You've probably heard the old adage to "sell in May and go away," as volume dries up and share prices meander during the historically sleepy summer months. Well, whatever you do, don't sleep through June! There will be plenty of events taking place during the month ahead, and a lot of them may end up moving the market. Even though earnings season is winding down, the fun is just getting started.
Here are a few of the days that I plan to approach with my eyes wide open.
June 3
This is the day Microsoft
Microsoft can't build loyalty if it's perpetually changing the signage on its search engine, and that's why Bing is so important for Microsoft. The company doesn't have too many chances left to be a relevant player in search and, more importantly, in paid-search advertising.
June 6
It's been a while since folks have gotten excited about a Palm
How much is riding on Saturday's launch? Well, the stock has soared roughly tenfold since bottoming out in December, just days before the Pre's launch details were revealed.
Still, I'm skeptical. Palm's Pre has the spec sheet and the pedigree to rock, but it's entering a crowded market, in which tens of millions of smartphone owners are already locked into two-year contracts with their existing BlackBerry and Apple
June 16
Best Buy
Circuit City's springtime liquidation really opens the door for Best Buy. Sure, Wal-Mart
June 30
Going where no Netflix
Blockbuster is making a brilliant move, because this service will help set Blockbuster apart from Netflix's more popular Web-based DVD service. Sure, video games cost more than DVDs, and they also get dated a lot more quickly, but gamers are likely to hold on to a game longer than they would a movie -- and that extra time will help save on the roundtrip postage costs that Blockbuster incurs.
You can sell in May if you want to, but just make sure you don't go away in June.
Some other reads to get you through the month: