By Angela Harmantas
Blackberry’s CEO committed an embarrassing gaffe in front of media last week – is it an indicator of what we can expect with the forthcoming launch of the company’s new Priv phone? Today on Before the Bell we’re talking about how Blackberry’s stock could surprise to the upside. Also, we’re celebrating the US’s strong Q2 economic growth by sharing stocks that have generated a healthy return for investors, and sharing this leading small cap investor’s tips on how to be proactive with your portfolio – here’s what you need to know today:
In what must be one of the most awkward CEO interviews in recent memory, Blackberry’s John Chen had the face-reddening experience of struggling to use the company’s new Android-powered slider phone in front of a gathering of reporters last week. Not a great introduction to the Priv, is it? Anyway, Blackberry’s latest earnings report missed expectations yet again, Gravitas Financial’s Alex Cutulenco still thinks that Blackberry stock could surprise to the upside. He points to the fact that BBRY’s mobile security is still strongly valued by its customers. Also, management recently purchased a chunk of its own stock, which could be hinting towards future acquisitions. Do you think Blackberry is as undervalued as its management seems to believe? Regardless, let’s hope that BBRY’s top brass get a handle on their new products before flashy product introductions in the future.
While general stock market malaise has permeated the summer season, the US economy grew at a faster pace than expected in the lead up to the summer months. From April-June US economic growth hit 3.9%, surpassing the 3.7% target put in place by analysts. It may not be anything to write home about, but in contrast Canada’s own economy shrank 0.5% in the same period. On that note, today we’re giving you 5 US stocks that have generated healthy returns for investors: names like Molson Coors Brewing, JetBlue Airways and FitBitInc have all had good Septembers.
Did you catch my interview with 5i Research’s Peter Hodson on Friday? He shared with us some of his best predictors of a small cap’s success and the sectors that he likes right now. Peter’s new article in the Financial Post, “5 things to do before watching your portfolio crumble” imparts more of his advice on managing small caps. As Peter says in the article, one of the worst things a small cap investor can do is sit and watch his or her portfolio crumble – it’s best to take a proactive approach. Read the article for his tips on how to be proactive when it comes to small cap investing.
Do you have a burning question you’d like answered by an investment expert or analyst? Let me know and I can post the answer here in the blog. Contact me by email at angela@smallcappower.com or on Twitter: @aharmantas.