Technology

Top 10 Internet Themes for 2015: Mobile Pay, Connected Cars, Digital Coupons and More

Very few investors need to be informed on how huge the Internet has become, and how the sheer ubiquity is driving almost every aspect of business, the economy and overall life as we know it. The one thing that does change is the speed at which the technology and applications for the Internet are born, mature and then die off. A new report from Jefferies highlights the firm’s 10 top Internet themes for 2015 and how top stocks can benefit.

The Jefferies team highlighted some stocks they believe are the biggest beneficiaries of the themes, and we highlight others that may fit in nicely. One thing is for sure, the use of the Internet for everything under the sun will only continue its tremendous growth trajectory.

Here are the Jefferies top 10 Internet themes for 2015.

1. Online video will continue to be the fastest growing segment in digital advertising. YouTube stands to be a big winner, as does Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).

2. “Programming Direct” will become an increasingly important way to buy digital advertising.

3. The race in e-commerce fulfillment intensifies. The Jefferies team points out that free shipping is a component for a huge percentage of online purchases. Consumers want fast delivery, so fast fulfillment will be a huge priority. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) are potential winners.

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4) Acceptance of digital coupons accelerates. Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) could benefit.

5) Local digital advertising should get easier. The Jefferies analysts point out that emerging digital marketing models in combination with the explosion of mobile devices have enabled small, local advertisers to reach their targeted audiences at a reasonable cost. In 2015, they believe this trend will accelerate.

6) In the video game world, digital distribution takes root in the console market, benefiting the publishers, but could hurt retailers. In 2015, 15% to 20% of new console games may be downloaded. The Jefferies analysts expect that number to rise substantially over time. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) may be winners.

7) Connectivity 3.0. The Jefferies team sees an increased focus and move to bring Internet connectivity to everything. This can range from cars and appliances to homes, and much more.

8) Year of the Car #1. As mentioned above, the Jefferies team sees the introduction of fully connected dashboards and reconfigurable UI (touchscreens) that could use Google Maps and Pandora Media Inc. (NYSE: P) streaming audio.

9) Year of the Car #2. Driverless vehicles could become more and more common in the future. Google and others, including the major car companies, are heavily involved in this. The major car companies will ultimately be players in this silo.

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10) Apple Pay to accelerate mobile pay adoption. Clearly Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a beneficiary of this move, but also banks, retailers and a host of other industries are affected.

The Jefferies top 10 themes would seem to be a sure bet to be in play, not only this year but for many years to come. The revolution of Internet capacity, latency and ability should continue to expand exponentially for decades.

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