Microsoft Corp (MSFT)

Facing a big uphill battle. On the mobile front Google (GOOG-Q) and Apple (AAPL-Q) are winning. Their tablet has been a little bit of a flop so far. Windows 8 operating system has been a little bit slower than people had hoped. Very little financial risk. Have a great balance sheet and lots of cash and you will pick up a nice dividend but it is a laggard stock.

Technology sector in general tends to move between December and February so we are right in the midst of that. Chart looks like it has formed a bit of a triangle with descending highs but a flat base. Probably not a bad position but his discipline would be to Buy on a breakout.

It is probably going to continue what it has been doing since mid-2009. You aren’t going to get hurt here. A safer place to hide.

(A Top Pick Feb 15/12. Down 8.11%.) Too many people have expectations that Windows 8 is going to take off. It will at some point in time but because they are in the enterprise space, it takes a lot longer for these types of projects to happen. In the 2^nd or 3^rd quarter of this year, you’ll see more clarity on Windows 8, on the Surface Tablet and a lot of other things they are doing. Expect this is when the stock will move higher. You are getting a really reasonable dividend. Lots of cash and a great balance sheet.

The big question is where they are going to get the growth. With the hoopla of Windows 8 and how it was promoted, if that can’t get the company going, then what can? It is a value trap.

Doesn’t think highly of this company. Feels it is run by incompetent managers. Thinks they have a big problem on their hands. Computing went from desktop to laptop, which is not a problem as we still use the same software. But now computing is going from laptop to tablet and smart phone. This company essentially has no revenues in these 2 areas.

There are some risks with Windows 8 coming out and what they are doing on the phone side. Likes what they are doing in the tablet market. People like tablets but what they really miss are the applications that you can get on your PC. As Windows 8 rolls out and you get more into a format tablet, they have a chance to re-accelerate their growth a little bit.

(A Top Pick Sept 7/11. Up 7.02%.) Feels it is being overlooked because it was so well owned 12 years ago that there is still residual distribution pressure on it as fund managers get redemptions. 11% earnings yield and 3.5% dividend yield and no net debt.

Had record earnings, raised dividend. Surface tablet nonsense is a side show. The focus is the enterprise side and the Xbox plus things we don’t know about. It’s too cheap at 8x earnings.

It is going to take a while for Windows 8 to get traction. Usually bought when they are turning over system in their office. It has been unduly trashed at this point. It is way too low and is a solid company with good dividend yield. There have been a number of special dividends from US companies with a lot of cash on the balance sheet. She doesn’t know if this might happen here or not. At this price she would not sell it.

(Top Pick Nov 2/11, Up 4.22%) Keeps buying it because it has come off. They have some good products on the enterprise side. You won’t see it until second half 2013. On the consumer side it is much harder to compete with AAPL-Q. People are waiting for the next generation of Surface that will run Microsoft Office.

He just saw a new Microsoft store and is 5 times bigger than the Apple store in the same mall. The place was packed. People are kicking the tires. Hears that the new O/S is not selling like hotcakes. Most of Bay Street is just going from XP to 7.

Starting to enter interesting levels. 10 time PE. Long term support around $20. Sell off here is a deferral on sales of Windows 8. Thinks there will be a seasonable push with the release of Call of Duty. The Surface tablet could be construed as another toy for Christmas but the key is its ability to integrate. 3.4% yield.

The sector corrected. MSFT is a cash cow. It is a mature company. It is like a GIC that pays a little more. Don’t expect growth, but you won’t get growth. There are no drivers.

Move to the sidelines. Not tremendous risk, great balance sheet, but the problem is that the PC is under fire (it is declining).