Editor’s Note: Related Tickers: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Apple rewards finance chief with $69M pay in 2012, highest of any CFO (Apple Insider)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer was the highest paid among all CFOs in 2012, as the Cupertino company rewarded him immensely for its financial performance. Oppenheimer, under whose watch Apple’s cash pile grew to roughly $120 billion in 2012, saw a compensation package of $68.6 million for the year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That figure is more than 16 times Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook’s compensation for the year. Stock grants issued to retain top executive talent comprised almost the whole of Oppenheimer’s pay for the year, which was the fifth-highest among all S&P 500 executives, including CEOs. The $68.6 million figure far outstripped the $51.7 million earned by tech’s next-highest compensated CFO, Oracle’s Safra Catz. Google’s Patrick Pichette was No. 3 at $38.7 million.
Although the recently-released BlackBerry Q10 handsets appear to be selling well, stocks may be limited, according to broker houses Canaccord Genuity and Jefferies. Analysts at Canaccord Genuity are not convinced that Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s current supply of Q10 handsets will keep up with demand. More worryingly, perhaps, the broker suspects that sales of BlackBerry Z10 handsets – launched in February – are already on the wane, particularly in the US. Canaccord Genuity’s findings come on the heels of a similar report from Jefferies. While Jefferies reports the new Q10 smartphone is selling well in Canada and Britain, it also flags up “limited stock” of the device. Jefferies says its findings are based on checks with mobile carriers and retailers in both countries, including Bell, Rogers and Telus in Canada, and Carphone Warehouse, Vodafone, and Orange in Britain.
Nokia takes on Apple and Samsung with clip of Lumia 928’s low-light video capabilities (PCWorld)
The Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) Lumia 928 will be an upgraded version of the existing flagship Lumia 920, and is expected to become available via U.S. operator Verizon Wireless. The Windows Phone-based device will have an 8.7-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, according to Nokia. As it tries to build some buzz for the phone, Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)has updated the device’s U.S. website with a clip that compares its video capabilities with that of the Galaxy S III from Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 5. The video shows a roller-coaster ride at night, and not surprisingly the Nokia device comes out on top, according to Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK). It has better color saturation than the iPhone 5 and less video noise than the Galaxy S III as well as a sharper image focus compared to both phones, according to the Finnish vendor.
Blackberry shares slide (Fudzilla)
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s comeback suffered a set back yesterday after Pacific Crest Securities issued a downbeat report on sales momentum for the company’s new BlackBerry 10 operating system. Shares of BlackBerry slid more than 5 percent after Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette, slapped an underperform rating on the company’s stock. He believes initial shipment and sales volumes for the Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) Q10 were not been strong. Faucette said sales of the BlackBerry Z10 are slowing down as well.
Apple picks itself up off the mat (Fortune)
Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) have gained about 20% from last month’s low of $385. The rally came after Apple said it planned to return $100 billion to shareholders over the next three years, mainly by buying back its own stock. The company sold a record $17 billion of bonds to help finance the initiative, a move designed to avoid the taxes Apple would have to pay if it repatriated overseas cash. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) had been under pressure from investors, including David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital, to use its $144 billion of cash to reward shareholders. Einhorn called the move…
…”a major step forward,” during a conference call Tuesday, and said Greenlight has added to its Apple position. “Now, we just wait for the release of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s next blockbuster product,” he said.
Microsoft’s SkyDrive hits 250 million users (ZDNet)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s cloud storage platform has signed up 50 million more users since the launch of Windows 8 last October, bringing the total number up to 250m. The growth — announced in a Microsoft blogpost on Monday by SkyDrive program manager Omar Shahine — can be attributed in part to the integration that Windows 8 has with SkyDrive, enabling users to easily save their documents to Microsoft’s cloud service. Microsoft said on Tuesday that it had sold more than 100m Windows 8 licenses since the launch on 25 October. The SkyDrive milestone comes after Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) took several steps to encourage more people to use the service to store content. For example, Microsoft made SkyDrive the default save location for Office files in the past few months and updated the SkyDrive iOS app.
Nokia CEO Sticks to Company’s Strategy (Wall Street Journal)
Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) Chief Executive Stephen Elop vigorously defended the Finnish handset maker on Tuesday amid investor concerns about his company’s ability to go toe to toe with global heavyweights like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co. Addressing an annual shareholder meeting a few months after the board proposed suspending the dividend, Mr. Elop said Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) will fight to gain U.S. market share and will stick with its strategy of using Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Windows software for its Lumia smartphone lineup.
Apple orders iPhone 5S display production to begin in June (Expert Reviews)
Production of the iPhone 5S is believed to be starting as early as June, with Sharp receiving its first order for the new smartphone’s display from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) this month. According to a report on the Japanese-language Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Sharp is due to begin manufacturing the screens for Apple’s next-generation iOS smartphone in June at its main plant in Japan – following Apple’s decision to distance itself from rival Samsung, which had previously been a partner for screens and processor components found in the handset despite producing the Galaxy smartphones and tablets that are Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s biggest competitors in the marketplace. Other orders are believed to have been received by Japan Display and LG Display, meaning three companies will be producing large volumes of smartphone screens for the company.
Microsoft To Release ‘Blue’ (Indiatimes.com)
In order to tackle the problems of the new operating system Windows 8.1 by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), the company has decided to insert a change in the software called -Blue. The latest version of the Windows is analyzed to have failed in striking a chord with its users, reports Fox News. Despite the fact that the new Windows boasts of innovative tiles and touch design, the tweak in the OS has been introduced after customers complained of a rather complicated operating system with no ‘start’ button in the menu. The new insertion of Blue in Windows 8.1 is also aimed at making the OS more convenient to use along with making it functional for smaller tablets.
Have to Have Launches New Shopping App for BlackBerry 10 (Virtual-Strategy Magazine)
Have to Have (Havetohave.com), an e-commerce advertising network, today announced the launch of a shopping app for Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) 10 smartphones. The app is available as a free download on the BlackBerry® World™ storefront. The Have to Have app allows users to vote on trending products and save items they love to their personal profiles. Shoppers can quickly and easily create shopping lists to share with friends on BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™). Additionally, the app learns user preferences and smartly recommends new products.
