The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.13%) had fallen more than 86 points as of 11:35 a.m. EDT. Among active tech stocks, Google (GOOG 0.20%)(GOOGL 0.55%) and NVIDIA (NVDA +0.87%) were trading lower, while GoPro (GPRO +6.31%) surged in its trading debut.
GoPro jumps in its first day of trading
GoPro, the maker of popular wearable digital cameras, was up more than 30% by late morning. GoPro priced its IPO at $24 per share -- the high-end of its range -- but investors on the public market are still eager to buy shares of the company.
At current levels, GoPro is valued at about $2.7 billion -- perhaps a bit excessive for a company that earned just $61 million last year. To be fair, GoPro is growing, as revenue of $986 million in 2013 was up sharply from the $526 million generated the year before.
By its vary nature, GoPro is an exciting company, and investors may find its business model better than other recent tech IPOs -- after all, GoPro actually makes a tangible product. Still, to succeed in the long term, GoPro will need to remain innovative and expand the brand beyond its line of popular cameras. As with other gadget makers, GoPro could be susceptible to cheaper competition.
Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Google falls after I/O
Google shares dipped 0.5% in early trading on Thursday, after an action-packed day that saw the search giant unveil a number of new products and major updates.
Yesterday, during its I/O developers conference, Google gave a preview of the next version of its mobile operating system, Android. The upcoming L release will include a number of major updates to Android's user interface, giving it a cleaner, more paper-like look. More important may be additional functionality: Google's mobile operating system will soon interface with wearable gadgets, allowing the phone to automatically unlock if the person holding it is wearing a particular smartwatch, for example. The next version of Android also includes a better notifications system.
In addition to improving Android, Google also laid out its plans to bring Android to users' automobiles and television sets. Android Auto will allow a vehicle's infotainment systems to interface with the user's smartphone, making it easy to access apps and make calls while driving.
Android TV is a new version of Android made for set-top boxes and TVs. Companies such as Asus and Razer will soon begin selling Internet connected set-top boxes that use the operating system -- the devices will offer access to streaming apps and video games.
Making use of NVIDIA's chips
NVIDIA shares were down 1%, despite the fact that the company could soon get a new market for its mobile chips. NVIDIA's Tegras haven't been particularly successful in the smartphone and tablet space, but could appear in cars and set-top boxes that take advantage of Google's new technology.
The Tegra K1 is capable of outputting console-quality video game graphics. Android-powered set-top boxes that hope to deliver high-end gaming experiences could ship with NVIDIA's mobile chip. At the same time, the Tegra K1 could prove instrumental in powering next-generation car systems.
It will take several quarters for investors to see if these new markets prove advantageous for NVIDIA, but the opportunity is definitely there.
