If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.
1. Make way for a new pop star
SodaStream
The company behind the popular home-based water carbonators and soft drink syrups posted blowout quarterly results this week.
Revenue climbed 39% to $78.4 million, and adjusted earnings more than doubled. SodaStream also made sure that it didn't repeat the mistake it made three months earlier when it watched its stock tank after another strong quarter because it failed to boost its guidance. The fizzy lifter jacked up its outlook for all of 2011.
2. Six stories for Mr. Softy
The Windows smartphones are coming!
Handset manufacturers are finally beginning to roll out devices based on Microsoft's
In a shrewd marketing move, Microsoft installed a six-story version of a Windows smartphone in New York City's well-trafficked Herald Square, providing hours of live entertainment through its signature tiles. Familiarizing audiences with Microsoft's unique layout and using that as a springboard for conversation-stirring entertainment win marketing props in my book.
3. Set your blenders to whir
For the first time since becoming a publicly traded company six years ago, Jamba Juice parent Jamba
This also happens to be the second quarter in a row where analysts are expecting a profit of $0.03 a share, and Jamba comes through with net income of $0.05 a share.
The chain behind 762 blender-armed smoothie shops is in a good groove these days, posting its fourth straight quarter of positive comps. Beverage-slurping patrons aren't flinching at a springtime rate hike and are padding their smoothie purchases by adding Jamba's growing assortment of nonbeverage items including oatmeal, baked treats, and even frozen yogurt to their orders.
Jamba has spent the past two years executing its refranchising strategy, handing company-owned stores to successful franchisees. The move is paying off with healthier margins and a more predictable flow of royalty revenue.
4. There is dot-com growth in India
Investors disappointed to see Mumbai-based Rediff.com
Travel portal MakeMyTrip
There really aren't too many pure dot-com plays for investors wanting to play India's ultimate online migration, largely because India's most popular websites just happen to be American Internet leaders. However, the wide performance disparity between traditional online portal Rediff and travel booker MakeMyTrip shows that there is no such thing as a sympathy play even in a pool of two publicly traded possibilities.
5. It's raining cheap tablets
No one figured that Barnes & Noble
The struggling bookseller introduced the Nook Tablet this week. Pricing it at $249 may be a tactical mistake given Kindle Fire's $199 sticker, but B&N's gadget does come with double the RAM and initial storage capacity as Amazon's entry-level tablet.
Showing surprising nimbleness, the Nook Tablet will be available just two days after next week's Kindle Fire debut.
Amazon and B&N also improved their chances this week by announcing wide support for popular Android apps. In other words, these aren't just dolled up e-readers. They will be genuine small-sized tablets, luring shoppers with their reasonable price tags
If you want to see if these companies continue to do the smart thing, track them through My Watchlist.
- Add SodaStream International to My Watchlist.
- Add Microsoft to My Watchlist.
- Add MakeMyTrip to My Watchlist.
- Add Jamba to My Watchlist.
- Add Barnes & Noble to My Watchlist.
- Add Amazon.com to My Watchlist.