Caffeinated: Starbucks' Stock

What a difference a month makes. For Starbucks, it would seem that perhaps the market now is beginning to realize some of the things we mentioned in our Starbucks growth article. The future lies in two drivers: burgeoning China sales and the growth of mobile ordering and payment in the U.S., enabling American consumers to order their favorite coffee brew, tea, sandwiches and pastries anytime and anywhere - without so much as going near a traditional Starbucks coffee shop. Both areas have been growing by leaps and bounds in past few quarters.

Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/news/starbucks-its-brewing-bigger-gains-investors-sbux/

More Packer's Stock Available to Public

Need to pick up a late Christmas present for someone?

Sales of Green Bay Packers stock have been so brisk since an initial offering three weeks ago that the team is making another 30,000 shares available.

The team initially offered 250,000 shares for sale starting Dec. 6. But the allotment is nearly gone, even though the shares cost $250 each and have virtually no resale value.

The offering is scheduled to end Feb. 29 or when all remaining shares are sold.

The NFL’s only publicly owned team is applying the proceeds toward a $143 million expansion of Lambeau Field. The Packers have said they would fund the expansion themselves and through private funding, and wouldn’t ask taxpayers to contribute as owners of other teams typically do.

Selling all 280,000 shares would raise $70 million.

The shares are available at packersowner.com for $250, plus a $25 handling fee per transaction.

Buyers gain the privilege of calling themselves NFL owners, though the stock value will not go up and there are no dividends. Stockholders also get voting rights, and they can attend annual meetings where they can meet team executives and tour the Packers Hall of Fame.

Amazon's New Kindle Fire Costs More to Makes Than it Sells For

It retails for $199, but reports say it costs nearly $210 to make.

Citing new estimates from HIS iSuppli said the components used in making the Kindle Fire cost $191.65 and additional manufacturing costs bring the total cost to $10 over the list price.

Good news for shareholders, Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) has a potential upside of 14.4% based on a current price of $216.23 and an average consensus analyst price target of $247.46.

Amazon.com is currently above its 50-day moving average (MA) of $211.62 and above its 200-day of $192.88.

Is the Blackberry Brand on Life Support?

They may not be on life support yet, but they are heading in that direction.

Shares of Research in Motion, Ltd (RIM) dropped 21.5% to their lowest level since 2006 on Friday after the BlackBerry smartphone maker said quarterly revenue might drop for the first time in nine years and unveiled plans to reduce jobs.

Revenue will be $4.2 billion to $4.8 billion in the fiscal second quarter, RIM said Thursday. That was less than the average analyst estimate for sales of $5.47 billion, according to a Bloomberg survey. Profit this quarter will be 75 cents to $1.05 a share. Analysts had predicted $1.40.

RIM is losing market share in the U.S. to Apple's iPhone and handsets running Google's Android software, in part because it hasn't introduced a major new BlackBerry model since last August. Cheaper Google phones are also making inroads in Latin America, Asia and Europe, threatening the popularity of less-expensive BlackBerry models like the Curve.

RIM, based in Waterloo, Ontario, plunged $7.58, or 21.5%, to $27.75, the lowest level since Sept. 12, 2006. The stock has dropped 52% this year.

"Its product portfolio is just not up to snuff with its key competitors," said Paul Taylor, chief investment officer at BMO Harris Private Banking in Toronto.

RIM has come under increasing scrutiny from investors after its stock slumped, the company lost phone market share, and its new PlayBook tablet computer, a rival to Apple's iPad, was criticized by technology columnists for poor performance and being rushed to market.

Last week, investor Northwest & Ethical Investments called for RIM to separate the roles of chairman and chief executive as analysts question whether RIM's co-CEO structure is the best way to manage the company.