THE INSIGHTS FROM TALENTED HUMANS EDITION
13 OCTOBER 2011
THE PASSING OF A GREAT INNOVATOR
Apple Founder Steve Jobs, 1955-2011
Steve Jobs has been called a true visionary, right there alongside Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. As investors, we know his story well: He co-founded Apple in 1976 out of his garage, introduced the first Macintosh computer in 1984, and after being fired in 1985 following a feud with Apple executives went on to found companies like NeXT and Pixar Animation Studios.
Jobs eventually returned as the permanent CEO of Apple in 2000, resigning in late August 2011 due to his rapidly declining health. But not before introducing some of the most popular consumer products, including the iMac, iPod, iTunes, MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. These were not only among the most popular computer products in the world, but also among the most consumer-friendly.
Steve Jobs had a knack for creating electronics that even the most technologically inept users can operate. Among the many things Mr. Jobs was known for was his incredible attention to detail in the creation of all of Apple's products. His passing is of course not only a terrible loss to the world of technology and investing, but also to his family.
From an investment standpoint, how will the passing of Steve Jobs impact Apple, Inc. — both in the near term and down the road? In his Aug. 24, 2011, letter of resignation, Mr. Jobs pointed to Tim Cook to take over as CEO of Apple as a part of his succession plan.
What's your take on the future of Apple, Inc.? Can the company continue its position as a leader in electronic innovation? Your reporter's two cents (which she hopes is worth just a bit more than two Abe Lincolns) is that the detail-oriented Steve Jobs prepared his predecessors well. Stop in at The Exchange and voice your opinion.
INSIGHTS FROM TALENTED HUMANS
IAS Offers What Artificial Intelligence Cannot
Even the best stock study tools — such as Take Stock and Toolkit 6, among others — require the wisdom and insights of human judgment once a company's numbers have been plugged in. Thankfully, artificial intelligence has not caught up with the real deal — and this reporter hopes it never will.
That's where the Investor Advisory Service — our award-winning stock newsletter that has been published since 1973 — comes in. The IAS is written by professional, expert stock analysts. Each month they provide three stock picks for subscribers, based on the same criteria of quality and growth used in our other tools, with completed Toolkit 6 Stock Selection Guide studies.
But here's the important difference: Since the IAS is written by talented humans whose job it is to know how to interpret the numbers as well as how to evaluate all the other considerations that go into making an investment decision, the conclusions reached by IAS analysts may certainly differ from conclusions reached by our automated stock analysis tools (or by other investors or analysts).
Enter a huge transition for one of the world's largest companies – the passing of Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs. As an investor, how do you and your club members figure such a huge jolt into your stock study of the company, particularly your long-term, future projections?
The IAS analysts review recent issues affecting a company and decide whether they create a buying opportunity or a warning sign. Our analysts stake their reputations on their stock selections and have a track record of outperforming the overall market that backs up their extensive expertise. They are sometimes more "aggressive" in their selections than beginning investors would be taught, but they are actively tracking all their selections and so will make sell recommendations as soon as would be required if a particular selection isn't working out.
If you and your club members find yourself grappling with these types of issues and judgment calls, the time may be right for you to subscribe to the IAS. You'll get expert advice that you can use in your personal or investment club portfolio. What's more, right now StockCentral members can save up to 50 percent on an IAS subscription! Why not head on over to the IAS and check out all this time-proven, expertly written newsletter has to offer?!
QUESTIONS ABOUT TOOLKIT 6? ASK AWAY!
Don't Miss Out on Another Insightful Webinar!
Speaking of Toolkit 6, you and your club members have the opportunity to attend the monthly Toolkit 6 User Group with Doug Gerlach the first Tuesday of each month. The sessions are free, but you must register. The next session, P/E Ratio Analysis in Toolkit 6, will be held Tuesday, Nov. 1.
In September and October, the Toolkit 6 User Group covered Toolkit 6: The Basics, and Toolkit 6 in Action: A Live Stock Study. Feel like you missed out? No worries. These sessions are available in the archives, along with dozens of others. You can also take this opportunity to download 2011 Toolkit 6 User Group Webinar Schedule (PDF)
Think a webinar isn't the right format for you? Think again. Check out what these attendees had to say:
"Doug did an excellent job on the webinar. I am looking forward to the next one. We have available to us some very useful tools. Now, we just have to use them! Thank you." - John Blankenberg
"I totally enjoyed the webinar and learned much. It took away some of my fears and opened up a whole new vista of the potential for the program." - Don Park
Space is limited, so don't wait! Sign up today!
TALKIN' TOOLKIT 6
Get in on the Action with These SC Discussions
Opportunities for getting in on the action with ongoing Toolkit 6 discussions abound — and you don't have to go any farther than the SC Community Forums to find them! Check out (and chime in on) these two Toolkit 6 discussions for starters:
Both have attached their Toolkit 6 studies for your download and review!
TODAY'S ENTIRELY RELEVANT QUOTATION
“Vision without execution is hallucination.”
— Thomas Edison