Google Bill Pay: Wise Move, But Don’t Expect to See Benefits

A Google bill pay service isn't likely to threaten Apple Pay

Re/code recently reported that it had examined a “lengthy document” detailing a new project in the works from Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) that will facilitate the receipt and payment of bills directly from within Gmail.

This Google bill pay service will apparently be called Pony Express and is slated to go live in the fourth quarter this year.

6 Industries Threatened by Driverless Cars

Driverless cars are a win for consumers, but not for these industries

Driverless cars are coming, and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop it. While Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL, NASDAQ:GOOG) was first to bring the futuristic concept into mainstream focus in 2010, several other companies have massive amounts of money into research and development to compete with GOOG in the driverless cars arena.

Source: Nissan

Alongside GOOG, Audi (OTCMKTS:AUDVF) and Daimler AG’s (OTCMKTS:DDAIF) Mercedes-Benz appear to be the frontrunners in the industry. But traditional auto manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), Toyota Motor Corp (NYSE:TM), Volkswagen AG (OTCMKTS:VLKAY), and General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) are not far behind.

Additionally, relative newcomer and electric-car goliath Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) announced that its vehicles will begin self-driving on major highways as early as this summer. In January, Japanese auto giant Nissan Motor Co Ltd (OTCMKTS:NSANY) announced a five-year partnership with NASA to further R&D of driverless cars in an attempt to prepare for the industry’s impact on commercial uses.

Technology behemoth Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is the most recent powerhouse to join the race, launching a secret research project last month.

With this many billion-dollar companies dedicating resources to develop autonomous vehicles, there’s no doubt that driverless cars are in our future. The question is — how will this advancement affect industries and publicly traded companies?

We’ll look at six industries that face a threat from driverless cars.

Red Hat: RHT Stock Looks Even Better After a Solid Q4

Thursday's gains aren't a reason to hold back -- they're a taste of more to come

After yesterday’s market close, open source computer software provider Red Hat Inc (NYSE:RHT) released fourth-quarter earnings data for fiscal year 2015. RHT reported solid figures for the quarter, beating analyst expectations as well as management’s guidance.

Red Hat is up solidly today, but if you’re not yet in RHT stock, don’t worry.

The party is far from over.

Facebook News Feed Is About to Get Real (FB)

Will media companies turn over control of their news feeds?

Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has been hosting negotiations with some big names in the news industry such as National Geographic, BuzzFeed, and of course, the Times itself. Discussions have focused on the social media giant’s desire to host publishers’ content directly on the FB website.

For consumers — and, obviously, for Facebook — the idea seems attractive.

By hosting news media content directly, FB users won’t have to leave the site to read articles or watch video clips. This would reduce the time it takes for users to remain informed about current events, and make sharing new stories that much easier.

But, is it really all that difficult to get the news the way you do now? How long does it actually take to click a link to a news website and read the article there, then return to the FB site?

Facebook Messenger Payments Can’t Compete

Facebook Messenger payments system lacks significant capabilities

Yesterday, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) announced that the long-awaited money-transfer capabilities for Messenger are finally being rolled out. Described as “a more convenient and secure way to send or receive money between friends,” the Facebook payments system will become available on desktop, Android, and iOS over the next several months.

The Messenger payments feature requires users to add a Visa or MasterCard debit card — credit cards apparently can’t be used with the service — issued by a U.S. bank.

Transactions will be handled exclusively by Facebook, and all data will be passed through FB’s multi-layered hardware and software security channels.

Avago Stock Is Worth the Risk

Stiff competition and troubling lawsuits aren’t likely to slow Avago stock's upward momentum

Avago Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:AVGO) was recently hailed as the fastest-growing company in the Standard & Poor’s 500. A look at its stock performance confirms it’s doing a lot right. The Singapore-based chipmaker is currently trading around $125 per share, up more than 99% over the past year and an amazing 536% over the past five years.

Last year, Avago increased revenue more than 96% to $5 billion. The consensus on Wall Street is that AVGO will grow revenue another 60% in 2015 to reach $6.8 billion.

ADBE: Expect More of the Same From the Adobe Earnings Report

Adobe stock will continue to perform well, thanks to new partnerships between ADBE and other cloud service providers.

Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:ADBE) is scheduled to report its first-quarter earnings for fiscal 2015 after the bell on March 17. And while investors shouldn’t necessarily expect Adobe earnings to send Wall Street into a euphoric frenzy, ADBE is making enough right moves that it should meet or slightly beat expectations.

And more importantly, ADBE should continue its steady uphill climb — currently at 90% gains over the past two years.