Topic: Growth Stocks

BlackBerry aims for growth with new phones, a new name and new markets

BlackBerry aims for growth with new phones, a new name and new markets

Hidden value is a key factor we look for in our stock recommendations. A good example of an underappreciated asset is a company’s brand name. Balance sheets often fail to assign any value to brands, even household names that have built up multitudes of loyal customers over the years. The strength of the brands of certain companies can help them expand beyond Canada. That’s where one of Canada’s best-known tech stocks, now under a new name, aims to grow.


BLACKBERRY (Toronto symbol BB; www.blackberry.com) is the new name of Research in Motion Ltd. (old symbol RIM). (Note: The company’s legal name will remain Research in Motion until shareholders approve the name change at the next annual meeting.)

The company recently launched two smartphones powered by its new BlackBerry 10 software: the BlackBerry Z10 uses a 4.2-inch touch-screen interface, while the BlackBerry Q10 features a smaller screen and a physical keyboard.

BlackBerry has already started selling the Z10 in Canada, the U.K. and other countries. The company will launch the new phone in the U.S. in March. It should launch the Q10 in April.

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New name could be major asset in emerging markets

Unlike other smartphone makers, BlackBerry also sells software that helps businesses and governments encrypt mobile email messages and other sensitive data. The company has used its expertise in this area to create BlackBerry Balance, a feature that lets the new phones easily switch between business and personal modes. BlackBerry Balance should help RIM satisfy its corporate customers’ security needs while letting individuals enjoy personal services, such as music and games.

Anticipation of the new phones helped lift the stock from $6.10 in September 2012 to its recent peak of $18.49 in January 2013. It has subsequently come down.

The company is counting on the new phones to compete with Apple’s iPhone and devices powered by Google’s Android software. The new corporate name also helps it cash in on the popularity of the BlackBerry brand in emerging markets.

In the latest edition of The Successful Investor, we examine whether the delay in selling BlackBerry’s new phones will further erode BlackBerry’s U.S. market share despite the positive reviews the phone has received. We conclude with our clear buy-sell-hold advice on the stock.

COMMENTS PLEASE—Share your investment knowledge and opinions with fellow TSINetwork.ca members

RIM has suffered from a good deal of negative publicity over the past year. In your opinion, what distinguishes RIM from another major Canadian tech stock that ran into difficulties, Nortel? What do the two have in common in their business plan and investment appeal? How do they differ? Let us know what you think.

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