the coming weeks. Its absolute and relative strength should make it a mainstay on your watchlist.On the options trading front, calls were the hot ticket on the session. Activity jumped to 151% of the average daily volume, with 379,711 total contracts traded. Calls added 85% to the session's sum.With uncertainty and fear easing, implied volatility fell to 25%, landing it at the 22nd percentile of its one-year range. Premiums are now pricing in daily moves of $2.14 or 1.5%.As of this writing, Tyler Craig didn't hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Check out his recently released Bear Market Survival Guide to learn how to defend your portfolio against market volatility. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On * The 10 Biggest Losers from Q2 Earnings * 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy The post Tuesdayas Vital Data: Home Depot, Baidu and Microsoft appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks
Microsoft Buys jClarity to Strengthen Azure Java Capabilities
Microsoft's (MSFT) jClarity acquisition, in order to gain monitoring and performance analysis tools, is expected to bolster Azure customer base with companies running database on Java platform.
- Motley Fool
Why NVIDIA Stock Jumped 7% on Monday
Shares of the graphics-chip specialist got a boost from several catalysts, including the company's announcement of a big win in its gaming business.
- Investor's Business Daily
Is Salesforce Stock A Buy? Investors Mull Digital Transformation Amid Acquisitions
CRM stock has lagged software group peers as investors digest big acquisitions, such as Tableau. Could digital transformation growth drive a Salesforce stock rally.
- Zacks
Sony Unit to Boost Market Share With Insomniac Games Buyout
Sony's (SNE) integration of Insomniac Games to Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios reiterates its commitment to develop world-class gaming experiences on the PlayStation platform.
- Zacks
3 Tech Stocks for Growth Investors to Buy in August
It's time to check out 3 tech stocks that came through our screen today that growth investors might want to consider as we move beyond Q2 earnings season...
- InvestorPlace
Cybersecurity Stocks: Why Companies ‘Crash Test’ Their Technology
How do you make sure a car is really safe to drive? You crash it. That sounds a little crazy, but it makes perfect sense. There's really no better way to see how effective the seatbelt, airbags and any other safety feature is than to simulate the crash. And because these test crashes are used with dummies, you don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt. So, no harm, no foul.Source: Shutterstock Aside from testing how good the current safety features are, this kind of testing helps scientists identify the dangers they've missed. And that has led to new and more effective safety features on every vehicle on the road today.Let me use NASCAR as an example. When you've got somewhere between 30 and 40 race cars doing laps at over 100 mph, a pileup is almost unavoidable. So, the safety of the driver, pit crew and fans are of the utmost importance.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsSo, NASCAR crash tests to not only make sure the safety features work, but to find new ways to protect everyone involved. In fact, they even test their courses days before the race. And NASCAR (and the drivers) are not afraid of crashing the cars, either.It's a smart idea that has helped the races become much safer for drivers over the years since NASCAR first revved its engines in 1947.Now, companies are "crash testing" their own products and platforms to protect them from cyberhackers. Microsoft, Inc. (NASDAQ:MSFT) invited folks to try to hack their Azure Security Lab; Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced that it is going to give security researchers "special" iPhones to find weaknesses; and now the military is doing the same. Crash Testing CybersecurityRecently, the military gave seven hackers physical access to its F-15 military fighter jet. And after just two days, they found enough holes in the wall to shut down the Trusted Aircraft Download Station, which "collects reams of data from video cameras and sensors while the jet is in flight."Even worse, the hackers found bugs they had flagged during a similar test back in November, which the Air Force had tried to fix, but, clearly, it failed.Will Roper, the Air Force's top acquisition official, believes it's due to putting cybersecurity on the backburner for so long.When speaking with the Washington Post, he stated that "There are millions of lines of code that are in all of our aircraft and if there's one of them that's flawed, then a country that can't build a fighter to shoot down that aircraft might take it out with just a few keystrokes."This is a great example of why cybersecurity is so important. Technology, whether it be in the cloud or on a plane, becomes a cybercriminal's playpen when it is not adequately secured.With cyberattacks expected to increase, companies are preparing for battle by spending more money on cybersecurity to keep them at bay. Globally, Gartner expects security spending to be more than $124 billion in 2019. That number is set to about double to $248 billion by 2023.For investors, this means incredible tailwinds on the legal side of the table. And I believe I've found the company to lead the charge. It's seen strong demand, a double-digit year-over-year increase in revenue and more than a 40% increase in annual earnings growth. And that's why I recommended it in my Growth Investor newsletter.In fact, it soared on its most-recent earnings results. And thanks to its strong underlying fundamentals and growth in the booming cybersecurity industry, I don't expect this stock to run out of fuel any time soon.To get the name of this company, as well my full research report on the cybersecurity industry titled The One AI Company Set to Corner the Booming Cybersecurity Industry, sign up here. I'll also give you two other must-read reports, The A.I. Master Key and The 1 Investment for the Coming 5G Revolution, which focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G, respectively, absolutely free. These two industries are also set to see tremendous growth over years to come and I don't want you to miss out either. You can access them by clicking here.Louis Navellier is a renowned growth investor. He is the editor of four investing newsletters: Growth Investor, Breakthrough Stocks, Accelerated Profits and Platinum Growth. His most popular service, Growth Investor, has a track record of beating the market 3:1 over the last 14 years. He uses a combination of quantitative and fundamental analysis to identify market-beating stocks. Mr. Navellier has made his proven formula accessible to investors via his free, online stock rating tool, PortfolioGrader.com. Louis Navellier may hold some of the aforementioned securities in one or more of his newsletters. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Cheap Dividend Stocks to Load Up On * The 10 Biggest Losers from Q2 Earnings * 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy The post Cybersecurity Stocks: Why Companies 'Crash Test' Their Technology appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks
Apple Roundup: Tariffs, FAA, Russia, Music, App Store, Security
Good news about tariffs on iPhone, iPads, Macs, etc not kicking in until Dec 15 more than offset things like the FAA restricting some risky devices on flights, an antitrust probe in Russia and other.
- Benzinga
Large Microsoft Option Traders Selling Friday Calls Following Recent Rally
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) shares have rallied more than 3% off of last Wednesday’s lows when a yield curve inversion in U.S. Treasuries sparked an 800-point drop in the Dow. On Monday, Benzinga Pro subscribers received 22 option alerts related to unusually large trades of Microsoft options expiring on Friday. At 10:09 a.m., a trader sold 10,058 Microsoft call options with a $142 cent strike price near the bid price of 25 cents.
