Based on the aggregated intelligence of 145,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Web services specialist America Online
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at AOL's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
AOL facts
Headquarters |
New York City [spun off from Time Warner |
Market Cap |
$2.7 billion |
Industry |
Internet software and services |
Trailing-12-Month Revenue |
$3.4 billion |
Management |
Chairman/CEO Tim Armstrong |
Trailing-12-Month Operating Margin |
(24.8%) |
Cash/Debt |
$76.7 million / $72.8 million |
Competitors |
Google |
CAPS Members Bearish on AOL Also Bearish on |
Palm |
CAPS Members Bullish on AOL Also Bullish on |
Apple |
Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 67% of the 45 members who have rated AOL believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bears include All-Stars ctdegroot and kristm, both of whom are ranked in the top 5% of our community.
Late last week, ctdegroot tapped AOL as a rather outdated way to stay connected: "Why does this company still exist? I don't know anyone anymore who still uses AOL. They failed to keep up with the times and they will never return to their former glory."
In a pitch from the same day, kristm expands on the spin-off as a sure bet to keep shrinking:
Today's AOL isn't the AOL we all knew (and hated) before they bought Time Warner. The dialup Internet service is an albatross around the company's neck, and it basically exists as a network of Wannabe web sites nobody's ever heard of... Outside of AIM, Shoutcast, and Moviefone there's not much of any value or reputation here -- and those known properties aren't worth $2.6 billion. You'd do better to invest in Google or [IAC/InterActive] than sink money into this dog [Time Warner] kicked out of bed for smelling too bad.
What do you think about AOL, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. The CAPS community is waiting to hear your opinions. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!