Mary Meeker's top technology trends

In a speech on internet trends for the next year Mary Meeker, partner at blue chip technology venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, predicted strong growth in mobile use but a cash shortfall for companies relying on ad revenue. She also took time to critique Facebook's recent IPO. According to her report, …

[Anonymous Coward]

Well most of the article was interesting

But she's clearly delusional or so far in denial she can't tell the truth any more if she thinks all the Facebook problems were caused by Nasdaq, has she not noticed that their shares are down >25% in 8 trading days?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Well most of the article was interesting

"their shares are down >25% in 8 trading days?"

Yes...hilarious isn't it? My latest amusement is watching the downward spiral on Nasdaq's live tracker

[ItsNotMe]

Re: Well most of the article was interesting

"Market Cap" on the first day of trading was USD107bn...currently sitting at USD57bn.

Stock hit a new LOW short while ago at USD26.83...ROTFLMAO. Nice move from the high at USD45.00.

[Anonymous Coward]

A casino, not an investment vehicle

"shares are down >25% in 8 trading days"

Well yes, but when Goldman Sachs (and others) have billions of dollars available to bet on short-selling, and naked-shorts are available through online brokers, then the Nasdaq becomes a Casino, not an investment vehicle.

I am hoping that this might be an event which finally enlightens the Joe and Jane Public to the unsuitability of today's stock markets as investment vehicles...

[TangD]

Re: A casino, not an investment vehicle

Yes because one stock moving against you a bad portfolio makes... The good news is you can ignore equity investments and make loads of money in a savings account. Oh wait what's that, interest rates are below inflation in many contries and that's before the likely fiat devaluations? Erm, well it must be much less of a gamble to just buy gold or something?

There will always be risks with investments, try not to jump on the me too IPOs like this one and diversify and you'll be fine. Also don't sell low/buy high, if you can't bare to see your current price, don't look. Plan ahead, enough liquid assets to cover you in the down periods etc etc. The world isn't out to get you, you're just doing it to yourself. Just sayin.

[Naughtyhorse]

Re: A casino, not an investment vehicle

I agree entirely, just common sense really, plan ahead, buy low sell high.....

so how come it almost never works out that way in the real world?

just askin.

[Turtle_Fan]

Re: A casino, not an investment vehicle

To the AC at the first post:

Don't be skewed. For starters all newly floated stocks are unavailable for shorting for a period of time (a week to 10 days).

Secondly don't begrudge the shorts. They provide liquidity were there is none, call bluffs and prick bubbles early and most importantly a bad short can and WILL ruin you regardless of your size.

Betting/investing on derivatives can be multiples more profitable when things are good but can equally spur turbo-charged losses if you're not careful. Even naked shorting is done on margin and margin calls have been known to put firms out of business.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Tablet use is also growing fast – with 29 per cent of US homes now having a fondleslab or ereader"

Is this really true? I find it very hard to believe, myself.

[Kristian Walsh]

As stated, probably yes.

"...or ereader"

That could include everything back to the first Kindle.

[johnnytruant]

Re: As stated, probably yes.

Given the huge amount of Kindles given as Christmas presents just this year - reported widely as 1-in-40 - I'm guessing a fairly large chunk of that 29% is ereaders.

But I'm not entirely sure why tablets and ereaders are being put in the same stat. Apart from having a roughly similar form-factor, there's not much else to compare between the two. While web browsing is, theoretically, possible on an ereader, you'd have to be pretty desperate. Same goes for reading on a tablet.

It's a bit like saying "29% of UK Households now have a telephone AND a bookshelf."