Wednesday, January 25, 2012

CFO:Intel's 2012 Story

We had an extraordinary year in 2011,says Intel Chief Financial Officer Stacy Smith.We saw growth across every line of business.The story for us in 2012 is a refurbished product line.I'm very excited about the Ultrabook.It will move into a more mainstream price point.
In terms of demand,2011 saw growth as expected,with good growth in the emerging markets.We had a strong enterprise segment,and the data center group was very strong.
The mature market consumer was sluggish,especially in Europe.The supply chain impact from the Thailand flooding was no hard disk drives,so inventory levels were brought down.We expect the impact to ease by Q2 2012.
This is a product story for us.We can build better products for our customers.The growth drivers in 2012 will be the same as in 2011,Mr.Smith predicted.
Intel employs about 90,000 workers at some 200 facilities worldwide.The company has locations in the Americas and Asia,as well as Europe,Africa and the Middle East.
Intel(INTC)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Advisor:Moving From Market Pessimism-plus the nuanced view from Chase

Anticipation is the key word in the market today,according to Michael Yoshikami,CEO of YCMNET Advisors in Walnut Creek,California.The sentiment is so pessimistic,even meeting expectations will be seen as victory.I think analyst sentiment will shift to more positive.
Stock prices have been based on a catastrophic scenario.The news has been getting better.Europe might actually be stabilising.The economy is slowly recovering.
I think banks are beaten down right now.They're extraordinarily cheap.They have really deleveraged their balance sheet.I think they're poised for a rebound,Mr.Yoshikami noted.
JP Morgan Chase and Qualcomm are among Mr.Yoshikami's top picks.
Jamie Dimon,JP Morgan Chase CEO,thinks it's a mild recovery,but that it seems to be broadening.Charles Gasparino of Fox Business has a lot of respect for Mr.Dimon as being one of the smartest people on Wall Street.Although he's optimistic,there are a lot of hedges in Jamie Dimon's position.For example,although portrayed by the media as predicting a housing recovery in 2012,Mr.Dimon believes we still have a little ways more to go down in housing.With regard to the new financial regulations,although Mr.Dimon doesn't mind banks being required to put more capital aside,he feels the Dodd-Frank bill is squeezing a lot of business out of Wall Street,Fox Business analyst Charlie Gasparino points out.
JP Morgan Chase disappointed Wall Street with its recent Q4 earnings report,missing the Street's estimates.
JP Morgan Chase(JPM),Qualcomm(QCOM)

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Consultancy:Geopolitics and Economics

We have reached the end of the 9-11 era,says Ian Bremmer,President of the eminent consultancy Eurasia Group.This has resulted in the conflation of economics and politics.Geopolitics are being driven by economics now.
In the developed world,investors are concerned about what politicians will do.It means that all of the risks that are out there create a backdrop of hesitancy to take risks.The fragmentation of Europe isn't going to happen,however.There's a big leadership transition,and the currency issue is not a big risk.Indigenous innovation could have a negative impact on U.S. multinational corporations.
The surprises this year are on the good front.The global elections aren't as big a deal as some of the instability we're looking at,Mr.Bremmer pointed out.
Presidential elections are being held in the U.S.,France and Russia in 2012.
Eurasia Group is a political risk consultancy.It has a network of about 480 experts on its staff in 65 countries.Its full time staff of 125 works from offices in New York,Washington,London and Tokyo.Most of the staff have advanced degrees.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Bryn Mawr Trust:Back To Market Basics

I think the market will come back to fundamentals,says Eric Thorne,Vice President at Bryn Mawr Trust.We're gonna be looking at a hotter economy than people expect.I think it's bonds that we should be worrying about right now.
What's really interesting is,the economy is likely to drive inflation and interest rates higher.The market's always setting these traps.We think investors should be looking for gains in general,and in the international stocks as well.The emerging markets will do even better than the U.S. during the next 12 months or so,Mr.Thorne predicted.
Bryn Mawr Trust is a regional financial institution with branches in the greater Philadelphia area.Founded in 1889,it concentrates on the creation,management,preservation and transferral of wealth for its clients,which range from individuals and families to businesses and organisations.It also offers online checking and savings accounts.
Bryn Mawr Trust(BMTC),Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock ETF(VWO)