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Now that Apple (AAPL) has the iPhone 4S out of development and onto store shelves, it can ramp up its next big release: a new iPad.

One analyst says the iPad 3 is heading into production in the fourth quarter. Jeff Fidacaro of Susquehanna Financial tells AllThingsD that his supply chain checks show Apple boosting fourth-quarter iPad production to between 12 million and 14 million.

Most of those units are for the current iPad. But Fidacaro sees an early production run of the iPad 3 in there. He says Apple has scheduled 600,000 to 1 million iPad 3 units on the plan for the fourth quarter. 

By Amy Calistri, The Daily Paycheck

Finding stocks that don't get caught in the fallout of a market sell-off can be difficult; but Kimberly Clark (KMB) is one that we don't have to worry about.

In fact, during the sell-off started in late July the stock had been a star; while the S&P 500 was down 17.5%, Kimberly-Clark was actually up 7.4%. 

By Tom Aspray, MoneyShow.com

As stocks continue to push higher, investors looking to increase their equity exposure are faced with a tough choice: look to buy stocks in sectors or industry groups that have not yet participated in the stock market rally, or look for good entry points in the strongest areas?

For me, this decision is generally made easier if I look at at two different factors. The first is how an industry group or sector is doing relative to a major average such as the S&P 500. It is the trend of this relative performance, or RS analysis, which is most important. Second, I look at the seasonal trends of certain industry groups or sectors.

 

By Jeff Reeves, InvestorPlace.com

Here’s the financial news understatement of the century: It’s a tough job market out there right now. Layoffs have slowed down, but hiring has yet to heat up to a strong enough pace to meet the demand for employment.

A recent look at the ratio of unemployed per job opening shows that the number of applicants still is uncomfortably high. There were 4.6 unemployed people for every job opening in August — up from 4.3 in July — according to recently released Labor Department numbers. The ratio is down from its recession peak of almost 7 but still is pretty ugly and twice the 2008 ratio.

 

When you have a quarter as amazing as Google (GOOG) reported last night, you can stiff analysts over and over and refuse to tell them anything they want and still get away with it.

 

Yep, it was that amazing. Suddenly every initiative is working. Suddenly Google+ looks like it is a serious challenge to Facebook. Suddenly YouTube has become a money maker of such proportion that the acquisition now looks ingenious.

 

Suddenly we see that Chrome -- which, along with Apple (AAPL) iOS, is dominating the growing smartest phone market -- will be boosted significantly by the Motorola Mobility (MMI) acquisition.

 

 

Cash flow problems? Ha! Netflix (NFLX) doesn't see it that way.

The company has struck another pricey deal to add more shows to its video-streaming library. This time, Netflix gets more than 700 hours of old episodes that ran on The CW Network. 

By Tom Taulli, InvestorPlace.com

It's hard to believe that just a few years ago shares of Research In Motion (RIMM) were trading at $144. Now they are at a miserable $23.

It's easy to point at the dominance of Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and iPad as reasons for the fall, but that is far from the whole story. The mobile industry as a whole is growing at hyperspeed, and numerous players are showing success, such as HTC, Samsung (SSNLF) and even Amazon (AMZN), whose Kindle Fire is gaining lots of traction.

In other words, RIM's problems are mostly self-made. And especially lately, the company has become the Inspector Clouseau of the tech world. The latest mega-blunder was this week's worldwide outage of RIM's BlackBerry service.

 

By James Rogers, TheStreet 

 

Apple (AAPL) may be planning to launch a low-price "mini" iPad in early 2012, according to Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White, who says that the tablet could present a challenge for Amazon's (AMZN) new Kindle Fire.

 

"Our research is pointing to the unveiling of a lower-priced iPad in first few months of 2012," White explained in a note. "That is aimed at expanding the company's market potential by tapping into a more price sensitive consumer segment."

 

"Essentially, this 'iPad mini' will also fend off the recently announced Amazon Kindle Fire that addresses the low-end tablet market with a $199 price tag," he wrote.

 

Offering movies in the cloud has long been a dream for Apple (AAPL). Imagine buying a film on iTunes and then being able to play it on any of your Apple devices.

The company may be close to its goal. The Los Angeles Times says Apple execs are finalizing deals with Hollywood studios to allow movies to be accessed on any of its devices. The service may come out later this year or early next year.

The move comes just as Apple has released its iCloud online storage service that lets people access music, apps and photos from any device. The service also keeps email and calendars up to date on all devices. 

By Nicholas Vardy, Global Bull Market Alert

As we enter the start of earnings season, it's time to up your bets on stocks going into what traditionally has been the strongest quarter for the stock market.

Among the fast-growing major biotechs announcing earnings in the coming weeks is our latest buy recommendation, Connecticut-based Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN).

Despite the market pullback, ALXN has risen steadily on expectations of more approved uses for its only drug on the market, Soliris. 

By Tom Aspray, MoneyShow.com

The stock market rally from the October 4 lows has been impressive, and those on the short side were likely squeezed a bit more on Wednesday when the Spyder Trust (SPY) and E-mini S&P 500 futures slightly exceeded the September 20 highs. 

For most, the recent rally has not changed their negative outlook for either stocks or the economy.  The recent strength is viewed by many as a bear market rally and bearish sentiment is still very high. Over the past few weeks, I have commented that the prevailing negative view of both the stock market and the economy was more consistent with a stock market bottom, not the start of a major new decline.

 

Starbucks(SBUX) as a juice bar? According to news reports, the coffee giant may soon add smoothies, wheatgrass and acai to its menu.

The New York Post reports that Starbucks has just hired Yohana Bencosme, the former manager of the trendy Manhattan juice bar Liquiteria. Bencosme's new job is to train staffers in Starbucks' Seattle headquarters.

One source tells the Post that Starbucks' chief executive, Howard Schultz, made many visits to Liquiteria and other juice bars in the area. "He spent a lot of time checking out the juices," the source says. "Then he went in for the kill and hired Yohana." 

By Jeff Reeves, Editor, InvestorPlace.com

AOL  (AOL) CEO Tim Armstrong reportedly has been meeting with top shareholders to push the idea of a sale to Yahoo (YHOO). The scheme allegedly would allow the partnership to stop competing against each other and start dominating digital publishing.

But AOL shareholders shouldn’t be fooled. This is just the latest boondoggle from Armstrong, a quick fix meant to prove that he has accomplished something in his tenure in the corner office -- or at least provide a smokescreen so he can make a quick getaway.

Don't take my word for it. Take the words of an inside source quoted as saying that Armstrong views AOL as an "afterthought" and that he doesn't want to be doing his current job.

 

By James Rogers, TheStreet

 

Apple (AAPL) is the world's top brand, according to research released Wednesday by brand-valuation specialists Eurobrand, comfortably beating out second-place finisher Coca-Cola (KO).

 

Eurobrand rated Apple's brand value at more than $96 billion, well ahead of Coca-Cola at nearly $76 billion.

 

Apple, however, was not the only tech company with high brand awareness. Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOG) and IBM (IBM) rank third, fourth and fifth, ahead of McDonald's (MCD), AT&T (T), Procter & Gamble (PG), Pepsico (PEP) and Philip Morris International (PM).