Top 10 Blue Chip Companies To Invest In Right Now

Top 10 Blue Chip Companies To Invest In Right Now: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CNBC]

  Joe Klamar, AFP/Getty Images Since Steve Jobs stepped out onto the stage to launch the world's first iPad in the second quarter of 2010, Apple's offering has been the device to beat in the tablet space. Apple (AAPL) has sold over 170 million tablets since the iPad's debut and if analyst expectations are to be believed, that number will balloon in the current quarter thanks to the release of the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina. But while many analysts are bullish on Apple's latest offerings, the cold hard facts reveal the iPad king is losing market share in the tablet space. New data compiled by research firm IHS show Apple's market share slipped to 29.7 percent in the third quarter from 33.5 percent in the previous qua! rter. Meanwhile, aggressive pricing strategies are seeing companies such as Samsung, Lenovo and Taiwan's Asus gain ground in the tablet space. As demand for smartphones tapers off, Samsung has begun to focus on the tablet market. The South Korean tech giant is now one place behind Apple with 22.2 percent of the market. Addressing analysts on its third quarter earnings call, Samsung said it plans to increase tablet shipments by 20 percent in the fourth quarter to take advantage of demand over the all-important Christmas period. Rhonda Alexander, director of tablet research at IHS, says Samsung is employing a similar strategy to the one it used to beat Apple in smartphone shipments -- offering users a range of options at a variety of prices. "The erosion in Apple's unit shipment market share was inevitable ... Cheaper almost always wins the volume race, and the competitors were quick to adjust pricing when it became clear that it was impossible to achieve anything close to Apple's unit growth at the same price level," she said. This has seen a surge in the number of tablets selling for less than $250 -- helping lift Google's (GOOG) Android to the No. 1 operating system by tablet shipments in the quarter. But the race to the bottom on

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Kristoffer Tripplaar/Alamy BRUSSELS -- The European Union's competition authority is opening a formal investigation of Amazon's European corporate income tax practices. The EU's executive Commission said Tuesday it is probing whether a tax agreement struck between the online retailer and the government of Luxembourg -- where Amazon.com (AMZN) records most of its European profits -- does constitute illegal state aid, distorting competition. The Commission says a 2003 tax arrangement with Amazon EU Sarl ensures that most of Amazon's profits made in the 28-nation bloc "are recorded in Luxembourg but are not taxed in Luxembourg." The EU's investigation is part of a wider crackd! own on mu! ltinationals' ability to avoid taxes by shifting profits and costs between countries. Apple (AAPL), coffee chain Starbucks (SBUX) and the financial arm of carmaker Fiat are also under investigation.

• [By Mike Deane]

  After weeks of reports and speculation, Apple Inc. (AAPL) confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that it will be acquiring Beats Music and Beats Electronics.
  

  Beats Music is a music streaming service, and Beat Electronics makes the “Beats by Dre” headphones, speakers, and audio software. The Beats company was co-founded by rapper, DJ, and producer Dr. Dre and music industry mogul Jimmy Iovine, who will both be joining Apple. Apple stated that the purchase price is $3 billion (lower than the rumored price of $3.2 billion), consisting of “$2.6 billion and $400 million that will vest over time.”

  In Apple’s press release, Apple CEO Tim Cook gives the following comments on the deal: “Music is such an important part of all of our lives and holds a special place within our hearts at Apple. Thats why we have kept investing in music and are bringing together these extraordinary teams so we can continue to create the most innovative music products and services in the world.

  The deal is expected to close in the fiscal fourth quarter.

  Apple stock was up slightly in after hours trading, after finishing the day down $1.62, or 0.62%. YTD Apple stock is up 13.11%

  AAPLDividend Snapshot

  As of Market Close on May 29, 2014

  Click here to see the complete history of AAPLdividends.

• [By Andrew Tonner]

  Internet radio upstart Pandora Media (NYSE: P  ) is doing everything in its power to justify its massive valuation and fend of increased competition from a myriad of competitors including Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) and Google.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10! -blue-chi! p-companies-to-invest-in-right-now.html