Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) are incessantly compared to one another, and for good reason. UPDATE: Earlier today, we compared the two tech companies, and we wanted to update it with CNBC’s video of the debate. It can be seen on the next page.
As we summarized here Wednesday, CNBC is conducting a March Madness-type bracket involving some of the top stocks on the market. With Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) coming out on top against Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) yesterday, the other semifinal matchup in this tournament was debated earlier Thursday, as Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) took on Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) – also known as BlackBerry. Speaking about each of these stocks were analysts Tom Forte of Telsey Advisory Group and Daniel Ernst of Hudson Square.
In regards to the announcement, which was believed to be Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) unveiling an Android-based Facebook smartphone, Forte said (note, we’ll talk about Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) in a second):
FORTE: “(A good announcement) would be anything that can get them more integrated into consumers’ mobile interactions is a good thing. I’m not sure that an HTC phone would be a needle-mover in its own right, but if you look at what Amazon is doing in its hardware with the Kindle, the Kindle Fire, and we think Amazon will eventually have a smartphone, it’s really about controlling your ecosystems and getting consumers to do more within your set of services on the Internet via mobile.”
Aside from Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), when Ernst was asked to discuss Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)/BlackBerry, he was not a huge proponent of the stock – at least in the long-term. “I say, vote Apple in the final on Monday,” he deadpanned. “For BlackBerry, I can’t recommend it. At 28 times earnings and significant business model risk, it’s far too risky.”
However, Ernst was more bullish in the short-term prospects for Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), if only a little.
FORTE: “In the short-term, there are a few tailwinds. One is, they’re rolling out several hundred carriers now, so just the channel-fill alone will significantly boost their top-line sales relative to what they’ve had. The second point is about two years ago, the average BlackBerry was about two years old; now it’s over four years old, so there is a big pent-up demand of likely upgraders. […] So the question is, can Black Berry as a low-volume producer, become a hardware-margin-only company?”
What are your thoughts? If you were buying a stock now for this year, would you chose Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) or Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
