In today's first round match-up of The Motley Fool Better-Buy Tournament, Zynga squares off against Ford in a battle to determine which stock is the better buy now. The 64-company tournament pits two Motley Fool analysts against each as they make the case for their stocks with the winner determined by you, the readers.
Motley Fool tech analyst Jamal Carnette argues that Zynga (ZNGA) should move on to the next round as a true turnaround play. The new CEO, Don Mattrick, is turning around a company left for dead with the departure of former CEO Mark Pincus. Mattrick's Zynga is in the midst of redesigning their three most-popular games: Zynga Poker, Words With Friends, and FarmVille. If you believe that management matters, Zynga is a clear choice to advance.
Ford (F -1.47%) has had a great turnaround, but so far, its turnaround has mostly been confined to the U.S. Ford continues to lose big money in Europe, and it's spending big money to expand in Asia. But those things will change in a couple of years, according to Motley Fool auto analyst, John Rosevear. Ford's strong new products and cost discipline are working just as well in Europe as they did here. By the end of 2015, Europe will be profitable — just as all those Asian investments start to pay off. That's what makes Ford a buy right now.
Watch these analysts square off in the video below and then vote for a winner. Then check out the other companies in the Motley Fool Better-Buy Bracket.
This year's winning stock?
There's a huge difference between a good stock and a stock that can make you rich. The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for 2014, and it's one of those stocks that could make you rich. You can find out which stock it is in the special free report "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2014." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.
Cast your vote in the poll below the video!
