This Week's 5 Smartest Stock Moves

If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.

1. Rent a Tesla
Tesla Motors puts out the kind of pricey car that practically sells itself after a test drive -- and now it will be easier to kick the tires.

Hertz announced it will begin renting Tesla's Model S sedan in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Naturally, the rentals won't come cheap. There are also charging logistics that will need to be tackled by renters.

But it's still a smart move for Tesla because it will increase the head-turning car's visibility.

2. Facebook gets a friend request as it turns 50
The Facebook road to redemption has now turned into a victory lap.

The social networking giant hit another all-time high this week, crossing the $50 mark after a timely Goldman Sachs update.

Analyst Heather Bellini is boosting the dot-com darling's price target from $52 to $58, inspired by a healthy Adweek 2013 presentation and receptive advertisers.

Earlier in the week it was reported China will be allowing Facebook and other foreign social-media giants back into Shanghai's Free-trade Zone. Opening access in a single area isn't ideal, but it's a positive sign that China's willing to dip its toes in this Internet ocean after banning most foreign social-media sites four years ago.

3. Cool beans
BlackBerry has been squeezed this year, but retail investors may finally be put out of their misery.

The struggling smartphone pioneer reported quarterly results this morning, but those won't matter much. BlackBerry kicked off the week by announcing that it would be taken private in a deal that will cash out investors at $9 a share.

This is the best move for BlackBerry.

Activists may argue that BlackBerry should hold out for more, given its ample cash, rich patents, and BBM business, but it's hard to fathom too many riverboat gamblers willing to take a chance on a company with dimming prospects.

The great thing about privatization is that it's BlackBerry's best shot at a turnaround. It was never going to happen as a public company with quarterly dissections. BlackBerry's a hot mess right now, and that's the kind of makeover that needs to be done in private.

4. Cool beans
Starbucks is up to something bubbly.

The java giant is filing for a patent that covers Fizzio. True to its name, this device makes fizzy carbonated beverages. It will also make everything for milkshakes to coffee to chocolate drinks.

The appeal of a multipurpose machine could be strong if it delivers quality beverages, and the filing indicates that Starbucks will be initially targeting restaurants and rival coffeehouses as Fizzio buyers.

Starbucks never seems to stand still, and its expanding offerings have paid off more often than not.

5. Get your $139 tablets here
Amazon.com introduced its new generation of tablets.

The Kindle Fire HDX line is impressive, and so is a clever Mayday feature that offers free video-tech support.

But Amazon truly turned heads by slashing the price of its Kindle Fire HD all the way down to $139. The aggressive pricing will make it a hot item this holiday season. It may even draw some attention away from the HDX line, but Amazon won't mind. It just wants to penetrate the market with hardware so it can profit from the digital distribution of content.

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The article This Week's 5 Smartest Stock Moves originally appeared on Fool.com.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com, Facebook, Starbucks, and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com, Facebook, Hertz Global Holdings, Starbucks, and Tesla Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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