FB - Facebook, Inc.
| Previous Close | 187.47 |
| Open | 187.32 |
| Bid | 187.05 x 1200 |
| Ask | 187.20 x 1200 |
| Day's Range | 186.54 - 187.97 |
| 52 Week Range | 123.02 - 208.66 |
| Volume | 11,441,116 |
| Avg. Volume | 15,222,968 |
| Market Cap | 534.044B |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 1.28 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 31.66 |
| EPS (TTM) | 5.91 |
| Earnings Date | Oct 28, 2019 - Nov 1, 2019 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | N/A (N/A) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | N/A |
| 1y Target Est | 235.55 |
- Yahoo Finance Video
Companies to Watch: SmileDirectClub looks to bounce back, Cloudflare goes public, Apple gets bad news
SmileDirectClub, Cloudflare, Apple, Broadcom and Facebook are the companies to watch.
- Bloomberg
Lawmakers Seek Intel From Customers in Big Tech Probe
(Bloomberg) -- A House panel investigating big tech companies for potential antitrust violations is seeking information from customers of Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook about the state of competition in digital markets and the adequacy of existing enforcement, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg.It’s the latest development in the bipartisan congressional investigation being conducted by House antitrust subcommittee chair David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island.The eight-page survey doesn’t mention any companies by name, but it seeks information about the industries they dominate such as mobile apps and app stores, search engines, digital advertising, social media, messaging, online commerce and logistics as well as cloud computing.The survey asks respondents to identify the top five providers for the various digital services and how much it paid each of those providers since Jan. 1 2016. It also asks for any allegations of antitrust violations or business practices that hurt competition. The committee offered respondents the possibility of confidentiality if they desired.The panel has asked for responses to its survey by mid-October.Assessing AntitrustThe survey appears geared toward businesses that pay the big technology companies for services such as cloud computing, digital advertising and help selling mobile apps and products online. It doesn’t appear to focus on general retail consumers that buy products from Amazon or iPhones from Apple.It also shows how regulators are relying on customers and competitors of Big Tech to help them better understand digital markets and and how dominant players can stifle competition. The Federal Trade Commission has been quietly interviewing online merchants that sell goods on Amazon to better understand the business.The questionnaire shows the House panel trying to assess the grip big technology companies have in various markets, a first step in probing for antitrust violations. If the panel finds competition is so scant that the customers of big technology companies have no viable alternatives, it justifies further scrutiny of business practices as well as mergers and acquisitions.The questions also suggest the panel is open to examining how antitrust laws are applied in digital markets and if enforcement and laws need to be updated.A Google spokesman declined to comment. Apple didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Amazon and Facebook both declined to comment, but pointed to previous comments by executives in which both companies said they welcomed government scrutiny and maintain they exist in markets with healthy competition. Emails to representatives for the House committee weren’t immediately answered.The survey sent to customers follows the public disclosure of letters the House antitrust subcommittee sent to Google parent Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc. and Apple Inc. Those letters, posted online, seek detailed information about acquisitions, business practices, executive communications, previous probes and lawsuits. The letters followed a July hearing in which lawmakers grilled tech executives.The House panel has been the most visible of various probes of technology companies. Representative Cicilline has been a vocal critic.Speaking at an antitrust conference in Washington, D.C. last week, he said, “you would be amazed” at the number of companies that have come forward with concerns about the potentially unfair way that big tech companies compete. Some have even expressed fear that the tech giants will respond with economic retaliation if the smaller companies’ concerns are made public, Cicilline said, without providing more detail.The House panel’s probe is part of a broader examination of the control companies such as Amazon, Google and Facebook have over the U.S. economy. The FTC is investigating Amazon and Facebook while the Justice Department is probing Google. Separately, 50 state attorneys general have announced an antitrust probe of Google.(Adds requested date for survey responses in fifth paragraph. An earlier version corrected the spelling of David Cicilline.)\--With assistance from Naomi Nix and Ben Brody.To contact the reporter on this story: Spencer Soper in Seattle at ssoper@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Ian FisherFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Decrypt
Calibra executive: Why Facebook's Libra needs a blockchain
Calibra COO, Tomer Barel, explained that Libra will compete with cash effectively because it's not owned by a single entity.
- Reuters
Global regulators to question Facebook's Libra amid EU concerns: paper
Officials from 26 central banks, including the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of England, will meet with representatives of Libra in Basel on Monday, the FT said, citing officials. Libra's founders have also been invited to answer key questions about the currency's scope and design, FT said. Facebook did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment outside regular business hours.
- Financial Times
Central banks to grill Facebook over Libra
Facebook will be quizzed by global regulators on its planned Libra coin project amid concerns from EU governments over the threat the digital currency poses to financial stability. Representatives of ...
- Market Realist
Google Agrees to $1 Billion Settlement with France
Google has agreed to make a one-time settlement of over $945 million euros to the French ministry. The ministry accused Google of evading taxes.
- Reuters
UPDATE 1-Facebook fact-checker finds UK Conservatives ran ads with altered BBC headline
One of Facebook's third-party fact-checkers accused Britain's governing Conservative Party on Friday of misrepresenting a BBC News article in its ads on the social media platform. Full Fact, which is part of the third-party fact-checking program created by Facebook to fight misinformation on the platform, said it had been scrutinizing online advertising ahead of a possible snap election in the country. The charity said it had raised its concerns with Facebook.
- Investor's Business Daily
Is Shopify Stock A Buy Right Now? Huge Stock Market Winner Is Flashing A Long-Term Sell Signal
Shopify has been a huge winner in 2019. Earnings are booming and the company plans to compete more with Amazon. But with software stocks under pressure, is SHOP stock a buy now?
- Investor's Business Daily
How To Invest: Why The Double Bottom Base In Facebook Showed Beautiful Symmetry
A double bottom base pattern only occasionally sketches a proportionate design. They are often distorted and difficult to recognize. Yet symmetry is key.
- Yahoo Finance
Lawmakers request tech giants' records for antitrust investigation
Lawmakers asked Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple for a broad range of documents, another step in Congress's anti-trust investigation of the big tech companies.
- GuruFocus.com
Largest Insider Trades of the Week
Zuckerberg dumps more Facebook shares Continue reading...
- Market Realist
Google: Is Its News Service Trying to Get ahead of News Corp?
Google (GOOGL) updated its online news search technology to prioritize original reporting when returning search results.
- GuruFocus.com
The Facebook Addiction
The science and mechanism behind Facebook's addictive products Continue reading...
- Market Realist
Big Tech Troubles: Will Google Staff Work Hard?
This week has been rough for big tech companies. On Monday, 50 states and territories announced that they're launching an antitrust investigation into Google.
- InvestorPlace
3 Friday the 13th Images to Post on Social Media
Today is Friday the 13th and InvestorPlace has put together a collection of images to share on social media.Source: Raiden Pictures / Shutterstock Not only is it Friday the 13th, but there's also a full moon tonight. It might just be the perfect time to plan for something spooky. Personally, I'm going to go watch IT Chapter Two tonight. You don't have to spend money to enjoy the day though. Maybe just take some time to check out the full moon instead.So why exactly do people get bothered on Friday the 13th? It all comes down to superstitions. Some believe that the date brings with it bad luck. There's no real way to prove that, but it doesn't keep some people from worry about the day any less.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 7 Discount Retail Stocks to Buy for a Recession It's also interesting to note that we don't really know the origins of the superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th. It's possible that all of this started back in the Middle Ages, but the history surrounding the day is a bit murky. Either way, it's best not to let it be a bother.Check out the following gallery for a short collection of Friday the 13th images to share on Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Instagram, Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) and other places online.Friday the 13th Images to Post on Social Media * 10 Battered Tech Stocks to Buy Now Friday the 13th Images to Post on Social Media * 10 Stocks to Sell in Market-Cursed September Friday the 13th Images to Post on Social Media * 7 Stocks to Buy In a Flat Market As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.The post 3 Friday the 13th Images to Post on Social Media appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace
Facebook Stock Will Trend Higher as FB’s Advertising Revenue Grows
In terms of stock gains, it's been a good year for Facebook (NASDAQ:FB). FB stock has moved higher by 43%, and the rally has been backed by strong fundamental factors. I believe that the rally of FB stock can continue. In this column, I will discuss the key factor that is likely to ensure that the stock's positive momentum lasts a lot longer.Source: Ink Drop / Shutterstock.com I want to emphasize that I am expecting Facebook stock to rise over the long-term. Therefore, this column is primarily geared towards long-term investors. Those investors should buy FB stock on any weakness. FB's Average Revenue Per User Will Trend HigherFacebook's daily active user count has increased from 1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2017 to 1.6 billion in Q2 of 2019. FB has also benefited from a steady uptrend of monthly active users. With internet penetration still increasing in emerging markets, I expect the uptrend to continue.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsHowever, the catalyst for the company's upcoming revenue increases and for the long-term gains of FB stock will be its average revenue per user (ARPU). There are some interesting aspects of the company's monthly active users (MAU) and of its ARPU. * 7 Discount Retail Stocks to Buy for a Recession The United States and Canada contribute just 10.1% of its MAU. However, these two countries, which have an ARPU of $33.27, account for 48.8% of its total revenue. In Europe, its ARPU is $10.70. Its ARPU in Asia Pacific and the rest of the world is $3.04 and $2.13, respectively.Clearly, FB can tremendously increase its ARPU in Asia Pacific and the rest of the world. Due to increasing internet and smartphone adoption in emerging markets, more advertising spending in those areas will shift online. That will take the company's ARPU higher in the coming years. The Potential Impact on FB's RevenueFor Q2, FB reported total revenue of $16.9 billion, $12.2 billion of which came from the United States, Canada and Europe. Therefore, revenue from Asia Pacific and ROW was just $4.7 billion.However, the MAU from Asia Pacific and the rest of the world was 1.78 billion.If that MAU figure remains the same and the ARPU from those regions increases to $10, the total quarterly revenue from Asia Pacific and ROW will be $17.9 billion.Even if FB's total revenue from U.S., Canada and Europe remains unchanged, in that scenario Facebook's total quarterly revenue would jump to $30.0 billion, versus its current level of $16.9 billion. That is a conservative estimate, as I am assuming that the company's revenue from the U.S., Canada and Europe remains flat.Of course, this hypothetical scenario won't unfold overnight or even in the next few years. But in a number of regions, Facebook's ARPU is quite low, and that will gradually change.As its ARPU and MAU rise, Facebook is well-positioned to generate sustained revenue, earnings and cash-flow growth. Of course, those trends will provide positive catalysts for FB stock FB Might Pay Dividends SoonAs of Q2, Facebook had cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $48.6 billion. In addition, FB generated $4.8 billion of free cash flow in Q2. This implies annual free cash flow of almost $20 billion.Given its high cash reserves, FB can start paying dividends within the next 12-18 months. When FB announces that it's going to start paying dividends, FB stock will rally.Facebook has actively been repurchasing FB stock, and that has created some shareholder value. However, dividends will certainly boost Facebook stock further and attract more investors, since the company's healthy cash flows should enable it to steadily raise its dividends. Final Thoughts on FB StockConsidering the steady growth of the company's monthly active users and its ability to boost its top line, FB looks poised to be a cash-flow machine over the long-term.Overall, FB stock is attractive. Investors should consider buying it at its current levels and on any correction driven by stock market pullbacks.As of this writing, Faisal Humayun did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Big IPO Stocks From 2019 to Watch * 7 Discount Retail Stocks to Buy for a Recession * 7 Stocks to Buy Benefiting From Millennial Money The post Facebook Stock Will Trend Higher as FB's Advertising Revenue Grows appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Zacks
Yelp (YELP) Adds Features to Improve Customer Experience
Yelp (YELP) unveils a set of tech tools to cater to the needs of both diners and restaurants.
- Zacks
Facebook's (FB) Focus on Local News to Aid Market Share
Facebook's (FB) Today In reflects its efforts to penetrate smaller cities in the United States in a bid to boost its market share.
- Yahoo Finance
Exclusive: Facebook exec says content moderation is 'never going to be perfect'
“It's never going to be perfect but at scale it is a remarkable achievement,” says John DeVine, Vice President of Global Operations.
- Bloomberg
Lawmakers Demand Records from Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple
(Bloomberg) -- A House panel conducting a broad antitrust investigation of the technology sector is demanding that companies turn over a trove of internal records about their business practices as it ramps up scrutiny of the industry.Rhode Island Democrat David Cicilline, who is leading the House antitrust subcommittee’s inquiry into large internet companies, said it is sending letters Friday to Google parent Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc. and Apple Inc. asking for detailed information about acquisitions, business practices, executive communications, previous probes and lawsuits.The letters, which were addressed to the top executives of each company, mark the most aggressive demands by the House panel since June, when it began a bipartisan investigation into whether large tech platforms are harming competition.“We made it clear when we launched this bipartisan investigation that we plan to get all the facts we need to diagnose the problems in the digital marketplace,” Cicilline said in a statement. “Today’s document requests are an important milestone in this investigation as we work to obtain the information that our members need to make this determination.”The letters were also signed by the top Republican on the subcommittee, Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, as well as the top Democrat and the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, of which the antitrust panel is a part.The requests come as the technology giants find themselves swamped by antitrust inquiries by the federal government as well as state attorneys general, which announced probes of Google and Facebook this week.The lawmakers also requested executive communications about prior government probes and lawsuits and said they would not recognize attorney-client privilege as a reason for the companies to refuse to provide requested records.The panel asked Facebook about its purchases of the WhatsApp chat platform and the Instagram photo app, which were both approved by federal antitrust regulators. They asked to see communications from Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, former general counsel Colin Stretch and policy chief Kevin Martin.The committee wants to know whether Google is shutting out rivals on its platforms or imposing restrictions that could harm competition. It asked for discussions by executives about whether non-Google companies with competing ad technology can participate in Google ad auctions or place ads on YouTube. The lawmakers also asked for discussions about any agreements between Android and smartphone manufacturers that give Google exclusive rights to collect data from devices.The lawmakers asked about 24 Google products and services, including its mobile operating system Android, Gmail, the Google Play store, YouTube and its mapping service Waze. The letter seeks information on executives’ discussions of major acquisitions including ad technology company DoubleClick, YouTube and Android.Asked about the request, Google pointed to a Sept. 6 blog post by top lawyer Kent Walker, who said the company’s “services help people, create more choice, and support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the United States.”The other companies didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.The panel asked for details about 12 of Apple’s products and services, including its App Store, Apple Watch, iPhone, Mac and Siri. It wants to see communications to and from Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook and 13 other executives about policies and decisions involving the company’s App Store, such as the algorithm that determines the search ranking of apps and whether to allow other app stores on the iPhone. They also requested records about Apple’s offer to replace ailing iPhone batteries.The lawmakers’ request to Amazon focuses on the company’s online marketplace, including how it handles proprietary data of third-party sellers on its platform and how its product search algorithm works. They demand answers about Amazon’s 2018 deal to sell new Apple devices on its website, which has also attracted questions from the Federal Trade Commission.The lawmakers seek information about acquisitions by Amazon, including audio book company Audible, upscale grocery store chain Whole Foods, and pharmacy delivery company PillPack.The antitrust panel has already held a hearing on the effect of digital platforms such as Google and Facebook on the news industry, as well as a session on innovation and entrepreneurship in July that featured appearances by executives from Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon.(Updates with Google response in 11th paragraph)\--With assistance from David McLaughlin.To contact the reporters on this story: Naomi Nix in Washington at nnix1@bloomberg.net;Ben Brody in Washington, D.C. at btenerellabr@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sara Forden at sforden@bloomberg.net, Mark Niquette, Kathleen HunterFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- InvestorPlace
Apple Stock Is Supported by Robust Services Growth
One of the world's largest technology companies, iPhone maker Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), just had its biggest day of the year. Recently, the company unveiled a suite of new products and services for the rest of this year and the next. In response to this product launch event, Apple stock has soared to fresh 2019 highs.Source: Shutterstock That must mean the new iPhone is going to sell well, right? After all, for the past decade, as go Apple's iPhone sales, so goes Apple stock. Despite the iPhone 11 Flopping, AAPL Is Moving HigherBut that's no longer the case today. Instead, most analysts, insiders, and investors think that the iPhone 11 will be a flop. That's mostly because the smartphone critically lacks 5G capability whereas many other new smartphones do have this new tech.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsIndeed, early responses to the iPhone 11 have been tepid. The only iPhone news I saw trending on Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) the night of the reveal is how the new phone is triggering people with trypophobia. According to Wikipedia, is an "aversion to the sight of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes, or bumps." That's not exactly a bullish read on forthcoming iPhone 11 sales. * 10 Battered Tech Stocks to Buy Now In other words, AAPL stock is soaring to 2019 highs in spite of the fact that most people think the iPhone 11 will be a bust. How is that possible?One word: services.Apple's Services business has been the talk of the town for several years now. Broadly, Apple is no longer hyper-focused on growing its ecosystem of hardware users. Instead, the company is focused on deeply engaging and monetizing that ecosystem through subscription-style software services. The launch event showed that these services are on the up and up, with Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade set to launch soon at compelling price points.And that was enough to get investors to buy AAPL stock. But will this rally continue? I think so. Here's why: Services Are on the Up and UpApple's Services business is on the up and up. That's hugely important for AAPL stock, because it is the key to big profit growth in the long run.Here are the numbers: Apple's Product business has grown revenues at a choppy 2% rate over the past three years, is down about 6% so far in 2019. It currently runs at 33% and produces shrinking gross margins.Apple's Services business, meanwhile, has grown revenues at a steady 20%-plus pace over the past three years. It's up about 15% so far in 2019, and runs at 63% and is expanding gross margins.To be sure, the Products business is far bigger today. It accounts for about 80% of overall revenues. But the Services business is clearly the big growth driver here.Fortunately, that Services business is on the up and up. By the end of 2020, Apple will have a streaming TV service (Apple TV+), a video game streaming service (Apple Arcade), a music streaming service (Apple Music), and a news subscription service (Apple News+). It will also still own the App Store and iCloud.Here's the big picture: Apple's Services business will continue to grow at a double-digit pace for a lot longer. That will push Apple's overall margin profile higher in the long run, because the Services business runs at nearly double the margins as the Products business.Thus, so long as the Services growth trajectory remains on track, Apple will reasonably project as a steady revenue and profit grower in the long run. Apple Stock Has RunwayThe big bear argument against Apple stock is that it trades at 19-times forward earnings. That is both significantly above the historically average multiple for AAPL stock, and a decade high valuation for the stock.The response to the bearish argument? This isn't the Apple stock of 2015. It's the Apple stock of 2019, with the big difference being the Services business.Come 2025, there's a reasonable chance for Apple's Services business to account for about a third of overall revenues. Thus, by that time, Apple will be two parts stable growth, low margin hardware business, and one part hyper-growth, high margin software business.That former characteristic wasn't there back in 2015. Back then, this was 100% a stable growth, low margin hardware business. As such, it makes sense that during this big Services push, Apple stock is being re-rated higher, to account for bigger growth and a more attractive and sustainable margin profile.Indeed, relative to other large capitalization software growth stocks of this ilk, Apple stock is still pretty cheap. Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) all trade well north of 20-times forward earnings. I'm not saying Apple stock should be as richly valued as those stocks. It shouldn't. Facebook, Microsoft, and Alphabet are all growing more quickly.But I am saying that at 19-times forward earnings, AAPL stock isn't overvalued. Instead, the valuation seems fair. A fair valuation coupled with healthy fundamentals is a combination which should keep the stock on a winning path. Bottom Line on AAPL StockI don't love Apple stock here. But I do think it can head higher. So long as the outlook in the Services business remains robust -- which it does today -- then AAPL stock should benefit from a dual tailwind of upward estimates revisions and multiple expansion.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long FB and GOOG. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Battered Tech Stocks to Buy Now * 7 Strong-Buy Stocks Hedge Funds Are Buying Now * The 7 Best Penny Stocks to Buy The post Apple Stock Is Supported by Robust Services Growth appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Financial Times
Book reviews of the week
Only one book could be expected to dominate reviews this week, and that is of course Margaret Atwood’s eagerly awaited sequel to ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. Elsewhere, our reviewers delve into the evolution of women’s fiction, surreal short stories and how Christianity shaped the west.
