Market Information

Any kind of equity investing from Alaska challenges the early-bird in all of us. The market opens at 0530 Alaska time, that’s 0430 sun time where we are in the west at the end of the road. Any news about what’s going on tends to be yesterdays news. My IBD newspaper is a weekly that issues Monday, was mailed Saturday and arrives Wednesday.

Wire news tends also to be delayed to the advantage of the floor trader and that goes for everyone throughout the states, but one source, “the fly on the wall” seems to beat them all with rumors and instant information. For example, this quote from their email news, dated and fresh says something about the growing market power of Google.

“Google-GOOG to sell video downloads through their site-WSJ
According to people familiar with the matter, Google (GOOG) is planning to announce Friday that it will begin selling video downloads from major content partners through the Google website, and also a downloadable software bundle to could make the company more competitive with Microsft (MSFT). Google is planning to announce partnerships with CBS Corp (CBS) and the National Basketball Association, said the sources. The software bundle is called Google Pack, and will include the open-source Firefox Web browser, a version of Symantec Corp's (SYMC) Norton AntiVirus software, Adobe Systems' (ADBE) Reader software, RealNetworks' (RNWK) RealPlayer multimedia software, Trillian instant-mes! saging software and Ad-Aware antispyware software. The Google Pack will also include Google's desktop search software, Google Earth satellite imaging and maps software, Picasa photo-management software, Google Talk instant-messaging program, its Toolbar add-on for Web browsers and screen saver software.” http://theflyonthewall.com

Getting access to this kind of information real-time and five time zones away makes life much easier, but then anyone owning a bit of GOOG can breath easier these days. The above rumor does little to dissuade that comfort, but rest cautiously.