A consumer advocacy group wants the patch ��and the commercial tie-in with Girl Scouts ��nixed. While the patch does not show a Barbie doll, it shows the familiar Barbie logo.
"Holding Barbie, the quintessential fashion doll, up as a role model for Girl Scouts simultaneously sexualizes young girls, idealizes an impossible body type and undermines the Girl Scouts' vital mission," says Susan Linn, director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.
For the consumer group, the core issue is the commercialization of childhood. In an Internet age, kids already are riddled with commercial messaging all over Web pages, blogs and Facebook pages. But a growing number of marketers, eager to reach into the moments that most touch us and influence our daily lives, increasingly are blurring the lines between real life and commercialism.
Hot Prefered Stocks To Own For 2015: Amazon.com Inc.(AMZN)
Amazon.com, Inc. operates as an online retailer in North America and internationally. It operates retail Web sites, including amazon.com and amazon.ca. The company serves consumers through its retail Web sites and focuses on selection, price, and convenience. It also offers programs that enable sellers to sell their products on its Web sites, and their own branded Web sites. In addition, the company serves developer customers through Amazon Web Services, which provides access to technology infrastructure that developers can use to enable virtually various type of business. Further, it manufactures and sells the Kindle e-reader. Additionally, the company provides fulfillment; miscellaneous marketing and promotional agreements, such as online advertising; and co-branded credit cards. Amazon.com, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Ben Margot/AP NEW YORK -- Amazon is betting that shoppers will pay $20 more for its popular Prime two-day free shipping and video streaming service of movies and TV shows. The mega online retailer said Thursday that it is raising the price of Prime to $99 a year as it seeks to offset rising costs of fuel and transportation. It's the first price hike since Amazon.com (AMZN) rolled out the service in 2005. The move could please investors at a time when Amazon continues to face pressure to boost its bottom line after years of furious growth. As more Americans shop online, Amazon has spent heavily to expand its business into new areas -- from movie streaming to e-readers and groceries -- often at the expense of its profit. But the price increase also threatens to scare away online shoppers who tend to resist fee hikes. The company, which warned it would probably raise the price of Prime by $20 to $40 in January, is bolstering the membership program by adding more items available for two-day shipping and rolling out a greater selection of streaming TV shows and movies. Still, online shoppers don't always react favorably to price hikes. For example, when Netflix (NFLX) tried to raise its annual subscription fee in 2011. But it did an about-face after widespread customer backlash and a jarring stock plunge of 80 percent from its highs. Social media was buzzing Thursday after Amazon announced the price hike. Many Prime users' comments fell equally on either side of the fence between those who didn't mind the increase and those who planned to stop using the program. Nick Begley ordered from Amazon 53 times last year, everything from Curious George books for his toddler to a car phone charger. Begley, 33, says he shops at Amazon more since joining Prime in 2012 and is hooked on the convenience. "It's my go-to retail site," says the resident of Salisbury Mills, N.Y. "$79 was a great price, but $99 is not enough for me to give it up." Rick Valente, who lives i
Top Internet Companies To Own In Right Now: Symantec Corporation(SYMC)
Symantec Corporation provides security, storage, and systems management solutions internationally. The company?s Consumer segment delivers Internet security, PC tune-up, and online backup solutions and services to individual users and home offices. Its Security and Compliance segment provides solutions for endpoint security and management, compliance, messaging management, data loss prevention, encryption, and authentication services to large, medium, and small-sized businesses, as well as offers solutions through its software-as-a-service (SaaS) security offerings. This segment?s products enable customers to secure, provision, and remotely manage their laptops, PCs, mobile devices, and servers. The company?s Storage and Server Management segment provides storage and server management, backup, archiving, and data protection solutions across heterogeneous storage and server platforms, as well as solutions delivered through its SaaS offerings to large, medium, and small-s ized businesses. Symantec?s Services segment offers implementation services and solutions, including consulting, business critical services, education, and managed security services. The company also provides various enterprise support offerings, such as annual maintenance support contracts, including content, upgrades, and technical support. It sells its products through its eCommerce platform, as well as through distributors, direct marketers, Internet-based resellers, system builders, ISPs, and retail locations worldwide. Symantec markets and sells its products through distributors, retailers, direct marketers, Internet-based resellers, original equipment manufacturers, system builders, and Internet service providers; and its e-commerce channels, as well as direct sales force, value-added and large account resellers, and system integrators. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) were down 11.70 percent to $18.46 after the company fired President and Chief Executive Steve Bennett and appointed director Michael Brown as interim president and CEO. UBS downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral and lowered the price target from $27.00 to $21.00. - [By Amanda Alix]
Of course, banks can't know when an attack is merely disruptive, and when it may be covering for criminal activity. Security company Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC ) has commented that these assaults have become a way for hackers to distract banks while funds are illegally withdrawn. Though most of the thefts have occurred in Europe, where attacks have progressed from website outages to actual bank heists, at least one U.S. bank, Citigroup, disclosed some losses due to cyber thievery earlier this year.
Top Internet Companies To Own In Right Now: Google Inc.(GOOG)
Google Inc. maintains an index of Web sites and other online content for users, advertisers, and Google network members and other content providers. It offers AdWords, an auction-based advertising program; AdSense program, which enables Web sites that are part of the Google Network to deliver ads from its AdWords advertisers; Google Display, a display advertising network that comprises the videos, text, images, and other interactive ads; DoubleClick Ad Exchange, a real-time auction marketplace for the trading of display ad space; and YouTube that provides video, interactive, and other ad formats for advertisers. The company also provides Google Mobile that optimizes Google?s applications for mobile devices in browser and downloadable form; and enables advertisers to run search ad campaigns on mobile devices, as well as Google Local that provides local information on the Web; and Google Boost for small businesses to participate in the ads auction. In addition, it offers And roid, an open source mobile software platform; Google Chrome OS, an open source operating system; Google Chrome, a Web browser; Google TV, a platform for the consumers to use the television and the Internet on a single screen; and Google Books platform to discover, search, and consume content from printed books online. Further, the company provides Google Apps, a cloud computing suite of message and collaboration tools, which includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Sites; Google Search Appliance that offers real-time search of business and intranet applications, and public Web sites; Google Site Search, a custom search engine; Google Commerce Search for online retail enterprises; Google Checkout to make online shopping and payments streamlined and secure; Google Maps Application Programming Interface; and Google Earth Enterprise, a firewall software solution for imagery and data visualization. Google Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO ) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) reported quarterly results this week. The market enjoyed Yahoo!'s performance and soured when Google came to the plate, but both companies offered similar snapshots of the challenge in monetizing mobile.
- [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]
Google is an Internet giant that provides valuable search and advertising services to a growing user base worldwide. The company has removed Rap Genius lyrics from Google search. The stock has been exploding higher in recent years and is currently trading near all time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been rising, which has left investors pleased about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its strong peers and sector, Google has been an average year-to-date performer. Look for Google to OUTPERFORM.
- [By Motley Fool Staff]
After years of torrid growth, Amazon has become the first ��and often last ��place online shoppers go for an ever-increasing selection of products. So much so that search king Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) (NASDAQ: GOOGL ) now considers Amazon a bigger threat than even some of its more search-focused competitors. That's because the more people who go directly to Amazon.com to shop, the less they rely on Google's search engine to find what they're looking to purchase, and that's a direct assault on Google's most profitable and important business. Google is not standing idly by and has countered with product listing ads at the top of its search results that make it more convenient for shoppers to quickly find what they're searching for, in hopes that this will stem the tide of shoppers who jump directly into Amazon's waiting arms.
Top Internet Companies To Own In Right Now: eBay Inc.(EBAY)
eBay Inc. provides online platforms, services, and tools to help individuals and merchants in online and mobile commerce and payments in the United States and internationally. Its Marketplaces segment operates ecommerce platform eBay.com; vertical shopping sites, such as StubHub, Fashion, Motors, and Half.com; and classifieds Websites, including Den Bl�Avis, BilBasen, Gumtree, Kijiji, LoQUo, Marktplaats.nl, mobile.de, Alamaula, Rent.com, eBay Anuncios, eBay Kleinanzeigen, and eBay Annunci, as well as provides advertising services. The company?s Payments segment offers payment and settlement services for consumers and merchants on and off eBay Websites and other merchant Websites. This segment operates PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to send and receive payments online and through mobile devices; Bill Me Later that enables the United States merchants to offer, the United States consumers to obtain, credit at the point of sale for ecommerce and mobile tra nsactions; Zong, which allows users with mobile phones to purchase digital goods and have the transactions charged to their phone bill; and BillSAFE that enables customers pay for purchases upon receipt of an invoice. Its GSI segment offers an ecommerce services suite for enterprise clients that operate in general merchandise categories, including apparel, sporting goods, toys and baby, health and beauty, and home; and marketing services comprising full-service digital agency, enterprise email marketing, mobile advertising, affiliate marketing, advertisement retargeting, and in-depth analytics services. The company also offers X.commerce platform that provides software developers access to the company?s applications programming interfaces to develop functionality for various merchants; and Magento Connect, which allows developers to market and sell add-on functionality and solutions to merchants that use a Magento storefront. eBay Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquarter ed in San Jose, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]
Ebay is an established company that has made a name for itself pioneering internet commerce. The company’s�PayPal has reportedly filed a patent application that hints to a possible launch of its own virtual currency. The stock has moved higher in recent years and is currently trading mid range. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been rising, which has left investors pleased. Relative to its peers and sector, eBay has been a relative year-to-date performance leader. Look for Ebay to OUTPERFORM.
- [By Jonathan Berr]
Cash Hoard: Apple has $160 billion in cash and investments that has been gathering dust for quite a while. The aggregate number certainly is huge — more than the GDP of Vietnam currently. Out of its cash and short-term investments alone, Apple could buy either Twiter (TWTR) ($27.5 billion), Tesla (TSLA) ($25 billion) or eBay (EBAY) and still have plenty left. Of course, AAPL can afford to buy plenty of its shares — its most recent program was for $14 billion in Apple stock. Between dividends, buybacks and acquisitions, Apple has a lot of dry powder, and a lot of places to potentially use it.
Top Internet Companies To Own In Right Now: IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI)
IAC/InterActiveCorp engages in the Internet business in the United States and internationally. The company�s Search segment develops, markets, and distributes various downloadable toolbars; provides search, reference, and content services through its destination search and other Websites, including Ask.com and Dictionary.com; and aggregates and integrates local advertising and content for distribution to publishers on Web and mobile platforms, as well as markets and distributes mobile applications through which it provides search and additional services. Its Match segment offers subscription-based and advertiser-supported online personals services through its Websites comprising Match.com, Chemistry.com, OurTime.com, BlackPeopleMeet.com, and OkCupid.com, as well as through mobile applications and Meetic-branded Websites. The company�s ServiceMagic segment offers Market Match service that matches consumers with service professionals; Exact Match service, which enables con sumers to review service professional profiles and select the service professional that meets their specific needs; and 1800Contractor.com, an online directory of service professionals. This segment also offers Website design and hosting services. Its Media and Other segment operates CollegeHumor.com, an online entertainment Website that targets young males; Vimeo, a Website on which users can upload, share, and view video; and Pronto.com, a comparison search engine. This segment also engages in the creation of video content for various distribution platforms; and operates as an Internet retailer of footwear and related apparel and accessories, as well as focuses on multimedia business. The company was formerly known as InterActiveCorp and changed its name to IAC/InterActiveCorp in July 2004. IAC/InterActiveCorp was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Timothy Lutts, Publisher, Cabot Heritage Corporation]
In 2004, TripAdvisor (TRIP) was purchased by conglomerate Interactive Corp (IACI), which spun off its travel businesses under the name of Expedia in 2005. In December 2011, TripAdvisor was spun off from Expedia in an IPO.
- [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]
IAC isn�� the most loved company on the street, which is evidenced by that 8.80 percent short position. However, IAC continues to deliver on the top and bottom lines. As long as that remains to be the case, IAC is an OUTPERFORM.
- [By Jayson Derrick]
InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI) announced that its CEO is stepping down from his current position to become chairman of a new operating unit. Investors cheered the management shakeup which is potentially hinting at a spinoff. Shares hit new 52 week highs of $70.44 before closing at $68.49, up 13.98 percent.
- [By Rex Crum]
Additionally, Devitt initiated coverage of IAC/InterActive Corp. (IACI) �with an equal weight rating and best-case stock price scenario of $67 a share.
Top Internet Companies To Own In Right Now: Propell Technologies Group Inc (PROP)
Propell Technologies Group, Inc., incorporated on February 04, 2008, offers enhanced oil recovery technology and services. These services are offered through its wholly owned subsidiary Novas Energy USA, Inc., through commercial application of a Plasma-Pulse Technology.
The Company�� technology is designed to be suitable for oil wells as deep as 12,000 feet. Novas�� Plasma-Pulse Treatment is an Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technology and process. The treatment uses no chemicals.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James E. Brumley]
While the ongoing implosion of crude oil prices has put high-profile names like Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) and Linn Energy LLC (NASDAQ:LINE) in the limelight - and the hot seat - all the noise surrounding those and other names may have distracted investors from looking at the oil rout in an opportunistic light rather than through the panic-colored glasses that have proven so damaging to the likes of LINE and CHK. Rather than fret over how difficult life was going to be for Linn Energy, Chesapeake Energy, and all their peers now that the price of oil was at or below the cost of drilling for it, investors should have been looking at companies that make drilling for oil cheaper and more cost-effective. Enter Propell Technologies Group Inc. (OTCBB:PROP).
- [By John Udovich]
Although oil prices are at multi year lows, now�might be the time to start taking a closer look at�small cap gas compression or enhanced oil recovery (EOR) stocks like TETRA Technologies, Inc (NYSE: TTI), Exterran Holdings, Inc (NYSE: EXH) and Propell Technologies Group Inc (OTCBB: PROP)�as oil and natural gas prices will�inevitably rise once again. To start with, natural gas compression services are�needed to transport natural gas from low-pressure wells into gathering systems, storage and processing facilities�as well as to maintain production as reservoir pressure declines. In addition, compression services�are used to extract gas from�unconventional natural gas sources like shale plays. As for so-called enhanced oil recovery or EOR, its�a generic term for the techniques used for increasing the amount of crude oil that can be extracted from an oil field with these potential methods including steam flood and water flood injection�or hydraulic fracturing�(so-called fracking). Naturally,�demand for compression services and EOR technologies are impacted by (the temporary)�low oil and gas commodity prices and so are the share prices for publicly traded stocks in the space.
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