GOOG - Alphabet Inc.
1,189.53 0.00 (0.00%)
After hours: 4:56PM EDT
| Previous Close | 1,191.25 |
| Open | 1,194.07 |
| Bid | 1,187.40 x 900 |
| Ask | 1,190.50 x 800 |
| Day's Range | 1,178.58 - 1,198.01 |
| 52 Week Range | 970.11 - 1,289.27 |
| Volume | 884,231 |
| Avg. Volume | 1,508,729 |
| Market Cap | 824.932B |
| Beta (3Y Monthly) | 0.96 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 24.01 |
| EPS (TTM) | 49.53 |
| Earnings Date | N/A |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | N/A (N/A) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | N/A |
| 1y Target Est | 1,389.00 |
- Yahoo Finance
Tesla shareholder: 'I don't want this company to sell...it's so, so undervalued'
HyperChange founder and CEO, Galileo Russell explains to Yahoo Finance why he thinks Tesla is should not sell itself to another company.
- Yahoo Finance
Exclusive: 'Ready to stomp on it': Documents reveal staggering power of tech giant lobbying
A Yahoo Finance investigation reveals a lobbying campaign on behalf of big tech to stop data privacy bills this year in at least 13 states.
- CNET
Google's Android Q has officially lost its sweet tooth
From The Daily Charge: No more candy and desserts -- Google is playing the numbers game with the next flavor of Android.
- TechCrunch
Google ditches desserts as Q becomes Android 10
The dessert naming scheme was one of the best-loved legacies from Google(though some were notably better than others)
- TechCrunch
Google proposes new privacy and anti-fingerprinting controls for the web
Google today announced a new long-term initiative that, if fully realized,will make it harder for online marketers and advertisers to track you acrossthe web
- Reuters
UPDATE 2-YouTube finds influence campaign tied to Hong Kong protests
Alphabet Inc's Google announced on Thursday that its YouTube streaming video service disabled 210 channels appearing to engage in a coordinated influence operation around the Hong Kong protests, days after Twitter and Facebook said they dismantled a similar campaign originating in mainland China. "This discovery was consistent with recent observations and actions related to China announced by Facebook and Twitter," said Shane Huntley, one of Google's security leaders, in a blog post. Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc on Monday said that channels they had removed had engaged in a state-backed effort by China to undermine the protests in Hong Kong through posts calling participants dangerous and vile extremists.
- American City Business Journals
California companies drive up competition, cost for Seattle tech talent
Seattle software engineers make an average $116,500 base salary a year, and California companies broadening their Seattle-area bases drive those figures up.
- Bloomberg
YouTube Closes 210 Accounts Tied to Hong Kong Influence Campaign
(Bloomberg) -- Google said it disabled 210 YouTube channels involved in “coordinate influence operations” around the Hong Kong protests, following similar measures earlier this week by social media companies Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc.The Alphabet Inc. unit didn’t specify which channels were shut down in Thursday’s blog post announcing the decision. But the post said the company discovered accounts “consistent with recent observations and actions related to China” from Facebook and Twitter.The social media companies said earlier this week that they had removed hundreds of accounts linked to the Chinese government that were pushing messages meant to undermine the legitimacy of the protests in Hong Kong. Twitter also blocked advertising from state-controlled media. Facebook and Google have not made similar moves on advertising.YouTube, like Google search and other social media services, does not operate in China.To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Bergen in San Francisco at mbergen10@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Andrew Pollack, Robin AjelloFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Reuters
News Corp developing 'Knewz.com' service to take on Google News: WSJ
It will draw from hundreds of news sources, including national outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, the Washington Post and NBC News, digital-native players, magazine publishers and local newspapers, the Journal said. News Corp, which owns Dow Jones Newswires, HarperCollins book publishing business and the Wall Street Journal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- MarketWatch
Trump to press Macron over France's digital services tax at G7, official says
President Donald Trump will raise the issue of France's tax on U.S. tech giants including Amazon and Google when he meets French President Emmanuel Macron during a G7 meeting this weekend, a senior administration official said Thursday. In July, the French Senate approved a 3% tax that will apply to revenue from digital services earned in France by companies with revenue above certain thresholds. Trump has previously threatened what he called "substantial reciprocal action" for the tax, and suggested the U.S. could slap tariffs on French wine. The G7 meetings will be held in Biarritz, France Saturday through Monday.
- Motley Fool
Google Is Ditching Its Sweet Tooth in Android Rebrand
The search giant casts off desserts.
- Investopedia
Twitter Nears Critical Test at 2018 High
Twitter has rallied nearly 50% so far in 2019 and could lift into big tech leadership with a breakout above the 2018 high.
- InvestorPlace
5 Pros (And 5 Cons) About Apple Stock
When it comes to Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock over the past several years, I've worn many hats -- including both the bear's hat and the bull's hat.Source: View Apart / Shutterstock.com Today, though, I choose not to wear either hat. The risk-reward profile on AAPL stock at current levels seems balanced. That is to say, there are some things to like about Apple stock. There also some things not to like about Apple stock. The things to like largely cancel out with things not to like, and net net, neither the bull nor the bear thesis on AAPL stock looks all that compelling to me at the current moment.To be sure, long term, Apple stock will go higher. But, the near term will probably be choppy, and that choppiness isn't something I'm too interested in buying into.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsWithout further do, then, let's dive into five pros and five cons about AAPL stock, and see how the risks and rewards balance each other out here. 5 Pros About Apple StockIn no particular order, here are five pros about Apple stock right now.The Secular Growth Narrative Remains (Largely) Robust. Apple remains the Western world's favorite consumer technology company, with its products dominating the smartphone, laptop and smartwatch worlds. Sure, unit growth in those consumer hardware arenas is maxing out. But, Apple is successfully pivoting towards a software-driven growth narrative wherein Apple monetizes its extensive hardware install base with multiple subscription software services. Consumers are buying these services, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future because they are addicted to the iOS ecosystem. In the long run then Apple's revenues and profits should grind higher, as should AAPL stock. * 10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential China Headwinds Are Easing. China has been a big problem for Apple because: 1) Apple's big growth engine is the China market, 2) China's economic growth is slowing, and 3) elevated trade war tensions between the U.S. and China create increased pricing risk for Apple's products. But, there are signs emerging that China's economy is starting to stabilize, and it appears elevated trade tensions are now cooling. Currency headwinds are also moderating. As such, Apple's China numbers should improve in the back-half of 2019.Big Services Catalysts Are on the Horizon. Apple has a few very big services catalysts on the horizon, including the launch of Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade in the last few months of 2019. If those services gain widespread traction quickly -- and they should, given that they have been hyped up and that Apple is pouring billions of dollars into them -- then investors will grow increasingly bullish on the long-term growth prospects of Apple's services business as we head into the close of 2019. That investor sentiment boost should provide a lift to AAPL stock. Click to EnlargeThe Chart Looks Pretty Good. In late 2018, Apple stock put in a multi-year bottom. Ever since, the stock has been a solid uptrend, forming a healthy multi-quarter support line which the stock has tested and held multiple times. So long as the stock keeps holding this support line, its technicals remain favorable for AAPL stock to stay in an uptrend.The Stock Is Cheap Relative to its Peer Group. AAPL stock presently trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 16.6. That is about as cheap of a forward earnings multiple as you will find in big tech. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) all trade over 20x forward earnings. 5 Cons About Apple StockAlso in no particular order, here are five cons about Apple stock right now.Some Cracks Are Starting to Form in the Secular Growth Narrative, Especially on the iPhone Side. The secular growth narrative of Apple pivoting into software growth as hardware growth has maxed out looks good. But, it's built on this idea that Apple will maintain a huge hardware install base. There are signs that Apple's hardware install base is already shrinking, though, as multiple reports (see here and here) point to the iPhone actually losing global market share over the past several quarters. If this trend accelerates -- admittedly, a big "if" -- then Apple's secular growth narrative could weaken dramatically.China Is a Wildcard With More Turbulence Coming. Apple's China headwinds are easing right now. But, the U.S.-China trade war is cyclical. It goes from "things are progressing," to more tariffs, to "things are progressing, again" -- and cycles through those phases back and forth. As such, there is another shoe waiting to drop here, and when it does drop, AAPL stock could get hit.Holiday iPhone Sales Will Likely Be Weak. Apple's 5G iPhones are set to launch next year. What about this year's new iPhone? It won't incorporate 5G, and that's big because other smartphone manufacturers are launching 5G phones in 2019. Thus, this holiday season, the smartphone landscape will include non-5G iPhones, and 5G "other smartphones." That isn't a favorable backdrop for healthy iPhone sales.Antitrust Risks Loom Large. I mostly subscribe to the idea that the legal fight against big tech amounts to just noise. Nonetheless, noise creates uncertainty, and investors tend to shy away from uncertainty. Thus, antitrust risks are an optical negative for AAPL stock.The Stock is Expensive Relative to its Historical Standard. While AAPL stock may be cheap next to its peers, it's also expensive relative to its historical standard. Specifically, Apple stock's five-year-average forward earnings multiple is about 14X -- roughly 25% below the current forward earnings multiple. The premium is being warranted by this idea that Apple's new software-driven growth narrative is higher margin and has more stability. Thus, if this software-driven growth narrative deteriorates at all, AAPL stock could be due for a sizable valuation pullback. Bottom Line on Apple StockThere are things to like about AAPL stock here -- good growth, easing headwinds, big catalysts, favorable technicals and a relatively cheap valuation. There are also things not to like about AAPL stock here -- cracks forming in the growth profile, wildcard trade and antitrust risks on the horizon, weak iPhone sales expected this holiday season and an above-average valuation.Putting all that together, it becomes fairly clear that the risk-reward profile on Apple stock is balanced. Until it tips one way or the other, I'm content on watching the Apple show from the sidelines.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long FB, GOOG, AMZN and NFLX. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Marijuana Stocks That Could See 100% Gains, If Not More * 11 Stocks Under $10 to Buy Now * 6 China Stocks to Buy on the Dip The post 5 Pros (And 5 Cons) About Apple Stock appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Bloomberg
Google Counters Apple, Firefox With a Plan for Online Privacy
(Bloomberg) -- Google outlined a plan to try and make surfing the web more private while still allowing enough targeted advertising to keep publishers -- and itself -- in business.Google’s suggestions include cryptographic tokens users can amass showing they are trustworthy, using artificial intelligence to show people relevant ads based on minimal information and storing personally-identifiable data on someone’s device rather than in their browser.The internet giant said it will propose the changes for debate before the organizations that set common rules for the Internet. That means Google wants the entire web to adopt the new rules, instead of just installing them on its own Chrome browser. The move shows Google is being proactive in making sure its ideas for how the web should work are the ones that win out in the future.The changes would surely improve privacy, but Google is also pushing back against privacy initiatives started by Mozilla Corp.’s Firefox and Apple Inc.’s Safari browsers that it says are too heavy-handed. Those browsers have started blocking cookies -- little bits of code that lodge in people’s browsers and follow them around the web helping advertisers place valuable, targeted ads.Google doesn’t want cookies to go away, because it says they help publishers make money from their content and keeps the web vibrant. Of course, they also help Google, which is the largest and most profitable online advertising company in the world.Changes to internet standards, the common rules that allow different websites to work on different browsers, can take years. But Google often leads the way by simply updating Chrome and forcing the rest of the web to adapt, something it can do because its browser is used by around 70% of internet users worldwide.To contact the reporter on this story: Gerrit De Vynck in New York at gdevynck@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Andrew MartinFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Benzinga
Microsoft The Latest To Be Criticized For Using Humans To Listen To User Audio
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is the latest tech company to be criticized for using humans to review audio captured through devices, raising more privacy concerns about in-home tech. Vice reported that contractors working for Microsoft were paid to listen to audio from Xbox users in the hopes of improving the gaming system’s voice command capabilities. The company responded in a statement to Vice that it has stopped listening to voice recordings captured by Xbox systems, though recordings are still made.
- Market Realist
Has Amazon Outperformed SPY in the Past Five Days?
Since August 14, Amazon (AMZN) has risen 3.4%. In the same period, the SPDR S&P; 500 ETF (SPY) has risen 3.0%. Let's see why AMZN outperformed.
- InvestorPlace
Alphabet Stock Is the Top AI Investment
Most investors understand that artificial intelligence is going to be a huge long-term growth driver in the tech industry. Experts predict AI will completely revolutionize the economy and the world, making companies more efficient and ultimately more profitable.Source: Piotr Swat / Shutterstock.com At this point, AI is in its infancy. But a handful of tech companies are already offering digital assistants, AI helpers that answer questions and perform simple tasks for users. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) all have popular AI digital assistants on the market. The TestAs any GOOGL stock investor knows about the online advertising business, the company that jumps out in front in a particular technology tends to ride that first-mover advantage for years or even decades. It's still early to determine which company will ultimately dominate the market when it comes to AI personal assistants. But investors should pay close attention to who is winning the AI horse race.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 10 Marijuana Stocks to Ride High on the Farm Bill Loup Ventures recently pitted three of the top AI personal assistants head-to-head in a performance test. AI will eventually perform all kinds of complicated functions -- the Loup Ventures test was simply to see which assistant could meet the practical needs of today's users.Loup asked Alphabet's Google Assistant, Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa AI assistants 800 questions. It then scored each assistant based on both their comprehension and ability to answer questions correctly. Loup's questions were simple, practical questions not designed to trick the AI software. Instead, Loup was attempting to reflect the type of general questions real users would ask. For example, "Where is the nearest coffee shop?" Good News for Alphabet StockLoup has conducted this competition several times before, and each time they have gotten a similar result."Google Assistant was the top performer in four of the five categories but fell short of Siri in the Command category again," Loup Ventures analysts Gene Munster and Will Thompson said.Google Assistant was the only AI assistant that correctly understood 100% of the 800 questions. It was also the only assistant that correctly answered at least 90% of them. Google Assistant correctly answered 92.9% of the 800 questions. Siri understood 99.8% of questions and answered 83.1% correctly. Alexa understood 99.9% of questions but answered only 79.8% correctly.The analysts said the results were consistent with past tests."Many of the same trends continue; Google outperforms in information-related questions, Siri handles commands best, and the ranking of utility based on the number of questions answered has remained the same (Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa), but there have been dramatic improvements on each platform and in each category in the few short years that we have been tracking the progress of digital assistants," Munster and Thompson said.Not only was Google Assistant the top performer, it was also the most improved from Loup's last test. Google Assistant's percentage of correct answers was up 7% from 13 months ago. Siri's accuracy was up 5%, while Alexa's was up 18%. Long Way to GoAlphabet stock investors would love to declare Google the winner in AI technology. Loup Ventures warned against reading too much into the results."Today, they are able to understand, within reason, everything you say to them, and the primary use cases are well built out, but they are not generally intelligent," Munster and Thompson said.Obviously, AI is is going to be big money for the next decade or two, so this is bullish news for GOOGL stock. But all of these assistants have a long way to go. Yes, this market is wide open and massive. But companies don't need AI to tell them where the nearest coffee shop is. AI has a lot of fine-tuning ahead before it can approach the level of creativity, critical thinking and decision-making that humans do on a daily basis.The good news for Alphabet stock is that Google Assistant is off to a great start. If Google ultimately becomes the gold standard of AI, the potential upside for GOOGL stock price will be massive.As of this writing, Wayne Duggan did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Marijuana Stocks That Could See 100% Gains, If Not More * 11 Stocks Under $10 to Buy Now * 6 China Stocks to Buy on the Dip The post Alphabet Stock Is the Top AI Investment appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- InvestorPlace
The $34 Price Ceiling Still Blocks the Growth of AMD Stock
Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) stock trades in a no man's land. The equity made a dramatic and deserved comeback under CEO Lisa Su. Now it holds a market lead over Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and has become a competitive threat to rival Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA).Source: Grzegorz Czapski / Shutterstock.com However, headwinds from within the company and the macro economy could mean that AMD stock will struggle to gain traction for the foreseeable future. The $34 Ceiling HoldsFew can deny the dramatic turnaround AMD stock has made under Lisa Su. She has taken AMD from a company struggling for survival to one that has leaped ahead of archrival Intel by years. The company's 7nm Rome processor launched on August 7 amid an environment where Intel struggles to release a 10nm Xeon processor.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThe biggest problem I see for Advanced Micro Devices stock is the one I mentioned before earnings--the $34 per share price ceiling. Earnings of 8 cents per share saw the company meet estimates on a non-GAAP basis. From a GAAP standpoint, earnings of 3 cents per share actually fell short of expectations by a penny per share. Quarterly revenues of $1.53 billion beat estimates by a relatively modest $10 million. * 10 Marijuana Stocks to Ride High on the Farm Bill Due to this lackluster report, the $34 per share price ceiling held firm. The AMD stock price fell below $28 per share by August 5. Three days later, news that Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL, NASDAQ:GOOG) would use AMD processors for Google Cloud quickly sent it back to the $34 price ceiling. Unfortunately for bulls, that limit held again, and now, Advanced Micro Devices stock trades at under $32 per share.From a fundamental standpoint, Advanced Micro's inability to go to $35 per share and beyond seems hard to understand. AMD stock currently trades at a forward price-earnings (PE) ratio of around 29. While not cheap from an S&P 500 standpoint, it seems a little low for a semiconductor stock at the top of its game.Investors might recall that Nvidia traded at over 50-times earnings before the fall 2018 stock selloff. Moreover, Wall Street estimates profit growth of 37% for the current fiscal year and 68.3% the next. Investors have often paid much higher multiples for lower growth. AMD Faces Internal and Macro HeadwindsStill, despite AMD stock appearing inexpensive, I would wait until the $34 price ceiling breaks before buying it. For one, some have cast doubts that AMD's Ryzen chip works as fast as advertised. Despite this news, AMD still maintains a wide lead over Intel. However, this may also indicate that AMD has some work to do on this chip. Such news could dampen confidence in Advanced Micro Devices stock.Moreover, AMD stock could also become the victim of macro headwinds. AMD first achieved its multi-year high of around $34 per share in September 2018. During last year's fall season, the selloff wiped out more than half of its value before the recovery earlier this year.Now, the yield curve has inverted, indicating that a recession may come soon. I do not think this changes the long-term bull thesis on AMD. However, it could lower revenues in the near term. Also, in such an environment, investors tend to show a lower tolerance for high multiples.Furthermore, the continuing trade war with China creates further concerns. As Faisal Humayan points out, China accounts for about 30% of AMD's business. This places in doubt the company's ability to do business with Chinese tech giant Huawei. For now, the Trump administration has lifted restrictions. However, it should surprise nobody if this Huawei ban gets reinstated. The Bottom Line on AMD StockThough AMD will remain a force in the semi industry, investors should avoid Advanced Micro Devices stock for now. Usually, I would encourage investors to buy an equity in AMD's position. A forward PE of 29 and profit growth north of 30% typically seems like a reasonable bet. Moreover, its lead over arch-nemesis Intel should bode well for the company.However, the inability of AMD stock to stay above $34 per share limits the potential for near-term gains. Furthermore, lower-than-advertised speeds for the Rome processor could put pressure on shares as the company addresses this issue. Finally, macroeconomic conditions such as a possible recession and an extended trade war could dull the appetite for equities across the board.AMD is a long-term winner, and the $34 per share price ceiling cannot hold forever mathematically. However, as long as it remains intact, AMD stock is only a buy at a significantly lower or higher price.As of this writing, Will Healy did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned stocks. You can follow Will on Twitter at @HealyWriting. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Marijuana Stocks to Ride High on the Farm Bill * 8 Biotech Stocks to Watch After the Q2 Earnings Season * 7 Unusual, Growth-Oriented REITs to Buy for Your Portfolio The post The $34 Price Ceiling Still Blocks the Growth of AMD Stock appeared first on InvestorPlace.
- Market Realist
Tesla Autopilot Troubles Go Way beyond Crashes
Tesla Autopilot is usually in the news due to crashes. In August, a Tesla car crashed in Russia when the autopilot feature was turned on.
- InvestorPlace
It Looks as If Facebook Stock Could Be the Best of the FAANG Stocks
Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is having a great recovery year in 2019. Up 40.2% year to date through August 20, Facebook stock is closing in on $200, a mere 16% from its all-time high of $218.62. Source: Wachiwit / Shutterstock.com That's got me wondering if Facebook stock the best FAANG stock to buy at the moment. To help me, I'm going to lean on my good friend, free cash flow, to determine the answer. For those of you that are unfamiliar with free cash flow, it is the cash a business generates that's not required to carry on routine operations. Free cash flow can be allocated for dividends, share repurchases, acquisitions, debt repayment, and keeping it in the bank for a rainy day. InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Free Cash and Facebook StockFacebook's current free cash flow in the trailing 12 months ended June 30 is $17.9 billion. In the first six months of the year, Facebook used $1.65 billion to repurchase 9.3 million shares, an average price paid of $177.42, a return on investment of 3.6% based on a current share price of $183.81. Facebook paid no dividends during the quarter and doesn't intend to in the future. * 10 Undervalued Stocks With Breakout Potential During the first six months of the year, it made no material acquisitions. As for debt, it has a $2 billion credit facility, but none of it has been drawn. It finished the second quarter with $48.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, $3.9 billion of which was added in the past six months. A useful metric for determining a stock's relative value is free cash flow yield, which is defined as free cash flow divided by enterprise value [market cap plus debt minus cash]. The company's current enterprise value is $483.6 billion. Its free cash flow yield is 3.7%. Value investors consider 8% to be the bare minimum. However, for a growth stock like Facebook, 3.7% isn't outrageous. How do the other FAANG's rate? Here's a chart. FAANG Free Cash Flow YieldsCompany Free Cash Flow (TTM) Enterprise Value Free Cash Flow Yield (%) Facebook $17.9B $483.6B 3.7% Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) $22.1B $908.1B 2.4% Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) $58.3B $964.5B 6.0% Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) -$3.1B $138.5B N/A Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) $27.4B $703.8B 3.9% The ConclusionsAnyone who follows Netflix knows that it will have negative free cash flow for the foreseeable future because it spends so much money on content for its video streaming service. Earlier this year Netflix did state that free cash flow should improve in 2020 and beyond. However, it's had negative free cash flow every year since 2011. While I like Netflix stock , negative free cash flow eliminates it from contention as best FAANG stock to buy now.Although Amazon has the lowest free cash flow yield at 2.4%, the fact that it has three major revenue streams: e-commerce, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and advertising, provides a strong pathway to higher free cash flow generation and overall revenue growth. I believe 2.4% isn't terrible given the upside potential of its business. Although I'm a big fan of Jeff Bezos and Amazon stock, some of Amazon's business practices are less than friendly. For this reason, I'll pass on AMZN. While Alphabet's got the second-highest free cash flow yield at 3.9%, the fact that it's still a one-trick pony with advertising as its chief revenue generator suggests it doesn't warrant a higher ranking than Amazon. Therefore, it also doesn't make the cut. As for Apple, it's been the value FAANG stock for at least the last two years. Now that its services revenues are coming on and iPhone sales appear to have plateaued, it will have to continue to build the services side of its business. The latest earnings report suggests its plan for growth is working, but investors are failing to recognize this fact. Ultimately, I believe that Tim Cook's strategy will be successful. At a free cash flow yield of 6.0%, there's few better tech buys at the moment. The Bottom Line on Facebook StockThe privacy issues nagging Facebook will continue to act as a headwind on its stock price. That said, at a 3.7% free cash flow yield, you're getting Facebook stock at a reasonable price at the moment despite a 40% YTD increase. For me, I'd rank the best FAANG stocks to buy in this order:* Apple* Amazon* Tie between Facebook and Alphabet* NetflixAt the time of this writing Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Marijuana Stocks to Ride High on the Farm Bill * 8 Biotech Stocks to Watch After the Q2 Earnings Season * 7 Unusual, Growth-Oriented REITs to Buy for Your Portfolio The post It Looks as If Facebook Stock Could Be the Best of the FAANG Stocks appeared first on InvestorPlace.
