2017 was a strong year for big-cap stocks, as Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google all handily beat the returns delivered by the NASDAQ. James Cakmak, Internet Analyst at Monness, Crespi, Hardt, was with us to deliver his tech stock outlook for 2018.
The past year delivered remarkable returns for big tech stocks, and Cakmak says the momentum will continue into 2018. Despite financial success, he sees headline risks persisting for Facebook, Amazon, and Google as regulatory scrutiny looms. The analyst names Amazon as the "most politically savvy" tech company, saying they are getting closer to the government as agencies adopt AWS and cities try become the location of choice for its new headquarters.
Facebook has made an aggressive move forward with its video strategy as it looks to diversify its revenue from traditional ads. Cakmak weighs in on whether Facebook Watch will be the next big way for them to bring in revenue.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Thursday that the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. in the current fiscal quarter will be sourced from India, while iPads and other devices will come from Vietnam as the company works to avoid the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on its business. Apple’s earnings for the first three months of the year topped Wall Street’s expectations thanks to high demand for its iPhones, and the company said tariffs had a limited effect on the fiscal second quarter’s results. Cook added that for the current quarter, assuming things don’t change, Apple expects to see $900 million added to its costs as a result of the tariffs.
