Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook has donated about $100 million to charity.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Gives Away $100m

Speaking at an internal town hall meeting celebrating the company’s extremely successful fourth quarter, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook has said that he has donated $50 million to Stanford’s hospitals and another $50 million for Product RED, a charity that combats diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

According to the report, about $25 million of the donation from the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO has been used by Stanford’s hospitals for building a new main block and $25 million for a new children’s hospital.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares were at 455.12 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 14.8% movement in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.15
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.21
Zack’s Rank: 1 out of 2 in the industry

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) has decided to begin the sale of its new sports car in Japan from April.

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) To Sell New Sports Car

Japanese auto maker giant Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) will launch the new ‘86’ compact rear-wheel-drive sports coupe in Japan from April 6.

The car was exhibited at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011 as a production prototype.

According to Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM), “The company will open ‘Area 86’ specialty shops, where car enthusiasts can get together to talk about automobiles and where shop specialists can support car-owner activities aimed at helping give sports-car culture local roots.”

Toyota Motor Company (NYSE:TM) shares were at 75.20 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 12.6% movement in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Toyota Motor Company (NYSE:TM) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Hold
Mean recommendation: 3
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 3
Zack’s Rank: 8 out of 12 in the industry

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Advertising has launched an Ad Contest.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Launching Advertising Contest

Reports say that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Advertising is launching a global digital advertising contest.

The contest is aimed at highlighting the company’s diverse consumer channels.

The Microsoft Advertising Story Awards (MSAs) invites marketers from 30 countries across the world to submit a campaign idea for a brand or non-profit of their choice using Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Advertising’s storytelling platforms.

Neville Taraporewalla, country director, advertising and online, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) said, “Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has initiated this unique contest to highlight the wider focus of the business, which is to help brands step back from the clutter, and put storytelling back at the heart of marketing. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) strives towards providing an international platform to the enormous amount of talent residing in India and are confident that entries from India will be innovative and engaging”.

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares are currently standing at 29.53.

Price History
Last Price: 29.53
52 Week Low / High: 23.65 / 29.95
50 Day Moving Average: 26.63
6 Month Price Change %: 8.6%
12 Month Price Change %: 6.7%

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) is set to launch a super bowl ad this Sunday, marking a return to the event.

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) Launches Super Bowl Ad

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM), one of the world’s largest automakers, has launched its first commercial in Super Bowl advertising in three years that focuses on the “reinvented” 2012 Camry.

This 60-second ad features a reinvented world depicting potential day-to-day experiences and items.

The company said that 30-second television premier will mark its return to Super Bowl on February 5.

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM)’s group vice president for marketing Bill Fay said, “Reinvention is a powerful idea and one we took to heart when we redesigned America’s most popular car with the launch of the 2012 Camry and elevated it above the competition. The Super Bowl provides a forum to really drive home the reinvention message of the seventh-generation Camry, using humor to resonate with the American public”.

Toyota Motor Company (NYSE:TM) shares are currently standing at 73.11.

Price History
Last Price: 73.11
52 Week Low / High: 60.37 / 93.9
50 Day Moving Average: 66.63
6 Month Price Change %: -10.2%
12 Month Price Change %: -11.9%

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) spent a total of more than $1.9 billion on company acquisitions last year.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Reveals Huge Acquisition Bill

The search titan Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) said in a filing that it has spent nearly $1.9 billion in cash and stock in 2011 for acquisitions.

The company acquired 79 companies, including software maker ITA Software, restaurant review guide maker Zagat and ad market specialist Admeld last year.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) said in the filing, “These acquisitions generally enhance the breadth and depth of our expertise in engineering and other functional areas, our technologies, and our product offerings. Acquisitions will also remain important component of our strategy and use of capital, and we expect our current pace of acquisitions to continue”.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares were at 577.69 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a -3.4% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.23
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.19
Zack’s Rank: 10 out of 28 in the industry

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has defended its new unified privacy policy.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Defends Privacy Attacks

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has explained more details about its new unified privacy policy amid the rising concerns of several Congress members about the new policy.

The new privacy policy consolidates its all privacy policies into a single one and the user data will be integrated across all of its services.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) privacy policy manager Betsy Masiello said, “You still have choice and control. You don’t need to log in to use many of our services, including Search, Maps and YouTube. If you are logged in, you can still edit or turn off your Search history, switch Gmail chat to ‘off the record,’ control the way Google tailors ads to your interests, use Incognito mode on Chrome, or use any of the other privacy tools we offer”.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares were at 568.10 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a -2.9% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.23
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.19
Zack’s Rank: 7 out of 28 in the industry

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has claimed a victory over competitor Google in the smartphone market in the US.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Claims Q4 Smartphone Victory Over Google

Research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech has reported that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) won 44.9 percent Smartphone market share in the US in the fourth quarter with its latest iPhone model, beating Google’s Android based smartphones.

The company’s US market share doubled from a year ago and it continues its strong growth in other countries also.

Kantar’s global consumer insight director Dominic Sunnebo said, “Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has continued its strong sales run in the U.S., UK and Australia over the Christmas period. Overall, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) sales are now growing at a faster rate than Android across the nine countries we cover”.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares were at 446.66 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 5.7% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.15
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.21
Zack’s Rank: 2 out of 2 in the industry

BP plc (NYSE:BP) has predicted that its Shah Deniz natural gas project won’t be affected by upcoming Iran sanctions.

BP plc (NYSE:BP) Sees No Issue With Iran

BP plc (NYSE:BP) hopes that the upcoming sanctions on Iran will not affect its Shah Deniz natural gas project on the coast of Azerbaijan.

The company expects that this project will be exempted from the US and European Union sanctions.

BP plc (NYSE:BP)’s Shah Deniz marketing manager Steve Garlick said, “We are confident at the moment that we will not be captured by any change or escalation in the sanctions process. Obviously the situation is being monitored and we are actively involved with various political bodies and lobbyists and attempting to understand exactly what does this legislation mean for Shah Deniz. There is at the moment an exemption, whether that exemption actually holds remains to be seen”.

BP plc (NYSE:BP) company shares are currently standing at 44.90.

Price History
Last Price: 44.90
52 Week Low / High: 33.62 / 49.09
50 Day Moving Average: 42.89
6 Month Price Change %: -3.2%
12 Month Price Change %: -7.0%