Cloud Computing and Cloud Services Stocks Fall 1%

Written by samdizzy
April 6, 2012

Cloud computing and cloud services stocks slipped ever-so-slightly — down 0.72 percent — during the first week of 2Q 2012, according to our Talkin’ Cloud Stocks Index. Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), Carbonite (NASDAQ: CARB) and Vocus Inc. (NASDAQ: VOCS) were the index’s biggest weekly losers.

Cloud computing stocks are still up nearly 25 percent since the start of 2012. But the small dip during the week ended April 6, 2012, ends a multi-week winning streak for cloud computing investors. The cloud stock decline was roughly equal with the S&P 500’s weekly loss of 0.7 percent. It was the biggest S&P 500 weekly decline of 2012, The Washington Post reported.

Carbonite (CARB) was the biggest weekly loser in our index, with shares down 7.81 percent. The cloud and online backup company didn’t announce any major news during the week, but Carbonite shares have been volatile in recent weeks as shareholders weeks. Shareholders seem to be weighing Carbonite’s strong growth prospects vs. marketing and promotional costs.

Amazon (AMNZ) shares declined 4.01% during the week. Morgan Stanley told investors that some folks could be underestimating Amazon’s variable costs, which could hold back Amazon’s margins over the long haul. Barron’s Tech Trader Daily blog offered a recap.

Vocus (VOCS) dipped 3.55 percent during the week. Shares in the SaaS-based PR specialist plummeted back on Feb. 29 when Vocus acquired iContact, triggering investor concerns. Vocus shares have yet to recover.

For the week ending April 6, our biggest weekly winners saw small gains. CommVault (NASDAQ: CVLT) shares rose 1.97 percent and Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) rose 1.77 percent.

The Motley Fool, a widely read financial website, offered an upbeat perspective on CommVault’s business. And Red Hat investors still seem to be celebrating the open source company’s strong financial results, announced a week ago.

Still, there could be turbulence ahead. On April 6, a weak U.S. job growth report for March 2012 made some investors nervous, suggesting that stocks will face pressure this month.