BT Group, which virtually owns the UK telecommunications market, isn't waiting for Google (GOOG) to launch a full attack. The company probably expects to be under assault from the search engine (and advertising and e-mail) giant, so it's taking early action. Google Voice is still being tested, but words like "free" and "powerful" and "internet-based" are bound to inspire fear in even the most established of companies.

To protect itself from the eventual attack from Mountain View, BT picked up Ribbit Mobile, and testing is in progress. Ribbit's technology has some overlap with Google Voice and even beats it with a few capabilities, according to Bloomberg. Ribbit just launched its beta product this month. It allows either the user's current phone number or a new one from Ribbit -- which is no different from Google's alternative. The product suite is generally the same, with phone- and web-based voicemail retrieval and automatic transcriptions that can be sent by text message or e-mail. For an extra fee, BT's Ribbit does provide human transcription, though it is free during testing. And, calls can be taken directly from a computer, using a microphone and speakers.

Continue reading BT and Google battle over the spoken word

BT and Google battle over the spoken word originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Joining the ranks of Tickle-Me Elmo, Cabbage Patch Kids, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ... behold, the Zhu Zhu Pets. These robotic rodents are expected to be the most in-demand toy for the 2009 holiday shopping season.

The five battery-operated hamsters respond to touch with 40 different sounds, and can also run around when set in "explore" mode. It's all the fun of having a pet without the messy clean-up duty.

Parents, you have Cepia LLC, a small company in St. Louis, to thank for these critters. The firm is hoping to ship between 4 million and 5 million pets by the end of the year (banking $300 million to $400 million in sales), but admits they cannot keep up with the demand. Cepia has grand plans, however, for the next part of the Zhu Zhu universe, hoping to roll out hedgehogs, rabbits, and other furry robot friends in the next year or so.

Continue reading And the hottest toy for the holiday season is ...

And the hottest toy for the holiday season is ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) has been working hard to manage its marketplace in a trying economy, its PayPayl business has been growing comfortably and could become the company's biggest earner. For the past two years, eBay has focused on improving the look of its website and helping buyers and sellers to get along in a virtual world built entirely on trust.

In the background, though, the segment of the business that moves money from Point A to Point B has been on fire. Even with payment processing competition from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), PayPal has been able to do more than hold its own.

Continue reading PayPal on track to lead eBay, opens doors to outside developers for more growth

PayPal on track to lead eBay, opens doors to outside developers for more growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) Q3 earnings beat by a penny but sales fell short of expectations; shares fell.
• AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR) reported a Q3 net loss and plunging revenue but also raised $4 billion in cash.
• BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) topped Q3 earnings expectations but said bad-loan provisions nearly doubled.
• Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) missed estimates and posted a Q3 loss due to delays for a couple of jet products.
• Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF) shares rose after it reported better-than-expected Q3 numbers.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) posted a better-than-expected Q3 profit but sales fell short, and shares fell.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Boeing, Coca-Cola, eBay, Microsoft, Pfizer, UAL, Yahoo! ...

Earnings highlights: Boeing, Coca-Cola, eBay, Microsoft, Pfizer, UAL, Yahoo! ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), simply put, had a quarter to die for, the kind that all shareholders have on their wish lists. The Q3 numbers, which were released on Thursday after the bell, speak for themselves. Net sales: up 28%. Operating income: up 62%. Per-share profit: up 67% to 45 cents. Free cash flow for the trailing twelve months: up 98%. Yep, Amazon's fundamentals seem to be heading in the right direction.

According to our earnings preview, Wall Street was on record as wanting to see 33 cents per share on the bottom line. Amazon's management did a fine job of supplying further evidence to the market that the company's online business model is not only here to stay, but that it should provide shareholders with a significant amount of value over time.

Continue reading Amazon's third quarter is just what shareholders wanted

Amazon's third quarter is just what shareholders wanted originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: DJIA component earnings lift market (EBAY, HTE, MI, MCD, MMM)

Closing Bell: DJIA component earnings lift market (EBAY, HTE, MI, MCD, MMM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Online auction giant eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY), a business that counts Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) as related companies, was not popular in Wednesday's after-hours session. The third-quarter report just didn't do it for Wall Street, so Wall Street decided to make some trouble and bring the per-share price of the stock down by 4.5%. Oh sure, the company beat earnings by the most famous amount there is -- the proverbial penny -- but, according to this Bloomberg piece, guidance was not so inspiring.

The top line was actually pretty cool. Net sales saw an increase of 6%. Unfortunately, the bottom line couldn't take advantage of such growth. On an adjusted basis, net income dropped 16% to 38 cents per diluted share. And, as I just said, that was one penny ahead of the analysts.

Continue reading eBay sees declines in profit and operating margin in Q3

eBay sees declines in profit and operating margin in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Investors' caution reigns amid earnings season

Before the bell: Investors' caution reigns amid earnings season originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Some big names setting new highs today: STAR, GG, PIR, EBAY

Some big names setting new highs today: STAR, GG, PIR, EBAY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Clorox (NYSE: CLX) to Buy from Hold on valuation and believes upside to earnings forecasts is likely. The firm raised its target on shares to $66 from $65.
• Kaufman Bros. upgraded eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) to Buy from Hold on expectations improved Marketplace fundamentals will serve as a positive catalyst for shares. The firm raised its price target on the stock to $29 from $22.
• Roth Capital believes Zumiez (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) is well positioned for improved results and margins. The firm, which upgraded shares to Buy from Hold and raised its target to $22 from $16, said September back-to-school results bode well for the holiday season and demonstrate that Zumiez can drive conversion during peak shopping periods.
• Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) was upgraded to Sell from Conviction Sell at Goldman.
• Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird.
• Monster Worldwide (NYSE: MWW) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, AZO, EBAY, GS, NOC, WFC ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, AZO, EBAY, GS, NOC, WFC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) closed at $22.70. EBAY is scheduled to report Q3 EPS after the market close on October 21. EBAY November call option implied volatility closed at 38, puts at 45, January is at 35, puts at 43; verses its 26-week average of 43, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement

Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) is recently trading at $8.30 in pre-open trading, above its close of $7.65. BRCD has put itself up for sale according to the Wall Street Journal. BRCD is data storage and networking firm. BRCD October option implied volatility is at 55, January is at 53; near its 26-week average of 56, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: eBay volatility flat into EPS and PayPal commentary originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After an enormous amount of hype and wasted PR-money, General Motors is ending its car-selling partnership with eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) after dealers reported that the program didn't spur sales and led to a raft of low-ball offers that didn't go anywhere.

By far my favorite quote from the Wall Street Journal coverage (subscription required) of this development: "We thought the program was successful but that this was not the right time," GM sales chief Mark LaNeve said.

Continue reading General Motors ends eBay partnership

General Motors ends eBay partnership originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Skype's founders go nuclear on the $1.8 billion buyout

Skype's founders go nuclear on the $1.8 billion buyout originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

eBay has held its own, despite the recession. Hence, I'm reiterating my Buy rating for eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) recommended on May 14, 2009, for $16.84. I you bought then, you're up about 40%.

Earlier this year, eBay sold a 65% stake in Skype for about $2.75 billion, enabling the company to focus on core operations at eBay and at PayPal.

Continue reading eBay is more than holding its own

eBay is more than holding its own originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Wells Fargo transferred coverage of Cooper Industries (NYSE: CBE) with an Outperform rating, upgraded from the previous analysts' Market Perform rating. The firm believes commercial construction will be of less of a headwind for the company than the Street thinks, and has a $38-$41 valuation range on the stock.
• Kaufman Bros. upgraded SuccessFactors (NASDAQ: SFSF) to Buy from Hold after channel checks indicated demand trends picked up in July. The firm raised its target on shares to $15 from $12.
• UBS upgraded eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) to Buy from Neutral and believes Marketplace transaction growth is "turning the corner." Additionally, the firm believes the secondary market represents a long-term opportunity for the company. The firm raised its target to $28 from $24.
• Novartis (NYSE: NVS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.
• Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
• Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform AMC Monday at Bernstein.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CCL, CSX, EBAY, GLW, NFLX, YHOO ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CCL, CSX, EBAY, GLW, NFLX, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading UBS upgrades eBay to Buy

UBS upgrades eBay to Buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"According to terms of the deal, the internet-based phone service will fall under the ownership of a private syndicate for about $1.9 billion.

"Former CEO Meg Whitman orchestrated the acquisition of Skype back in 2005 as a means of communication between buyers and sellers. And the service has attracted hordes of subscribers in a short period of time.

Continue reading eBay (EBAY): Life after Skype

eBay (EBAY): Life after Skype originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) announced Tuesday it has reached a deal to sell most of its stake in Skype in a deal that values the online telecommunications service at $2.75 billion. eBay will get $1.9 billion in cash and a $125 million note from the buyer.

An investment group led by the private-equity firm Silver Lake, including Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, will buy the 65% stake in the company. eBay, which will retain a 35% stake, expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter of this year.

Continue reading eBay strikes a good deal on its Skype sale

eBay strikes a good deal on its Skype sale originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It looks like Skype is going to wind up with a new owner. Internet auction company eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) owns Skype now but is said to be selling the online telephony provider to private investors.

Andreessen Horowitz, a recently formed venture capital fund with Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen at the helm, is said to be a likely participant in a transaction. Index Ventures of London and Silver Lake Partners are also rumored to be involved.

Continue reading eBay may be selling Skype -- can it get what it wants?

eBay may be selling Skype -- can it get what it wants? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Futures lower ahead of manufacturing, housing, auto data

Before the bell: Futures lower ahead of manufacturing, housing, auto data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.