Microsoft

This weekend in Barron's online: the top 50 annuities, Intel finally goes mobile, what tech companies should do with all that cash, and the prospects for Snap-on. Cover Story "The Top 50 Annuities" by Karen Hube. A year ago, guaranteed payouts and benefits on all kinds of annuities were far more...

Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU), which is well positioned to take advantage of the migration of small business to the cloud, is scheduled to report fiscal third-quarter 2012 results tomorrow, May 17, after the end of the trading day. The software provider has enjoyed double-digit year-over-year percentage...

What will become of the game industry after PlayStation 4, Xbox 720 and Wii U arrive? Many think that this is the end of the line for consoles. With the rise of Android and iOS gaming, some argue that we no longer need a game-specific device. Never mind the fact that mobile gaming is nowhere near...

It's the topic that won't die. But if Sony and Microsoft ban used games, the industry will. In January, I outlined five key reasons why the next Xbox will absolutely play used games. Since that time, a new report has come to light that claims Sony (NYSE: SNE) is working hard to eliminate our...

These four corporations should take the laws on piracy and throw them into the meat grinder as soon as possible. The reason? There are many. But in short, current piracy laws make it easier for content to be distributed illegally than through any of the legal channels. It's time for that to change...

One top-ranking Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) exec did just that, parting ways with 95% of his shares. Scott Forstall, the senior VP of Apple's iOS software division, has sold more than 64,000 shares of Apple stock, earning nearly $39 million in the process. Considering the many rumors that Apple will go...

Microsoft shocked the world this week when it announced that it will pour $300 million into the Nook e-reader technology from Barnes & Noble. The deal, which is being called a win for both corporations, quickly gained approval from analysts within the tech industry. "I think for Microsoft to...

Shares of the following exchange traded funds are more than 15% higher than 90 days ago and trading within 9% of their 52-week highs. Direxion Daily Healthcare Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: CURE) is more than 26% higher year to date but trading about where it was a month ago. The nondiversified fund...

The Mac maker is on the list of firms who could/should acquire the social media empire. But Google is a much more likely candidate. Whenever a major acquisition occurs, the world scrambles to figure out which companies will be acquired next, how much they will sell for, and who will buy them. If a...

This weekend in Barron's online: The latest Big Money poll of America's portfolio managers, a cool off in the prices of U.S. farmland, and the prospects for Francesca's Holdings, Devon Energy and LSI. Cover Story "Reason to Cheer" by Jack Willoughby. In Barron's latest Big Money poll, America's...