5 Best Internet Stocks To Buy For 2014

Twitter filed an S-1 form at the Securities and Exchange Commission and became public a week ago. It will list on the New York Stock exchange and its IPO estimated to net around $1.5 billion, sources familiar to the matter say. This changes the situation in the stock market for other social/professional networking companies. The other two big players in the Western World are Facebook Inc. (FB) and LinkedIn Corp. (LNKD). Trading at considerably high valuations, do these stocks still stand as good investment options? Let�� take a look at them:

It麓s All About the Valuation

Although Facebook has been laying the foundations for a huge online advertising business, most analysts and investors seem to be worried about its valuation. Trading at about 212 times its earnings, more than six times its industry�� average, a lot of growth is priced in this stock. In order to catch up with its peers, Facebook�� earnings should have to increase at least by 500%.

However, it is unfair, in some ways, to compare Facebook with the internet content and information industry, since there are few companies that can compete with it. But, if compared to Google (GOOG), for example, Facebook�� valuation is more than 8 times higher. In addition, Google�� advertising income is considerably larger and more effective. Nevertheless, Facebook�� publicity income continues to rise, quarter after quarter. Furthermore, several initiatives within the company point towards changing the ways that users interact with its website.

5 Best Internet Stocks To Buy For 2014: Symantec Corporation(SYMC)

Symantec Corporation provides security, storage, and systems management solutions internationally. The company?s Consumer segment delivers Internet security, PC tune-up, and online backup solutions and services to individual users and home offices. Its Security and Compliance segment provides solutions for endpoint security and management, compliance, messaging management, data loss prevention, encryption, and authentication services to large, medium, and small-sized businesses, as well as offers solutions through its software-as-a-service (SaaS) security offerings. This segment?s products enable customers to secure, provision, and remotely manage their laptops, PCs, mobile devices, and servers. The company?s Storage and Server Management segment provides storage and server management, backup, archiving, and data protection solutions across heterogeneous storage and server platforms, as well as solutions delivered through its SaaS offerings to large, medium, and small-s ized businesses. Symantec?s Services segment offers implementation services and solutions, including consulting, business critical services, education, and managed security services. The company also provides various enterprise support offerings, such as annual maintenance support contracts, including content, upgrades, and technical support. It sells its products through its eCommerce platform, as well as through distributors, direct marketers, Internet-based resellers, system builders, ISPs, and retail locations worldwide. Symantec markets and sells its products through distributors, retailers, direct marketers, Internet-based resellers, original equipment manufacturers, system builders, and Internet service providers; and its e-commerce channels, as well as direct sales force, value-added and large account resellers, and system integrators. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Of course, banks can't know when an attack is merely disruptive, and when it may be covering for criminal activity. Security company Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC  ) has commented that these assaults have become a way for hackers to distract banks while funds are illegally withdrawn. Though most of the thefts have occurred in Europe, where attacks have progressed from website outages to actual bank heists, at least one U.S. bank, Citigroup, disclosed some losses due to cyber thievery earlier this year.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) were down 11.70 percent to $18.46 after the company fired President and Chief Executive Steve Bennett and appointed director Michael Brown as interim president and CEO. UBS downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral and lowered the price target from $27.00 to $21.00.

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  On Thursday, Morgan Stanley reported that it has downgraded security and storage management company Symantec Corporation (SYMC).

  Morgan Stanley has cut its rating on SYMC to an “Equal Weight.” Analysts believe that the company lacks near term catalysts.

  Symantec shares were down 55 cents, or 2.18%, during pre-market trading Thursday. The stock is up 34% YTD.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is down 1.9% at $34.62 on earnings that were good but not great. Symantec Inc. (NASDAQ: SYMC) is down 12.8% at $21.48 on lagging revenues and a weak outlook. Fusion-io Inc. (NYSE: FIO) is down 24.4% at $9.81 on soft results. Goldcorp Inc. (NYSE: GG) is up 4% at $26.62 after reporting earnings this morning. Xerox Corp. (NYSE: XRX) is down 10.4% at $9.61 on a weak outlook tied to a failing turnaround plan.

5 Best Internet Stocks To Buy For 2014: Amazon.com Inc.(AMZN)

Amazon.com, Inc. operates as an online retailer in North America and internationally. It operates retail Web sites, including amazon.com and amazon.ca. The company serves consumers through its retail Web sites and focuses on selection, price, and convenience. It also offers programs that enable sellers to sell their products on its Web sites, and their own branded Web sites. In addition, the company serves developer customers through Amazon Web Services, which provides access to technology infrastructure that developers can use to enable virtually various type of business. Further, it manufactures and sells the Kindle e-reader. Additionally, the company provides fulfillment; miscellaneous marketing and promotional agreements, such as online advertising; and co-branded credit cards. Amazon.com, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alyce Lomax]

  Whether or not one believes that Amazon.com's (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) current stock price is justified, one investment opinion that is completely justified is the Internet giant's retail strength. In sharp contrast to RadioShack's depressing trading day yesterday, Amazon shares have stepped over the $300 per share mark as we speak. Investors might want to wait for temporary weakness to buy in, but intrinsically, this is a far stronger company.

• [By Chris Neiger]

  But while the Redmond company has been busy trying to sell its full-sized tablets, small tablets have become the mobile market's latest trend. IDC numbers show that half of all tablets shipped in Q4 2012 were smaller than 8 inches. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) launched the iPad Mini back in October 2012 and has sold about 12.5 million units in Q2 2013 alone. Devices running on Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) Android OS also dominate the tablet market, and Google itself even sells its own Nexus tablet. Amazon.com's (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) modified Android tablets currently take third place for tablet shipments.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has been offering Black Friday deals all week and is now gearing up for Cyber Monday. Shares are trading about 1.5% higher just before noon on Friday at $392.17 after hitting a new 52-week high of $393 earlier this morning. The stock�� 52-week low is $242.75.

Top 5 Blue Chip Companies To Invest In Right Now: eBay Inc.(EBAY)

eBay Inc. provides online platforms, services, and tools to help individuals and merchants in online and mobile commerce and payments in the United States and internationally. Its Marketplaces segment operates ecommerce platform eBay.com; vertical shopping sites, such as StubHub, Fashion, Motors, and Half.com; and classifieds Websites, including Den Bl�Avis, BilBasen, Gumtree, Kijiji, LoQUo, Marktplaats.nl, mobile.de, Alamaula, Rent.com, eBay Anuncios, eBay Kleinanzeigen, and eBay Annunci, as well as provides advertising services. The company?s Payments segment offers payment and settlement services for consumers and merchants on and off eBay Websites and other merchant Websites. This segment operates PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to send and receive payments online and through mobile devices; Bill Me Later that enables the United States merchants to offer, the United States consumers to obtain, credit at the point of sale for ecommerce and mobile tra nsactions; Zong, which allows users with mobile phones to purchase digital goods and have the transactions charged to their phone bill; and BillSAFE that enables customers pay for purchases upon receipt of an invoice. Its GSI segment offers an ecommerce services suite for enterprise clients that operate in general merchandise categories, including apparel, sporting goods, toys and baby, health and beauty, and home; and marketing services comprising full-service digital agency, enterprise email marketing, mobile advertising, affiliate marketing, advertisement retargeting, and in-depth analytics services. The company also offers X.commerce platform that provides software developers access to the company?s applications programming interfaces to develop functionality for various merchants; and Magento Connect, which allows developers to market and sell add-on functionality and solutions to merchants that use a Magento storefront. eBay Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquarter ed in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  This week, we'll turn our attention to the retail marketplace and I'll show you why eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY  ) CEO John Donahoe is truly at the head of the class among his peers.

• [By Tamara Rutter]

  Stocks are moving on quarterly earnings this week, and eBay is no exception. Investors sent eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY  ) stock lower in after-hours trading on Wednesday, despite the e-commerce company posting a 19% increase in profit for its first quarter. Unfortunately, double-digit increases in both revenue and profit weren't enough to stop shares of eBay from dipping more than 5% at the market open today. What's really going on with this Internet darling?

• [By Benjamin Pimentel]

  Shares of eBay Inc. (EBAY) �shed 0.8% to close at $58.31. The company�� battle with Carl Icahn continued as eBay director Marc Andreessen defended his role at the company, calling the billionaire�� allegations ��alse and misleading.��

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  Carl Icahn is holding nothing back in his battle to force eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) to spin off its PayPal payment processing business.

  On the same day eBay rejected two of Icahn's nominees for its board, the billionaire activist investor fired off another open letter to the company's stockholders berating Chief Executive Officer John J. Donahoe's handling of the Skype deal.
  
  "We believe based on evidence we've uncovered that Donahoe's inexcusable incompetence cost eBay stockholders over $4 billion," the letter begins.

5 Best Internet Stocks To Buy For 2014: IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI)

IAC/InterActiveCorp engages in the Internet business in the United States and internationally. The company�s Search segment develops, markets, and distributes various downloadable toolbars; provides search, reference, and content services through its destination search and other Websites, including Ask.com and Dictionary.com; and aggregates and integrates local advertising and content for distribution to publishers on Web and mobile platforms, as well as markets and distributes mobile applications through which it provides search and additional services. Its Match segment offers subscription-based and advertiser-supported online personals services through its Websites comprising Match.com, Chemistry.com, OurTime.com, BlackPeopleMeet.com, and OkCupid.com, as well as through mobile applications and Meetic-branded Websites. The company�s ServiceMagic segment offers Market Match service that matches consumers with service professionals; Exact Match service, which enables con sumers to review service professional profiles and select the service professional that meets their specific needs; and 1800Contractor.com, an online directory of service professionals. This segment also offers Website design and hosting services. Its Media and Other segment operates CollegeHumor.com, an online entertainment Website that targets young males; Vimeo, a Website on which users can upload, share, and view video; and Pronto.com, a comparison search engine. This segment also engages in the creation of video content for various distribution platforms; and operates as an Internet retailer of footwear and related apparel and accessories, as well as focuses on multimedia business. The company was formerly known as InterActiveCorp and changed its name to IAC/InterActiveCorp in July 2004. IAC/InterActiveCorp was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI) announced that its CEO is stepping down from his current position to become chairman of a new operating unit. Investors cheered the management shakeup which is potentially hinting at a spinoff. Shares hit new 52 week highs of $70.44 before closing at $68.49, up 13.98 percent.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  IAC/InterActiveCorp provides information and entertainment services through its wide portfolio of websites to consumers and companies across the globe. The stock has been moving higher in recent years and seems to be getting ready to test all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been increasing, which has pleased investors. Relative to its peers and sector, IAC/InterActiveCorp has trailed in year-to-date performance. Look for IAC/InterActiveCorp to catch up and OUTPERFORM.

• [By Igor Novgorodtsev]

  InterActiveCorp (IACI) bought Ask.com for $1.85 billion in 2005. The new Perion will be worth only about 40% of that. After the merger, Perion will leapfrog its much larger rivals: Babylon and AVG (AVG). Finally, Perion should be able to increase its operating margins as it can spread its SG&A costs over a much larger base (Conduit EBITDA margin is 32% vs. Perion's 23%). Perion will keep its senior management team intact: Josef Mandelbaum will remain its CEO and Yacov Kaufman its CFO. Perion has successfully orchestrated a roll-up acquisitions of privately-held Sweetpacks and Smilebox, so I have high confidence that they know how to integrate a new business.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI) shot up 15.54 percent to $69.43 after the company reported that that it is reorganizing and that Greg Blatt, its CEO, will become the Chairman of the newly created Match Group.

5 Best Internet Stocks To Buy For 2014: Yahoo! Inc.(YHOO)

Yahoo! Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital media company that delivers personalized digital content and experiences through various devices worldwide. It offers online properties and services to users; and a range of marketing services to businesses. The company?s communications and communities offerings include Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, Flickr, and Connected TV, which provide a range of communication and social services to users and small businesses enabling users to organize into groups and share knowledge, common interests, and photos. Its search products comprise Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Local, available free to users to navigate the Internet and discover content. The company?s marketplaces offerings and services include Yahoo! Shopping, Yahoo! Travel, Yahoo! Real Estate, Yahoo! Autos, and Yahoo! Small Business, which allow users to research specific topics, products, services, or areas of interest by review ing and exchanging information, obtaining contact details, or considering offers from providers of goods, services, or parties with similar interests. Its media offerings comprise Yahoo! Homepage, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Finance, My Yahoo!, Yahoo! Toolbar, Yahoo! Entertainment & Lifestyles, Yahoo! Contributor Network, and Yahoo! Pulse, which are designed to engage users with online content and services on the Web. The company also offers marketing services, such as display and search advertising, listing-based services, and commerce-based transactions to advertisers. In addition, it provides software and platform offerings for third-party developers, advertisers, and publishers, such as Yahoo! Developer Network, Yahoo! Open Strategy, Yahoo! Application Platform, Yahoo! Updates, Yahoo! Query Language, and Yahoo! Search BOSS. The company has strategic alliances with Nokia and ABC News, Inc. Yahoo! Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Californi a.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill, Jason Moser, and Charly Travers]

  Yahoo's (NASDAQ: YHOO  ) first-quarter revenue was flat, but display advertising dropped 11%. Bank of America upgraded Yahoo! based on the company's Alibaba stake. But Yahoo! continues to lose ground to Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) and Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) . In this installment of MarketFoolery, our analysts talk about the future of Yahoo! and explain why CEO Marissa Mayer's leadership may be undervalued.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  After five years at the top of the heap, Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG)�has relinquished its top spot in comScore Inc.�� (NASDAQ: SCOR) ranking of the top 50 U.S. Web properties. The new leader is Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) in what can only be called a stunning upset.

• [By Isaac Pino, CPA]

  The idea is to create food that's affordable, or free in some cases, but food that is healthy and still brings a sense of community to that culture of that company. It's taken off like crazy. Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO  ) is now free, since Marissa got there as CEO. Twitter is now free. LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD  ) is going to be free. Google�is free.