Market Features
Editor's note: This is Part 1 or a two-part series. Check back next week for Part 2. Fact: Over the last 12 months, TheStreet.com's Internet index of 21 leading technology stocks has risen 16%, significantly outperforming the 4% appreciation for the Dow Jones Total Market Index. Fact: The three hottest stocks in this Internet index have been: Amazon AMZN, up 146%, Research In MotionRIMM, up 141%, and VeriSign VRSN, up 56% for the last 12 months. Fact: Believe it or not -- Internet stocks can decrease in price. The three worst performing stocks in the index, MonsterMNST, AvocentAVCT and Interactive IACI, actually lost 23% of their value during the same period. What explains the difference? If you believe McKinsey's just-published article in its quarterly, "Eight business technology trends to watch," the answer is simple. Winning companies don't just use technology; they create new ways of doing business. In the spirit of stirring up dialog about which are the best stocks for 2008, here are the eight trends as outlined in the McKinsey article and my comments on near-term valuations for Internet stocks: The first four trends fall under the theme of managing relationships. 1) Distributing co-creation. According to McKinsey, the Internet and related technologies can give companies radical new ways to harvest the talents of innovators working outside corporate boundaries. This trend refers to the way companies co-create with partners and strive to be more productive.
A 20-month investigation accuses some of pro baseball's biggest stars of being steroid users.
It may be too late to refinance that adjustable rate mortgage.
Even the most creditworthy consumers are footing the bill for the mortgage meltdown.
Forget this liquidity injection. We're in a slo-mo unraveling. Without aggressive action, it'll speed up.
Yahoo! is among the most searched stocks on TheStreet.com. Here's what Cramer had to say about the stock recently.
Catch up on his thinking on the hottest topics of the past week.
Investors will have to deal with a Fed meeting and another flood of earnings and economic data.
Ensco International and Echelon have the potential to move higher in coming days.
See who made what calls.
The addition of video is helping telecom companies compete against cable and satellite companies.
The June West Texas Intermediate contract reflects selling pressure ahead of Tuesday's expiration. But stocks in the sector are generally trading higher.
See who made what calls.
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