Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NOK), Apple Inc. (AAPL): It’s Time for Another Cell Giant to Take a Turn in the Barrel

And, the company remains wildly profitable, posting earnings of over $10 a share in the first quarter. So even if the company’s growth slows or stalls, there’s still a lot to like here. The yield also provides a floor under the shares. Looking to the future, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is working on cracking the Chinese market, looking to introduce cheaper phones to reach less affluent customers, and is still working on new gear.

Growth, income and value investors should consider Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares now that they’ve had their turn in the barrel.

Repeat Performance

Now Samsung is getting its chance to get roughed up in the barrel. According to Bloomberg, the company’s market cap fell by an amount equal to the entire market cap of Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) in just one month. While Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) has been struggling to keep up on the consumer electronics front in recent years, that such a comparison can be made suggests that Samsung’s share price has gotten ahead of itself.

That’s changing fast, however, as Samsung’s new phones and tablets are missing analysts’ sales expectations. That’s a sign that growth is going to be harder to come by in mature markets. Moreover, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is staring to look for ways to replace its reliance on Samsung for key cell phone parts. A clear demonstration of the increasing competitiveness of the industry. Although Samsung is a leader in the mobile space, investors have realized that it won’t be able to grow to the sky anymore than Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could.

Although the top-line has more than doubled over the last five years, Samsung is facing headwinds that could curtail that. The shares fell over 12% in June, but there could still be some downside since the decline has really only just begun. Investors should probably avoid the shares for now.

Increasingly Difficult

The cell phone market is getting increasingly competitive, which increases the risks of investing in the space. Samsung is the one taking it on the chin of late, but Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK), Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) have all had their turns. Of this quartet, Apple is the only one that seems like a decent investing option today.

The article It’s Time for Another Cell Giant to Take a Turn in the Barrel originally appeared on Fool.com.

Reuben is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

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