Last week, I suggested that Microsoft ($MSFT) would be the ultimate winner in the long war for dominance of the smartphone and tablet markets. Though Apple ($AAPL) dominates today, it has no real defensible “moats” that would prevent an aggressive competitor from muscling in on its turf.  Consumers are notoriously fickle, and there is little...Read More

Apple ($AAPL) is getting most of the attention this morning due to its earnings release late yesterday.  Two weeks ago, I asked “Is it time to dump Apple,” and I think the answer is increasingly “yes.”  Though the company remains wildly profitable, earnings missed estimates this quarter, and there is a sneaking realization that Apple’s...Read More

The February 13 issue of Barron’s made a statement that caught my eye:  Americans are paying down their mortgages.  (See “Paying Down the Mortgage.”) 50% of all refinancings now result in smaller loans that the previous mortgage.  Rather than using their homes as a virtual ATM machine, extracting equity (if you have any) to meet...Read More