It appears that the electronics industry technology continues to advance and amaze, and this time it is happening with the ever-evolving television; but will this advancement benefit the industry and its exchange traded funds (ETFs)?
Apple’s Future? Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced today that he’ll be stepping down until the end of June, stating that his health issues or more complex than he thought, reports Tom Krazit for CNET News. Tim Cook, Apple’s COO, will run the company in the meantime.
New Technologies. This new technology will enable consumers to access the Intervet via their televisions and is influencing various industries. Phones by Palm (PALM), promise to allow customers the ability to call friends utilizing the networking site, Facebook, and television manufacturers LG (LPL) and Samsung are offering their customers the ability to view movies from Netflix (NFLX).
History Repeats Itself? This all fine and dandy, but some fear that the end result of this new phenomenon will mimic that of what happened to the computer industry; that is, relentless price pressures and indistinguishable products, states Saul Hansell of The New York Times. Eventually, what will differentiate products is the type of software included and the quality of the Internet service that it connects to.
It appears that the real revenue generator for these companies will be the services that they offer with their products and not the actual product itself.
Keep Plugging Away. Even though electronic makers are struggling with this sluggish economy and relentless competition, they still look forward to innovation and the introduction of new advancements to keep the gadget lover on his feet.
Possible ETFs that may be influenced by this new technology are:
First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index (FDN): down 15.8% over the past 3 months; NFLX is 1.5%
iShares MSCI South Korea Index (EWY): down 24.6% over the past 3 months; Samsung is 18.3% and LG Electronics is 2.6%.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.