06-06-2016, 07:59 PM
http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilhowe/201...cdf0225040
Quote:Earnings season wasn’t kind to Apple AAPL +0.76%. The company reported its first revenue slide in more than a decade, and lost $46 billion in market capitalization on the news. Are these troubles a sign that the “four horsemen” of technology—Apple, Alphabet , Facebook FB +0.30% and Amazon—are falling out of favor? Sure, their stock prices continue to climb (aside from Apple’s), and price to earnings ratios remain sky-high. But plenty of questions remain. Apple is still searching for the first “next big thing” of the post-Jobs era. Alphabet and Facebook each have far-reaching ambitions that have yet to bolster the bottom line. Amazon, meanwhile, may have the best shot at turning dreams into cash.
The luster of the nation’s most dominant technology companies hasn’t faded just yet. Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and Facebook have generated a whopping $436 billion in combined sales over the last twelve months. With the exception of Apple, whose stock has dropped amid concerns that we’ve “reached peak iPhone,” these companies’ share prices have jumped through the roof. Facebook stocks have roughly tripled in value since the company’s 2012 IPO, while Alphabet has climbed 60% over the same time period. Amazon shares have doubled in the past year. Each firm claims sky-high net margins of at least 22%—except for Amazon, which has famously eschewed profitability in favor of expanding market share.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilhowe/201...cdf0225040