Good morning to my first follower! And whoever else out there is reading this really cool blog. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday morning. I said Saturday was going to be my day off, but I just couldn't resist. So let's get to it.
Today in Paris the G20 seem to be making progress. According to a Reuter's article, "In unusually direct language, finance ministers and central bankers of the Group of 20 major economies said they expected an October 23 European Union summit to 'decisively address the current challenges through a comprehensive plan' ". The article also said that Berlin and Paris "were well on the way to agreeing a plan to reduce Greece's debt, stop contagion and protect Europe's banks."
This is good news for the global markets. It is unclear exactly how much exposure European, U.S., and other country's banks have to Greek debt. A default could lead to a collapse in the banking system similar to something we saw in 2008 in America. If contagion spreads to Spain and Italy, much larger economies, the damage would be unfathomable.
Based on what I've been reading, the plan now is to make those who hold Grecian debt take larger losses on their holdings than previously estimated. The first estimates were around 20%, and I believe that the numbers are now coming in at around 40-50%. The European Financial Stability Facility (a bailout fund) will be tapped to offer some relief to the holders of those distressed bonds. This will be done to try and keep the markets stable.
For now, things look OK, given the situation at hand. Enough about that, how about Apple (AAPL)?
They report 3rd quarter earnings on Tuesday the 18th after the market close. They are expected to post earnings of $7.27 per share on $29.3 billion in revenue, up from $4.64 a year ago on revenue of $20.34 billion. I Phone 4s pre orders came in at above 1 million, the largest number ever. This is possibly due to the greater availability of the phone, as it is now available on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. It is also available in some Best Buy and Target stores.
According to research performed by the Motley Fool, Apple has $100 billion in sales, 34% return on capital, $29 billion in free cash flow, $76 billion in cash, and 0 debt. They put a $500 price target on it.
(This is a good opportunity for me to disclose where I would like to see this blog go. In the near future, I hope to be able to do this research on my own, and then be able to expound upon why I believe certain aspects of a company's fundamentals put a certain valuation on a company, or will be drivers in its growth.)
We will see after the market close on Tuesday if Apple once again beats the Street's estimates.
That's it for me, time to tee off! The young guys vs the old guys on the links. I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Cheers,
EZ
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