<THE FOOL PORTFOLIO>
Tab!
"Less than one second per click."
by Jeff Fischer (TMFJeff@aol.com)
ALEXANDRIA, VA (Nov. 16, 1998) -- It's the first day of the Fall Comdex computer trade show in Las Vegas, and our tech companies are placing their bets for the future.
Iomega (NYSE: IOM) announced its upcoming 250-megabyte Zip drive. The new drive has far more capacity than the 100-megabyte Zip that sits next to (or inside) 19 million PCs right now. Iomega also announced that Compaq and Sharp Corp. plan to use Iomega's Clik! technology in mobile and handheld computer products. Iomega shared more about Clik! in its latest conference call. Clik! arrives this quarter.
Beyond that, the company stated that it's developing Record/Play. This technology offers a safe way to distribute encoded music, video, and other information over the Internet. The product offers copy protection for any content downloaded to an Iomega disk -- so it's actually designed for Internet and online entertainment companies, meaning Iomega continues to broaden the scope of its customer base.
It was a busy day for Iomega in the press release department: click here for all of it. The company is expected to earn $0.04 per share this quarter and $0.29 per share next year -- both numbers being guesses on the part of analysts, even more so than usual. The Zip has been one of the best-selling PC peripheral products this decade. Maybe Clik! will make the list in the next.
3Dfx (Nasdaq: TDFX) popped champagne to celebrate Comdex, announcing four Voodoo Banshee PC-OEM partnerships and debuting its next generation 3D technology, Voodoo3. The first new products on the Voodoo3 level will be available in the second quarter of 1999.
The CEO of 3Dfx is correct when he says, "In 1999, 3D will become a standard feature in PCs aimed at every customer..." Shopping this weekend for a PC, it's easy to see this is already becoming true. The CEO next stated, "...3Dfx will deliver the technology to make it happen."
That's going to be largely true, too. Already a majority of PC games on the shelves suggest or require 3Dfx technology, and the games mapped out for the end of this year and the first half of next are no different. The company has the lead and the advantage. "Game, Set, Match" to 3Dfx? Not yet, if ever. But the company is definitely winning every Game, and the first few Sets, too.
3Dfx delivered on its summer promise to announce several new OEMs this fall, and it's likely that more will follow. With Iomega, we saw how these partnership deals fall in line like dominos. If your competitors (in the PC manufacturing world) offer a fancy feature that you don't, 1) you worry, then 2) you lament that you didn't offer it first, and then 3) you offer it, too.
For the full 3Dfx press release, click here. The company is expected to earn $0.05 per share this quarter and $0.89 for all of this year. There has been insider buying at 3Dfx in recent weeks.
America Online (NYSE: AOL) lifted the Fool Port to a new high without significant news other than the usual: It's the leading play on online services. Oh, and BancBoston Robertson Stephens introduced a cash flow model on the company and rated it "strong buy." Not big news.
For the Motley Fool's publication, Industry Focus 1999, due in mid-December, we'll analyze the online industry and see where there might still be value. (How Foolish does that sound? I've never heard anyone say "there's value in these Internet stocks." But we're looking for it and I bet we'll find it. Remember: think long term when investing Foolishly. And think "market crushing.")
AOL is expected to earn $1.12 per share this year, up 103%.
Innovex (Nasdaq: INVX) alert! We're interviewing the CFO of Innovex on Wednesday. If you have questions (here's last week's conference call) please post them on the Innovex message board!
The stock market continued its ascent toward old summertime highs, rising 0.90% with the Dow ending above 9,000. The Fool Port (a la Rule Breaker port) rose 1.83%, humbly and quietly smushing the S&P.
Tonight we keep the column short, however, so that you can get to know the newly designed Fool website. The Fool site (http://www.fool.com) has a great new look, feel, and functionality thanks to very handy Foolish tabs which make navigation as easy as breathing. "Less than one second per click," is my unofficial motto for the tabs, which take you to many of your favorite, most frequented areas at www.fool.com.
While test driving the tabs, also be certain to bookmark the Fool site map. Doing so, you'll always know where to learn "How to buy a Car," and a home, and how to get insurance, or retire, or invest for kids; also, how to handle debt, find a job, and where to find help on your taxes, and more. Send the site map to a friend, too -- any friend who isn't saving and investing Foolishly -- and suggest to them beginning with "First Time Visitor?" and then heading to the "13 Steps to Investing Foolishly." The more people who use the completely free Motley Fool, the more we're in a position to keep improving the Fool for everyone. But most importantly, everyone deserves to know how to save and invest Foolishly, of course, including all of your friends and family members.
Off to the tabs, and off to the message boards... Fool on!
--Jeff Fischer
WE
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Day Month Year History Annualized FOOL +1.83% 7.18% 71.46% 475.41% 50.48% S&P: +0.90% 3.38% 17.05% 147.79% 23.60% NASDAQ: +0.74% 5.10% 18.55% 158.50% 24.83% Rec'd # Security In At Now Change 8/5/94 710 AmOnline 3.64 146.13 3918.36% 9/9/97 580 Amazon.com 19.11 126.25 560.62% 5/17/95 1960 Iomega Cor 1.28 7.75 505.28% 10/1/96 84 LucentTech 23.81 85.00 257.02% 8/12/96 130 AT&T 39.58 60.88 53.81% 4/30/97 -1170*Trump* 8.47 5.19 38.75% 2/20/98 200 Exxon 64.09 71.44 11.46% 2/20/98 215 DuPont 59.83 61.94 3.52% 2/20/98 270 Int'l Pape 47.69 45.25 -5.12% 8/24/95 130 KLA-Tencor 44.71 35.44 -20.74% 7/2/98 235 Starbucks 55.91 43.44 -22.31% 8/13/96 250 3Com Corp. 46.86 35.56 -24.12% 1/8/98 425 3Dfx 25.67 15.38 -40.10% 6/26/97 325 Innovex 27.71 13.81 -50.15% Rec'd # Security In At Value Change 8/5/94 710 AmOnline 2581.87 103748.75$101166.88 9/9/97 580 Amazon.com 11084.24 73225.00 $62140.76 5/17/95 1960 Iomega Cor 2509.60 15190.00 $12680.40 10/1/96 84 LucentTech 1999.88 7140.00 $5140.12 4/30/97 -1170*Trump* -9908.50 -6069.38 $3839.13 8/12/96 130 AT&T 5145.11 7913.75 $2768.64 2/20/98 200 Exxon 12818.00 14287.50 $1469.50 2/20/98 215 DuPont 12864.25 13316.56 $452.31 2/20/98 270 Int'l Pape 12876.75 12217.50 -$659.25 8/24/95 130 KLA-Tencor 5812.49 4606.88 -$1205.62 8/13/96 250 3Com Corp. 11715.99 8890.63 -$2825.37 7/2/98 235 Starbucks 13138.63 10207.81 -$2930.81 1/8/98 425 3Dfx 10908.63 6534.38 -$4374.25 6/26/97 325 Innovex 9005.62 4489.06 -$4516.56 CASH $12005.75 TOTAL $287704.19</THE FOOL PORTFOLIO>
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