For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 19, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), NTT DoCoMo (DCM), Nokia Corp. (NOK) and Motorola Inc. (MOT).
Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513
Here are highlights from Friday’s AnalystBlog:
Qualcomm Wins M-Banking Deal
Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) recently entered into an agreement with MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), through which the latter will offer mobile banking services to its customers using Qualcomm’s mobile banking applications. Qualcomm provides mobile banking solutions through its subsidiary Firethorn Holding LLC. MetroPCS subscribers will now be able to freely download Firethorn’s mobile banking solutions from the Metro store.
Firethorn’s mobile banking platform will provide a complete picture of an individual’s personal finances on his/her mobile handset. Subscribers of MetroPCS will be able to view their bank and credit card balances and history, make transfers between their accounts, and pay their bills securely from their mobile phones using a single PIN. Furthermore, customers can also check rewards information and review targeted, timely offers from their financial institutions using Firethorn’s mobile commerce capabilities.
The acquisition of Firethorn has diversified Qualcomm into a new wireless market segment – mobile banking solutions. Mobile financial service has high growth potential. Various industry researches estimate that currently there are approximately 4 billion mobile phone users throughout the world but only around 1.6 billion individual bank accounts. This indicates that a large population of mobile phone users does not have access to basic financial services.
Firethorn’s mobile banking platform is targeting to narrow this gap combining wireless handsets and secured financial services. Citi-Card entered into an agreement with Firethorn for its real-time secured access gateway to be used by card members for account information retrieval using their wireless handsets. Four of the top ten banks in the U.S. are now Firethorn customers.
According to our assessment, Qualcomm’s entry into mobile financial service is a welcome move as this market is getting crowded gradually. NTT DoCoMo (DCM) has decided to launch an innovative on-line money transfer service in Japan. The company will extend this service globally later. Nokia Corp. (NOK) has established a business tie-up with Obopay, a global leader for developing mobile payment solutions, to launch an innovative wireless financial service called “Nokia Money”. Motorola Inc. (MOT) has also developed a new mobile phone SIM card called “I-SIM NFC Lite” card that can be used for mobile money transfer. The company is currently testing the m-wallet card in Taiwan and plans to launch it in China in the near future.
Want more from Zacks Equity Research? Subscribe to the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5515.
About Zacks Equity Research
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.
Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.
Zacks “Profit from the Pros” e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it’s your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.
Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts
Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com
