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With the most recent reports for key competitors of Apple (AAPL), the news is more bleak than expected, causing consternation and frustration for those looking for an Apple rebound. There are simply no catalysts in the pipeline or existing products that will change the course of the giant tech company in the near term.It's surely not going to be some type of iWatch, and Microsoft (MSFT) is already taking the lead over the non-existent Apple TV. If and when Apple ever gets an Apple TV out there, Microsoft will have already moved to another stage with its Xbox One, which is poised to be what Apple TV was hoping to be.That of course leaves its iPhone as the core product of the company - both now and in the next couple of years - and that isn't a compelling story at all. (click to enlarge) Samsung

We'd like to stop talking about the Federal Reserve so regularly. We really would. Unfortunately, we can't. The brave new world in which the stock market lives revolves around the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.With the latter in mind, and considering there was a good bit of hoopla this week around the issue of the Fed tapering its asset purchases sooner than expected, we felt compelled to provide an addendum to our Fed piece from earlier this week, Stock Market Not Ready to Handle Tapering Truth.The hoopla was borne out of Fed Chairman Bernanke's testimony before the Joint Economic Committee and the release of the minutes for the April 30-May 1 FOMC meeting on Wednesday. Each provided some headline fodder, yet neither provided new insight on the Fed's governing influence in making policy decisions.Incoming data has been, is, and will be the determining factor for any adjustments

American Capital Agency Corp. (AGNC) is a Nasdaq-listed mortgage real estate investment trust with a market capitalization of ~$11 billion and assets on the balance sheet as of 3/30/13 totaling ~$93 billion. AGNC owns, manages, and finances a portfolio of real estate related investments, including mortgage pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations, callable debentures and other securities backed by pools of mortgage loans.The bulk of AGNC's assets consist of mortgage-backed securities and debentures issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae (together, "Agency Securities"). AGNC relies primarily on short-term borrowings to acquire Agency Securities with long-term maturities. The shape of yield curve, the spread between returns on assets owned and the interest paid on amounts borrowed to purchase these assets, and amount of leverage (the bulk of which is generated via the repurchase markets) are the key drivers of profitability.AGNC currently yields ~18.2%. However, investors familiar with my

Ryanair (RYAAY) just announced record annual profits of €569 million ($736 million). It expects to break that total this financial year, with predicted profits of between €570 million ($737 million) and €600 million ($776 million). The Irish airline had 79 million passengers last year and it plans on expanding that number with an aggressive expansion strategy, including a number of new routes and with legacy airlines in their sights. Importantly, with Europe deep in economic crisis still, increasing numbers of passengers choose to fly low-cost with Ryanair. With a P/E ratio of 18.52 compared to the industry average of 12.43, according to Reuters, the future looks very bright for Ryanair. (click to enlarge) Growth Potential Ryanair is planning to significantly expand its operation at Dublin airport, according to recent report in the Irish Independent. While rumors of a move across the Atlantic persist, they are not on the agenda right

Is the Federal Reserve asleep at the wheel? If it is seriously considering ending quantitative easing now, I would have to say it is. Furthermore, Chairman Bernanke's crew would be blind at the wheel if it were considering raising interest rates this year. Fortunately, I do not believe the Fed is contemplating a near-term action, but unfortunately, it failed to communicate that clearly enough this week.The testimony of Chairman Bernanke to the Joint Economic Committee and the FOMC Meeting Minutes release that followed set stocks in motion downward, and raised a specter of doubt in Fed wisdom. The SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA) and the PowerShares QQQ (QQQ) closed the period lower by 1.0%, 0.2% and 1.2%, respectively, but the week was much more tumultuous than the end result makes it to appear. Chart at Yahoo Finance The market may end up being justified

Shares of teen retailers Aerospostale (ARO) and Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) are both down around 9 percent as of this writing Friday afternoon, as fiscal first quarter results from both companies came in not only below analyst expectations, but at near-disastrous levels.At Aeropostale, the quarter saw a net loss of 16 cents per share, a huge swing from a 13 cent per share profit a year ago. Same-store sales (including e-commerce transactions) were down a stunning 14 percent from the year-prior quarter. Meanwhile, the company's second quarter guidance was for another loss, between 15 and 20 cents, compared to a breakeven fiscal second quarter a year ago.At Abercrombie, the company revised its fiscal 2013 guidance to $3.15-$3.25 per share, below previous guidance of $3.35-$3.45 and well below analyst estimates of $3.49 per share for the year. Comps at A&F showed a 15 percent decrease

As the bull market continues to roar, it's becoming harder and harder for investors to find the next big blockbuster stock for a reasonable price. Unnecessary risk is being taken every day on high growth companies that accompany sky-high multiples, and are priced to perfection. Many of these high growth companies are still in their infancy stages and are a long way from being considered mature growth companies. Their valuations are sometimes based on an unknown future, while the projected potential is often greater than reality. Few questions are asked so long as the stocks continue to rise, yet investors are always surprised when the [sometimes inevitable] collapse occurs. So how can investors find a significant growth opportunity without the significant risk that tends to go along with it all too often?First, investors must learn what are some of the requirements of a safer growth opportunity?

Is Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) next generation of iPad getting a new microphone? More rumors continue to emerge from the Japanese blog Macotakara, and this one concerns the fifth generation of the iPad. According to Macotakara’s insider sources, the next iteration of Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad will feature a microphone on the back. The author of the blog notes that this feature was originally going to be installed on the iPad mini but was later removed for unknown reasons. Is Apple now a once-in-a-decade buying opportunity? Click here to get your 24-page Ultimate Cheat Sheet to Apple’s Stock now! The placement of the microphone would most likely be near the rear-facing camera, which would mirror the design of the iPhone 5. Macotakara’s sources also indicated that the fifth-generation iPad “may support standard SIM [subscriber identity module]” or possibly only SIM data. Several of Apple’s earlier iPad models only supported micro-SIM cards, while Wi-Fi models have no SIM capability. Macotakara’s sources state that the fifth-generation iPad will ship sometime after the iPhone 5S. Many supply chain analysts believe that the iPhone 5S will be shipped sometime this fall. Previous rumors about the iPad 5 have predicted that the thickness of the device will be almost identical to the iPad mini, which would suggest that some significant changes to the device’s internals would also be necessary. Some analysts have suggested that a thinner iPad profile could be achieved by incorporating “GF Ditto” or GF2 touchscreen technology. NEW! Discover a new stock idea each week for less than the cost of 1 trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW! Here’s how Apple stock has traded so far this week. Here’s how Apple traded Friday: Follow Nathanael on Twitter (@ArnoldEtan_WSCS) Don’t Miss: E-Book Trial Judge Gives Apple a Thumbs Down. Read the original article from Wall St. Cheat Sheet

Logitech International SA (LOGI) Annual Investor Conference Call May 23, 2013 03:00 AM ET Executives Joe Greenhalgh - VP, IR Bracken Darrell - President and CEO Charlotte Johs - VP, Global Brand Development and Portfolio Ehtisham Rabbani - SVP, Customer Experience and CMO Azmat Ali - VP, Tablets and Mobile Mike Culver - VP, Mobility Business Group Analyst Joern Iffert - UBS Michael Steger - Belleview Presentation Joe Greenhalgh Good morning. My name is Joe Greenhalgh, Logitech’s Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Treasurer. I would like to welcome you and thank you for joining us for our Investor and Analyst Day today. As you would expect we are going to be making forward-looking statements today. I am not going to read, this an entire slide to you. But there are risk and uncertainties associated with these forward-looking statements and you can see more about those in our SEC

With Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook’s defense of Apple’s (NASDAQ:APPL) tax strategies before the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, a thumbs down from a federal judge in the company’s e-book trial, and notorious Apple bear Doug Kass changing his opinion on the iPhone maker, shares etched out a jagged path this week. The stock ended the five-day trading period up 2.74 percent, and closed in the green on Friday as well, rising $3.01, or 0.68 percent, to $445.15. Here’s a cheat sheet to today’s top Apple stories: Jon Stewart Chews On Apple Tax Hearing Comedy icon Jon Stewart focused his satirical wit on Apple this week as he poked fun at CEO Tim Cook’s appearance at a Senate hearing that was ostensibly about the company’s questionable offshore tax havens. Although Cook was supposedly going to get a tough grilling from senators that were outraged over Apple’s tax schemes, Stewart was quick to point out that the hearing was anything but hostile. Is Apple now a once-in-a-decade buying opportunity? Click here to get your 24-page Ultimate Cheat Sheet to Apple’s Stock now! However, first Stewart gave a quick nod to another Apple issue that is probably of greater concern to most Apple users. In a fit of mock-righteous anger, Stewart declared “Finally — some accountability for Apple Maps!”… (Read more.) Why is Doug Kass Changing His Tune on Apple? Renowned Apple bear Doug Kass has recently changed his tune on Apple stock. Kass is perhaps most famous for advocating a bearish approach to Apple right before the stock plunged from its $700-plus high in September 2012. However, Kass now believes that Apple is a “long purchase,” as the investment reward has begun to outweigh the risk. Via The Street, Kass states that Apple’s “consensus sales and earnings expectations have been reduced dramatically and have now grown more realistic.” With a consensus that more accurately reflects the actual value of the stock, Kass now believes that this is a good time to invest in Apple. He thinks the stock could go as low as $400 or as high as $525 over the next six to 12 months… (Read more.) NEW! Discover a new stock idea each week for less than the cost of 1 trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW! E-Book Trial Judge Gives Apple a Thumbs Down Apple got a glimpse of what may lie ahead in the e-book price-fixing trial that it is currently preparing for, when the federal judge who is overseeing the trial took the unusual step of sharing her opinion on the merits of the Department of Justice’s case. The Department of Justice alleges that Apple conspired with publishers to price-fix e-books, and is backing these charges up with Apple’s own email records… (Read more.) Follow Meghan on Twitter @MFoley_WSCS Don’t Miss: Android Attack Is Hitting Apple and Friends. Read the original article from Wall St. Cheat Sheet