Zynga Inc (ZNGA), Facebook Inc (FB): This Week’s 5 Smartest Stock Moves

Sure, this venture may prove to be too successful. Samsung may merely be testing the waters to see if the market is ready for Samsung stand-alone stores. However, for now, it gives shoppers a reason to flock back to Best Buy.

4. There’s no place like home
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) hosted a media event to unveil its new Android interface yesterday.

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) Home will allow owners of the leading Android smartphones to transform their home screens into a Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)-centric interface that boots up with vivid images from Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) friends and bubbles up notifications.

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)’s goal is to let the smartphone experience be about people instead of apps.

Yes, a phone was also unveiled that will come optimized this way out of the box. HTC First itself may be a hard sell if it’s mislabeled as a “Facebook Phone” — and it will hit the market on the same day as the Facebook Home app becomes available (a week from today).

Some analysts were also bellyaching about the lack of Facebook Home monetization, but they don’t get it. This push is about getting users to engage more with the social networking website. The stickiness will pay off in other ways.

5. Qihoo’s your daddy
The push to monetize its search engine apparently hasn’t set Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd (NYSE:QIHU) back.

T.H. Capital is reporting that Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd (NYSE:QIHU)’s share of the search engine market has grown from 10.4% to 13.5%. Most of those gains have come at the expense of China’s smaller players. Market leader Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU)‘s market share only slipped from 71.5% to 70.5%.

This is definitely positive news for Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd (NYSE:QIHU), as it proves that it’s just not a novelty. It’s amazing to think that Qihoo 360 didn’t even have a search engine a year ago.

The article This Week’s 5 Smartest Stock Moves originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Rick Munarriz.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Baidu and Facebook. The Motley Fool owns shares of Baidu and Facebook.

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