Daily Investment Tips

According to an article in deal book NYTimes there are 22 companies in the tech I.P.O. pipeline for 2011.

The five Tech IPOs 2011 to watch out for are internet sensations Facebook, Zynga, Groupon, Linked and Skype.

Non of these companies have confirmed going for a tech IPOs in 2011 but going by the level of public and  investor interest in these five the IPOs are around the corner.

For Facebook, Zynga, Linked and Groupon one factor showing a tech IPO 2011 is the significant demand for these companies stock  in the secondary markets, private exchanges that match buyers and sellers.

Facebook one of Tech IPOs 2011

Facebook has crossed 500 million members mark and reportedly bringing near $2 billion revenues for 2010. In private exchanges Facebook is now valued at $45 Billion.

Zynga one of Tech IPOs 2011

Zynga is heavily tied to Facebook. The company raised more money in 2010 from the likes of Google. Word out there is annual revenues are above $800 million. The demand for Zynga stock in the private market has remained strong.A zynga tech IPO in 2011 is not unthinkable.

Groupon one of tech Ipos 2011

As 2010 came close to an end Google unsuccssefully tried to buy Groupon. Groupon is now negotiating with Fidelity, T. Rowe Price and Morgan Stanley for another round of financing that could be as large as $950 million. With this investors looking forward to an exit strategy groupon could go for a tech Ipo in 2011.

Linked one of Tech IPOS 2011.

Although Linked is below the radar when it comes to news coverage, early investors eventual will want an exit. If Facebook, Zynga or groupon have a spectacular tech IPO in 2011, Linked will be hot on their heels.

SKYPE one of Tech IPOS in 2011.

Skype is the only one that has confirmed a 2011 tech ipo. On August 9, 2010, Skype filed with the SEC to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 100 Million, Buyers And Sellers, Exit Strategy, Facebook, Fidelity, Google, Initial Public Offering, Investor Interest, Ipo, Ipos, Members Mark, Morgan Stanley, Pipeline, Private Exchanges, Private Market, Radar, Secondary Markets, Sensations, Skype, T Rowe Price

I did a google search for “investment counselor new york” and the first result was for Bolter Investment company, an investment portfolio management company in New York City.

On its website the company describes itself as a registered independent investment advisor providing traditional portfolio management for a select number of clients.  Clients include individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, and retirement plans.

Portfolios are managed individually within the guidelines and objectives that are established with each client. Our attention to each client enables us to maximize investment returns while being considerate of individual financial security, risk tolerance and investment goals.

Looking at their annual returns page the investment counseling company has delivered annualized returns ranging from 4%-6%.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Charitable Organizations, Counseling, Financial Security, Google, Google Search, Independent Investment Advisor, Individuals Families, Investment Company, Investment Counselor, Investment Goals, Investment Portfolio Management, Investment Returns, Management Company, New York City, Portfolios, Retirement Plans, Risk Tolerance, Security Risk, Traditional Portfolio, Trusts

The best way to play the stock market is to seek information that you can help you understand more about companies, industry and economy. Seeking only tips will not get you far because chances are you may act on a bad tip.

I like the following websites for investment advice. They are parked with information that I use to better understand the markets.

Businessweek Online.

I have been a subscriber since I first opened my good old yahoo email account. I have never been disappointed. The recent merger with bloomberg will only make them stronger.

UK Financial Times Online.

To access the full articles you need you need to be a paid up member. They have free account that limits you to read 10 articles a month. But they will send you headlines of all top business news.

Wallstreet Journal Online.

The biggest business publication in the world. With such a large financial support you can be assured they will find business information that matters.

Yahoo Finance.

The beauty of Yahoo Finance is syndicated feed they run on the site. They have articles written from top finance blogs.

Google Finance.

This is not a single site but an aggregator of business news. They have fabulous charts that can help you track trends over a period of time.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Aggregator, Business Information, Business Publication, Businessweek, Economy, Financial Times, Google, Headlines, Investment Advice, Merger, Period Of Time, Single Site, Stock Market, Subscriber, Top Business News, Top Finance, Uk Financial Times, Yahoo, Yahoo Email Account

Businessweek has a story about investment funds that have invested in Facebook. This funds are providing retail investors with a means to invest indirectly into facebook.

Facebook Funds

EB Exchange Funds, based in San Francisco, along with New York firms Felix Investments and GreenCrest Capital, have opened Facebook funds.

Since you cant buy facebook stock directly you instead buy into the fund just like you buy a mutual fund.

Read the full story at businessweek facebook.

There is no doubt facebook is the biggest story since Google. Those investors who were lucky to get in early are smiling all the way to facebook IPO date. Funds such as EB exchange have given retail investors another window to get a piece of facebook.

Although Facebook is still a private company investors have been able to buy stock of the company. Stock of Facebook trade on a private-company stock market. The market is known as Secondmarket.

Although there is a secondary market it is extremely hard for outsiders to even get a single stock. The funds have provided another window to get into facebook.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Businessweek, Buy Stock, Company Investors, Company Stock, Exchange Funds, Facebook, Felix, Google, Greencrest, Investment Funds, Investments, Mutual Fund, No Doubt, Outsiders, Private Company, Retail Investors, San Francisco, Stock Funds, Stock Ipo, Stock Market, Stock Trade

Microsoft is till going after Google cash cow: search. Microsoft announced their 2010 Quarter 3 results and included was revenues from their online search business.

Microsoft’s online revenue, which comes primarily from search advertising, edged up 8 percent to $527 million. That segment widened its operating loss in the quarter to $560 million, however, as the company continued to spend money on chasing Google, the No. 1 Web search provider.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 1 Web, Business Online, Cash Cow, Google, Google Search, Microsoft, Microsoft Search, Money, Online Business, Online Search, Search Advertising, Search Business, Search Microsoft, Search Provider, Segment, Web Provider, Web Search

Zynga is the maker of Facebook games like Farm Ville and Mafia wars. The Zynga Game Network, as the company is officially called, is the hottest start-up to emerge from Silicon Valley since Twitter and Facebook.

If rumours are to be believed, Zynga is on a path to pocket as much as $500 million in revenue this year.

Investors hungry for another Google are asking when will Zynga file for an IPO or go public.

Zynga has not given a specific date for an IPO but one way to predict Zynga IPO is to look at the changes in shareholder numbers.

Once more than 500 individuals or institutions own shares in Zynga, securities laws mandate that the company go public. Google staged an I.P.O. in part because it hit that same threshold.

So, watch out the number of Zynga shareholders, once the number hits 500, the IPO date will be announced!

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Facebook, Game Network, Games, Google, Institutions, Investors, Ipo, Mafia Game, Mafia Wars, Mandate, Securities Laws, Shareholder Numbers, Shareholders, Shares, Silicon Valley, Threshold, Twitter

While Mark Zuckerberg has refused to commit to a date when Facebook will file for IPO, there is a clue to predict Facebook IPO date.

An investor interested in Facebook IPO just needs to watch Facebook secondary market. Facebook shares are quietly sold in the secondary market even though most people can’t buy them. The going price has been about $76 a share.

Predicting Facebook IPO

Once more than 500 individuals or institutions own shares in Facebook, securities laws mandate that the company go public. Google staged an I.P.O. in part because it hit that same threshold.

So, watch out the number of facebook shareholders, once the number hits 500, the IPO will happen!

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Clue, Google, Institutions, Investor, Ipo, Mandate, Mark Zuckerberg, Market Shares, Securities Laws, Shareholders, Threshold

The Yen has been on the rise and like everyone interested in the world of finance I was curious to know why the Japanese Yen was so strong.

I did Google search on why the Japanese yen was strong and on Google page one was an article from 2007 Japanese Yen The Biggest One-Way Bet of All Time by Jack Crook. Jack Crook is Yen currency expert and writes for a free daily investment newsletter from Martin D. Weiss and Weiss Research analysts

It was the kind of article you read and you ask yourself, Why did I not see this before? The article is spot on predicting the rise of the Yen.

Jack Crook analysis the Japanese Yen.

During the Japanese recession interest rates dropped to zero. Hedge funds and large investors took advantage of zero interest rates by borrowing in Yen and converting the Yen into dollars and Euros. The new money was invested European and US stock exchanges for higher returns.

What is happening now is that those investors are selling their Euro & US investments and buying Yens to repay the debt. This Yen buying has created a demand for Yen that is driving the Yen upwards.

The whole article is a Gem.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Amp, Bet, Currency Prediction, Google, Hedge Funds, Interest Rates, Investment Newsletter, Investments, Investors, Jack Crooks, Japanese Recession, Japanese Yen, Japenese, Martin D Weiss, New Money, Research Analysts, Stock Exchanges, Weiss Research, Yen Currency, Yens, Zero Interest

I was reading the 2010 annual report by News Corp, The company reported an annual profit of $2.5 billion.

Highlights from the News Corp annual results.

Film Entertainment Division

This continues to be a cash cow for News Corp, Driven by blockbusters such as Avatar.

Television

Television advertising is on upswing

Cable Television

Fox News is loved and hated in equal measure but FOX News Channel continues to outperform CNN, MSNBC and CNBC combined in total viewers for both prime time and total day. And where the views go, advertisers follow.

European Satellite TV.

The company has a stronghold on EPL TV rights. This has given it a virtual monopoly on UK Pay TV Market.

Newspapers

In a world where most newspapers are going out of business. News Corp seems to be doing well. Thanks to its owning market leading publications in markets where they operate.

Myspace

The advertising deal with google is up for renewal and the management is realistic to admit they expect a less generous offer. The management of the site is still tinkering with it to find a formula that will work.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Cable Television, Cash Cow, Cnbc, Cnn, Entertainment Division, Fox News Channel, Going Out Of Business, Google, Investing Tips, Leading Publications, Msnbc, News Corp, Pay Tv, Primetime, Television Advertising, Television Television, Tv Market, Tv Rights, Upswing, Virtual Monopoly, Well Thanks

Successful investing in stocks is never easy because of the many factors that affect a stock. In this article I outline the 10 factors that you need to go through before buying  a stock.

1. Understanding the Services or Products the company sells.

Buy stocks of companies that you understand. If you cant figure out what the company sells it is impossible to understand the companies financial s.

2. Understand How to read a  Companies Balance sheet and Income statements.

Drop by your local library and borrow a simple guide to accounts or economics  and read pages on business finance. If you cant crack it on your own hire a tutor.

3. Understanding the Sector / Industry

Understand the number of players in the sector and the position of your target company. If the company is the market leader it has advantages.

4. Understand how the company will make you money.

Figure out why the company will outperform. How they launched new products that will do well? Are they expanding abroad or into new markets? These are the factors that keep a company stock rising.

5. Understanding that stocks go up and down.

Its important to know stock prices do not go up in a straight line. Stocks prices sometimes go down. When they they drop don’t panic and sell.

6. Take advantage of free online tools.

Free online tools such as Google finance and yahoo finance can help you a great deal in doing your stock purchase research.

7. Investing for dividends.

Some stocks are in mature industries. These stocks have few opportunities for price appreciation. But the good thing about them is that they pay annual dividends. Such industries are mining, oil and tobacco.

8. We All Mistakes.

Even after going through the best research mistakes will be made. When you realise you made a mistake the best thing to do is to cut your losses. Sell the stock and invest the money in a new stock.

9. Diversify You Stock Purchases

You have heard it since you were a kid “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Don’t put all your money in one stock, spread the money in different stocks. This will protect you from large losses.

10. Have an exit strategy.

Have a targeted share price you want to reach before selling all or part of your position? If you reach your target share price, stick to your initial plan and cash out at least some of your position.

While this stock investment guide is by no means exhaustive, it will certainly help you begin your thought process when making a decision to buy a specific stock or not.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Balance Sheet, Business Finance, Buy Stocks, Buying Stocks, Company Stock, Dividends, Eggs In One Basket, Free Online Tools, Google, Income Statements, Investing In Stocks, Investment Guide, Line Stocks, Local Library, Market Leader, Mature Industries, Price Appreciation, Stock Prices, Stock Purchase, Stock Purchases, Straight Line, Target Company