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Will companies like yahoo or gmail last forever?
Additional Information:
I have a gmail, flickr, yahoo, facebook, myspace account. Will these companies last forever? Will my stock in goog simply disappear later? Watching these car companies teater on the edge of bankruptcy really scares me.
Answers
2222 points
readytoretire answered one year ago …
Forever is a long time. There are companies that have been around quite a while, IBM for example. Google looks to be here for a long time. But companies in this sector can easily end up on the trash pile. But the signs are normally visible for some time before they go under. If you look at GM, they have been struggling for some time. So you should be able to notice if any of your companies start struggling. And if you haven't noticed, the market has been rather tough for all car companies.
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3943 points
MNSL answered one year ago …
Not all the companies will last for ever. Some companies can disappear and can burst. It has happened so many times worldwide. Technology sector is one of the most vulnerable sectors and sooner than later some tech companies will disappear.
It all depends on the management. If management are trustworthy and efficient they can carry out their businesses as going a concern for a considerable period
450 points
SallyG answered one year ago …
No company lasts forever; remember the Dutch East India Company we all learned about in American History (assuming that we are all American citizens)? But those investors are also long gone. As mentioned in an earlier comment, some companies do have a long life, others more a "boom and bust" lifespan. As this economic situation plays out, various factors will come into effect, and I suspect (and partly hope) that the rules for survival will change. (The "partly hope" area is that we will hold those who acted irresponsibly accountable and allow those who have simply been caught up in a general downtrend survive.)
As for your accounts with the companies you mention, technology is evolving at, it seems, an ever-faster pace, and those accounts will, too, whether with the same companies or in mergers, buyouts, or whatever. Google stock seems to be a reasonable long-term investment as they have a dominant position, but it's always wise to keep up with annual and quarterly reports, etc., to see any problems coming.
