Technology stocks are some of the most fascinating and lucrative investments that an individual can make. Yet they can also be extremely volatile, taking investors on a roller coaster ride that they may have never anticipated.
Fortunately, here at Motley Fool CAPS we have a way of trying to anticipate which companies are doomed to defeat and which poised to pop. Our investing community of 165,000 people aggregates intelligence and ranks stocks according to their ability to outperform the market moving forward. A one-star stock is least likely to outperform, while five-star stocks are the true studs of the investing universe.
Today we'll look at a few tech stocks that have a four-star ranking and are continuing their freefall; hopefully we can gain some clarity to see if they have any chance of recovering their unworthy status:
|
Company |
Market Cap (billions) |
13-Week Price Change (%) |
P/E Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
|
OmniVision Technologies (Nasdaq: OVTI) |
$1.19 |
29.4% |
174.4 |
|
Windstream Corporation (Nasdaq: WIN) |
$5.17 |
4.6% |
15.5 |
|
CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) |
$10.67 |
3.8% |
10.6 |
*CAPS Data; Yahoo! Finance.
Considering the fact that the overall market has plunged by 7% in the last three months, it's no small miracle to even see you share prices stay flat. However, the three companies above have managed not only to stay afloat, but to actually boost their share prices.
Despite contradicting analyst upgrades and downgrades, OmniVision has been able to absolutely pummel the market. One major reason is that rumors are circulating about the fact that Motorola's (NYSE: MOT) Droid X smartphone most likely uses OmniVision's image sensory chip. One analyst in particular sees this as possible vindication that the company has overcome its past quality problems and is now emerging as a leader in the space of image chips, no small compliment considering the vast potential and growth of smartphones. This news comes on the heels of OmniVision's own announcement that it's "pleased to now offer complete solutions for OEMs developing cameras for both the iMac as well as the IBM-compatible PC market."
Most investors love Windstream for its whopping 8.6% dividend yield. However, recently, my Foolish colleague Anand Chokkavelu said he thinks Windstream is even worth of a purchase before looking at big names like Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). Particularly, he's a big fan of the potential in the rural telecom space and the ability of players like Windstream to take advantage of an out-of-favor sector -- couple that with the fat dividend (as opposed to rival calling options like Vonage (NYSE: VG) that don't pay a dividend at all), and it seems like Windstream is a winner.
CenturyLink is another domestic telecom provider that is paying investors handsomely; besides a rising share price, CenturyLink pays a sweet 8.1% dividend. Although rural telecom isn't the fastest-growing segment, CenturyLink is growing quickly through acquisitions, as it recently announced in April that it would be acquiring Qwest Communications (NYSE: Q) for $22.4 billion in an all-stock deal.
The Foolish bottom line
Sitting at a cool four-star status, these three companies only need a bit more bang for their buck to gain the coveted 5-star status. On the same note, however, there's not much room for error -- one bad earnings report or missed expectations and a CAPS downgrade could be imminent.
What do you think -- do these stocks deserve their prestigious status or will they soon fall from grace? Sound off in the comments box below, or head over to CAPS and rank them yourself!
