Elizabeth Warren Says Apple, Amazon and Google Are Trying To 'Lock Out' Competition (recode.net)

Elizabeth Warren, an American academic and member of the Democratic Party, believes that Google, Apple, and Amazon are trying to use their size to "snuff out competition." 

 In a speech about the perils of "consolidation and concentration" throughout the economy, the Massachusetts senator singled out the three of tech's biggest players.

From a report: 

Warren had different beefs with Google, Apple and Amazon, but the common thread was that she accused each one of using its powerful platform to "lock out smaller guys and newer guys," including some that compete with Google, Apple and Amazon. 

Google, she said, uses "its dominant search engine to harm rivals of its Google Plus user review feature;" Apple "has placed conditions on its rivals that make it difficult for them to offer competitive streaming services" that compete with Apple Music; and Amazon "uses its position as the dominant bookseller to steer consumers to books published by Amazon to the detriment of other publishers."

"Google, Apple and Amazon have created disruptive technologies that changed the world, and ... they deserve to be highly profitable and successful," Warren said. "But the opportunity to compete must remain open for new entrants and smaller competitors that want their chance to change the world again."

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In my world as a painter the Sherwin Williams paint company is doing much the same.

Henry Sherwin And Edward Williams started their company in 1866.

Sherwin Williams bought out the Old Quaker Paints company,

Frazee Paints, Purdy paint brushes, and Valspar products.

They have also bought out Canada's Comex which supplies paint and coatings products to approximately 1,500 external retail locations in Canada.

With no one to stop them soon enough paints and materials for painting will go up in price because of their unchecked monopoly.

They tried to buy up Mexico's Comex but failed...

 After Mexican antitrust regulators (Comision Federal de Competencia) voted against the deal twice, citing concerns about the U.S. company buying up Mexico's largest paint company and hurting smaller competitors, Sherwin-Williams bought Comex's smaller U.S. and Canadian divisions for $165 million on Sept. 16, 2013.

 Founded in 1925, Purdy requires new brush makers to apprentice for six months before they can produce a single product, each of which bears the name of the person who hand-crafted it.

 Purdy products are considered the gold standard among painting professionals.


Sherwin-Williams’ management has a long history of rewarding shareholders with rising dividend payments.  The company has paid increasing dividends for 37 consecutive years.  This makes Sherwin-Williams 1 of only 50 Dividend Aristocrats.
The company’s stock currently has a 1.2% dividend yield.  Despite its long corporate history Sherwin-Williams is still in growth mode.
This growth is reflected in the rise of Sherwin-Williams stock price over the last several years:




The company is realizing growth by consolidating the fragmented coatings industry.

But is this a good thing for the consumer in the long run?