CHICAGO - (Business Wire) 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: France Telecom (NYSE: FTE), Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Telefonica (NYSE: TEF), Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) and Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT). Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=4579
Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:
Orange UK Confirms iPhone Launch
France Telecom’s (NYSE: FTE) subsidiary Orange UK has revealed the iPhone launch date as the carrier will officially unveil the iconic handset in the UK on Nov. 10, 2009. Moreover, the operator has also released pricing and tariff details for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, which will be sold through direct retail distribution channels including on-line stores, shops and telesales channels.
Orange will sell the iPhone to consumer and business customers through various price plans such as "pay as you go" (PAYG) and "pay monthly" basis. Under the PAYG plan, customers who top up £50 ($82) at purchase will get the iPhone 3G for £343 ($563), iPhone 3GS (16GB) for £440 ($722) and iPhone 3GS (32GB) for £539 ($884), along with 250MB of data usage per month and unlimited Wi-Fi (wireless broadband) access for a year.
Under the "pay monthly" option, iPhone 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models will be sold under a range of monthly plans. With a two-year service contract, iPhone 3GS (16GB) will be offered free on all £45 ($74) monthly tariff plans while iPhone 3G is free on £30 ($49) plans.
Orange sealed the marketing rights to Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhones on Sept. 2009, which effectively ended Telefonica (NYSE: TEF) O2 UK’s two-year exclusive distribution rights to sell the device in the UK. However, O2 UK, which has been offering the iPhone since Nov. 2007 and has amassed more than 1 million customers, will continue selling the handset in the UK. Moreover, Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) is expected to market iPhones in the UK in early 2010.
Orange UK is currently the third-largest operator in the British mobile market with 21.5% share. However, the company remains challenged by the cut-throat price competition as its bigger rivals such as O2 UK and Vodafone continue to boost their respective market shares through aggressive product/price offerings.
To strengthen its foothold in the UK wireless market, Orange UK is merging with Deutsche Telekom’s (NYSE: DT) subsidiary T-Mobile UK (the fourth-largest mobile carrier in the UK) under a 50-50 joint venture. The combined entity would dethrone O2 UK as the largest wireless operator in the UK, with roughly 37% market share.
iPhone represents a significant opportunity for Orange UK to further bolster its presence in the UK mobile market by attracting new high-end subscribers. The company will leverage its market leading 3G network to roll out the popular handset, addressing a significant portion of the UK’s cellular user base.
Want more from Zacks Equity Research? Subscribe to the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5514.
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=5516
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=4580.
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.
Zacks.com
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com
