Job Cuts or the Loss of Jobs? RIM vs. Apple

Good Morning DINKS. It’s time for the next post in our Stock Market Showdown series.  Today we are discussing  a topic that may be an ongoing battle between friends, co-workers, relatives and people of all kinds.  Today we are discussing the choice to own either a Blackberry or an iPhone, and the choice to buy the stock of either Research in Motion (RIM) or Apple.  Research in Motion is the company that produces Blackberry cell phones.  The technology war between Microsoft and Apple has been ongoing for many years, but recently Apple has engaged in a cell phone war with RIM.

Not too long ago it was rumored that Apple will soon release the iPhone 5, and this rumor was recently confirmed.  The iPhone 5 will be released on October 4, 2011 and this is sure to make Apple stocks rise.  The stock value of RIM has declined since they cut over 2000 jobs in the summer; however people still continue to buy Blackberry cell phones.  Apple Corporation recently lost their main front man Steve Jobs; but people continue to buy iPhones.

The question is…do more people choose to buy a Blackberry cell phone rather than an iPhone?  Let me ask you, which do you have (if any)? I personally don’t have either; I have an Android phone, but my boyfriend Nick is a huge Apple fan.  Actually let me clarify that statement, my boyfriend Nick is a huge fan of Apple for their techno gadgets such as his iPhod and iPhone; but he has always been an HP consumer for his personal computer.  However, HP recently announced that they will stop producing personal computers.  Needless to say this was devastating news for Nick, as I am sure it was for many HP PC users worldwide.

If you have an iPhone do you also own stocks of Apple?  If you would buy a Blackberry cell phone would you also buy stocks of Research in Motion? As you may know from previous posts in our Stock Market Showdown series I am a firm believer in purchasing stocks of companies whose products we use in our daily lives.  If products are in demand by the masses the company’s stock should continue to be profitable.  Of course corporate accounting also has a role to play in the sustainability of a company.  But, with the right management and a general consumer demand a company should be profitable.

How much of a company’s professional image influences your decision to buy their stock?  I feel that the young image of Apple appeals to many people from teenagers to young professionals.  The Apple commercials with actor Justin Long clearly compare the young, hip, easygoing stamina of Apple’s Mac computers versus the complicated, boring, old, and tired image of a PC.  Now with PC getting out of the picture I am excited to see how Apple will compare them self with RIM, more specifically how Apple will compare the iPhone to Blackberry.

Is pricing a factor in your buying decisions? Whether we are referring to the stock unit price of Apple Corporation versus Research in Motion or the price of buying an iPhone versus a Blackberry, is the price a factor in your decision?  Past performance may influence our decision to buy one stock over the other, but future predictions should also be a factor.  Neither past performance or future forecasts can predict what is going to happen in the Economy and they can’t predict how a Stock will perform, this is why personal preference should be the main consideration when choosing to buy one stock over another.

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Photo by Mr eNil

Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.