Tech Stocks

U.S. Stocks Rise as Tech, Industrial Earnings Roll In

Strong earnings reports from big U.S. companies helped push the Dow Jones industrial average to its eighth gain in nine sessions Tuesday. DuPont, Verizon and Travelers Cos., three of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow, closed higher after reporting their financial results for the final quarter of 2012.

Wall Street Watch this Week: A Bummer Earnings Season Begins

Earnings season is here, and that's not necessarily a good thing. The profitability of all S&P 500 companies is expected to post its first year-over-year decline in nearly three years. Even information technology, a perceived bright spot, is struggling (excepting Apple).

Can't Get a Piece of the Facebook IPO? Lucky You!

Don't feel bad that you aren't one of those lucky, well-connected investors who gets to buy into Facebook's IPO this week. Those buyers may look lucky when the likely initial price pop happens. But odds are, the pop will be followed by a drop.

Yelp IPO's Profit Enigma: Is the Site Making Money?

After reading the breathless media coverage about the rumored $2 billion Yelp IPO, I have one question: Does the online-review site make money? None of the articles made any mention, but profitability is the issue that should be first on investors' minds.

5 Tech Stocks to Watch This Week

Digital media, wireless pay terminals, and fuel cell technology -- sounds like the ingredients for a plot to take over the world, or, at the very least, the stuff that will dominate high-tech headlines in the coming days. The five companies behind these technologies will loom large in the news this week. Here's what to watch.

Why Microsoft Will Never Be Great Again

As box makers struggled with the low-margin business of selling hardware at cutthroat prices, Microsoft was there to cash in on the high-margin software end. Eleven years ago, the company's stock closed at $27.43; it's trading just shy of that mark right now, making Microsoft the poster child for what some investors are calling "the lost decade."

Look Out for Dot-Bomb 2.0

The red-hot success of recent IPOs by internet companies has investors feeling lucky. But like every bubble, Dot-Bomb version 2.0 will leave investors bruised and banker laughing. Here's how you can avoid getting burned, and cash in on the trends driving these stocks without taking on all the risk.

Say Goodbye to IBM's American Success Story

In its first 100 years, IBM soldiered forward by dominating in America. But Big Blue's second quarter results -- particularly its strong growth in expanding markets -- show that the next 100 years will be all about global dominance.

How to Distinguish a Value Stock From a Value Trap

A high-growth, rapid innovator like Apple is hardly the sort of stock you'd expect to find in a value investor's portfolio. Nevertheless, value investing guru Bill Nygren runs a mutual fund that owns some Apple shares. Find out why some tech stocks are appealing to value investors now.

Google Co-Founder Larry Page to Take the Helm Again

Google co-founder Larry Page is set to take over as the search giant's new CEO on Monday. But some worry he may not have the management skills to steer the Internet's most powerful company. After all, early investors made him step down as Google's first CEO in 2001. Will he fare better the second time around?

Market Snapshot: What's Thriving in Battered Economy

The economy has had more than its share of trouble lately: Japan's earthquake comes on top of rising oil and food prices, political turmoil in the Middle East and a crop of government austerity measures. But investing opportunities lie hidden behind the bad news.

Why You Should Have Intel Inside Your Portfolio

No wonder President Obama is visiting an Intel plant as he stumps for U.S. innovation and high-tech jobs. After all, Intel is a clear industry leader. Indeed, some analysts argue that for investors seeking entry in the global growth of technology, Intel is the one-stop answer.