Why Samsung Is Hoarding Its Cash

Now that it’s selling Nooks to consumers, Samsung Electronics has a new way to compete with Apple and Amazon.com. The Korean company on Wednesday unveiled its new Samsung Galaxy Tab Nook, a 7-inch tablet that uses software for the Barnes & Noble electronic reader.

Nice, but offering an also-ran e-reader won’t get Samsung moving in the right direction as competition heats up in the world’s biggest market, China, and the fastest-growing, India. Since the start of the year, Samsung’s shares have lost 10 percent of their value, while rivals have made big gains. Apple’s stock price has jumped 27 percent, and Lenovo is up 26 percent. (Samsung investors can take some solace that the stock isn’t doing as poorly as Amazon, which has slumped 15 percent.)