Yahoo: "Microsoft can no longer afford to keep investing in the Xbox"

[Akvod]

kowenicki said:

Akvod said:

Proclus said:
What kind of a failed article is this?

A: $67 billion in cash reserves say hi.

B: Despite massive R&D expenses during the last 3 Q's the division is still profiting.

C: The rest of the business collapsing? lol.

Kinda suprised anyone bothered to post this failure of an "article".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_capital

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost

Just making a profit isn't enough. The money they make has to be greater than the money they (investors) could have made by investing in something else.

For investors... yeah thats right, I agree. 

Stock YTD:

Google v Nintendo v Sony v Dow v Microsoft.

 

 

So its pretty much in line with Google and the Dow.  Not much opportunity cost there given the correct diversification and volatility required in an effective portfolio.   This of course doesn't factor in the dividends payable.  

But you're looking at the entire company. We're looking specificly at the XBox division (although getting cost of capital for that would probably be difficult, since there's only 2 other comparable companies, a few more if you look at historical data [but that's probably irrelevant now]).