BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd: too good or too boring?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/27/hewlett-packard-ceo-mark-hurd-too-good-or-too-boring/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/27/hewlett-packard-ceo-mark-hurd-too-good-or-too-boring/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/27/hewlett-packard-ceo-mark-hurd-too-good-or-too-boring/#commentsFiled under: ,

When Mark Hurd was hired as Hewlett-Packard Corporation's (NYSE: HPQ) CEO back in 2005, few predicted he would suavely make HP the world's largest computer maker by using swift cost-cutting, a relentless focus on operations, and a laser-focus on growing every possible facet of HP's business.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd: too good or too boring?

Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd: too good or too boring? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Carly FiorinaCarlyFiorinaHewlett-PackardHPHPQMark HurdMarkHurdMon, 27 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Tech strategy: Buy companies with the best CEOs - Intel, HP, and Motorola]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/13/tech-strategy-buy-companies-with-the-best-CEOs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/13/tech-strategy-buy-companies-with-the-best-CEOs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/13/tech-strategy-buy-companies-with-the-best-CEOs/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In addition to his in-depth analysis of technical and fundamental metrics, tech sector expert Paul McWilliams pays strong attention to the quality of management in his assessment of technology stocks.

In a special report from his Next Inning newsletter, he looks to a trio of tech players that he recommends as "strategic investments" based in large part on the quality of their chief executive officers.

Here's his look at Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) and Motorola (NYSE: MOT). explaining why their respective CEOs are the right people for the job.

Continue reading Tech strategy: Buy companies with the best CEOs - Intel, HP, and Motorola

Tech strategy: Buy companies with the best CEOs - Intel, HP, and Motorola originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hewlett-packardhpqintcintelinthenewsjhamark hurdMarkHurdmotmotorolanext inningpaul mcwilliamspaul otelliniPaulMcwilliamsPaulOtellinitech stockstechnology CEOtechnology stocksTechnologyCeoTechStocksthestockadvisors.comMon, 13 Apr 2009 14:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Hewlett-Packard wants to help businesses prepare for a turnaround]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/11/hewlett-packard-wants-to-help-businesses-prepare-for-a-turnaroun/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/11/hewlett-packard-wants-to-help-businesses-prepare-for-a-turnaroun/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/11/hewlett-packard-wants-to-help-businesses-prepare-for-a-turnaroun/#commentsFiled under: ,

Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) is thinking ahead to when the market for IT hardware and products will see an uptick again. To help prepare businesses for that day (maybe sometime in 2010), the world's largest computer maker is entrenching itself in long-term Information technology planning with customers to try and beef up capabilities to prepare for some turnaround.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard wants to help businesses prepare for a turnaround

Hewlett-Packard wants to help businesses prepare for a turnaround originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Hewlett Packard servershewlett-packardhewlettpackardHewlettPackardServersHPQIBMMark HurdMarkHurdWed, 11 Mar 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hewlett-Packard sees remainder of 2009's sales as unimpressive]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/05/hewlett-packard-sees-remainder-of-2009s-sales-as-unimpressive/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/05/hewlett-packard-sees-remainder-of-2009s-sales-as-unimpressive/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/05/hewlett-packard-sees-remainder-of-2009s-sales-as-unimpressive/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Hewlett-Packard Corporation (NYSE: HPQ) followed its latest bad quarterly results with a prediction for a faltering 2009. According to CEO Mark Hurd, the world's largest computer maker will see many more quarters that ended up like its most recent one.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard sees remainder of 2009's sales as unimpressive

Hewlett-Packard sees remainder of 2009's sales as unimpressive originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Hewlett-PackardHO laptopsHoLaptopsHOQHP salesHpSalesMark HurdMarkHurdThu, 05 Mar 2009 17:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Hewlett-Packard unveils laptop PC with 24-hour battery life]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/09/15/hewlett-packard-unveils-laptop-pc-with-24-hour-battery-life/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/09/15/hewlett-packard-unveils-laptop-pc-with-24-hour-battery-life/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/09/15/hewlett-packard-unveils-laptop-pc-with-24-hour-battery-life/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) continues to lead the PC market in sales, and the addition of a laptop model that will run an unprecedented 24 hours on a single battery charge may boost its fortunes even more. The holy grail for those who use portable electronics constantly is battery life. Although battery technology has improved in the last decade or so, the ever-increasing demands from portable electronics like cellphones and laptops mean smaller battery times and more recharging.

HP's new EliteBook 6930p will cost anywhere from $1,800 to $2,000 online, and will come with an optional battery and a solid-state disk drive to help it get to the specified 24-hour battery life (which is probably ultra best-cast scenario). Dell's recently-announced Latitude E6400 reportedly sees 19 hours on a single charge. Perhaps the consumer and business PC markets are about to see a shift away from being compared on their commodity parts to something that really matters to most users -- battery life.

With PCs accounting for a third of HP's total revenue, it's the $30 billion question the company has to ask -- how can it keep growing that segment of its business? Desktop PCs, also at work, are slowly being replaced with laptops -- allowing workers to work from anywhere, the goal of the corporate kingdom -- and laptops are slowly but surely making the standard desktop PC irrelevant.

But that comes with a price: battery life really needs a boost. After all, the definition of a laptop basically implies that the customer needn't be tied to a power outlet at all times. In HP's case, the new laptop only costs $1,200 before the optional $150 extended battery and the $900 solid state disk drive. Are those items worth the price to get an entire day of battery life, though? Sales of the new system will tell us.

Hewlett-Packard unveils laptop PC with 24-hour battery life originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) reported very decent quarterly results Tuesday after the market close. The world's currently-largest PC maker reported a net profit gain of $2.03 billion, up from the year-ago period gain of $1.78 billion on the back of a $28 billion quarter in sales.

The company's EPS was 86 cents, beating analyst estimates of 84 cents. In news that was not shocking, 68% of HP's sales were from overseas markets, although that was a drop of 2% from the Q2 period. HP, like many manufacturers, has its wings spread out so far in global markets that it was able to weather the U.S. market downturn.

HP guided its Q4 sales at over $30.2 billion, although CEO Mark Hurd indicated that his company's introduction of sleep laptop designs was making a splash worldwide. "You've got a lot of places around the planet where the only access to the digital content out there is through a notebook and a wireless card ... we have a significant opportunity.''

He's right. How many households are transforming to a multi-notebook, wireless environment without a desktop in sight? In addition to that, HP's global finesse and product mix is continuing to beat competitor Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL), even though Dell wants to change that.

Hewlett-Packard reports strong Q3 earnings on global shipments originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dellhewlett packardhewlett packard ceoHewlett Packard earningshewlett packard mark hurdHewlett-PackardHewlettPackardHewlettPackardCeoHewlettPackardEarningsHewlettPackardMarkHurdHPQinthenewsmark hurdMarkHurdWed, 20 Aug 2008 09:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Hewlett-Packard Q4 shipments rose over 25%, says iSuppli]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/03/06/hewlett-packard-q4-shipments-rose-over-25-says-isuppli/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/03/06/hewlett-packard-q4-shipments-rose-over-25-says-isuppli/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/03/06/hewlett-packard-q4-shipments-rose-over-25-says-isuppli/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) probably had a blockbuster quarter at the end of 2007, according to research firm iSuppli. This is the firm that tears products apart to arrive at a cost of materials and digs into mounds of data to make sales projections on companies before they release official information. ISuppli is estimating that the world's largest PC maker increased shipments in the final quarter of 2007 to 14.6 million units from 11.6 million units, 25% above their 2006 year-end figure,

If that figure is accurate, then it just continues HP's remarkable comeback in the last 24 months under buttoned-down and get-it-done CEO Mark Hurd. Things were rosy for competitor Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) as well in 2007's final quarter, with iSuppli stating the the Texas-based PC maker having increased shipments 17% from 2006's final quarter to 11.3 million units. And don't count Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) out as well, as the smaller PC maker increased shipments a whopping 39% in the last quarter of 2007 according to iSuppli. Apple has increased its PC shipments in excellent ways with excellent products -- but globally it's still in sixth place.

The story here is HP -- its immense presence in consumer retail was timed either perfectly or by design to capitalize on the thirst for laptop PCs from that segment -- something that caught Dell completely off-guard in both areas (consumer laptop demand and retail availability). In 2008, HP's mammoth footprint in the computer business is not expected to slow down, something that Dell desperately wishes would happen. So far, there is little to no chance of that happening.

Hewlett-Packard Q4 shipments rose over 25%, says iSuppli originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) again topped expectations for its latest fiscal quarter this week, the world's largest computer maker seemed like it could do no wrong. In addition to again besting estimates, CEO Mark Hurd again set the bar high for other tech CEOs. If Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) CEO Michael Dell believes he's got a fierce competitor in Hurd, that would be an understatement. Hurd is everything former Dell CEO Kevin Rollins should have been and more.

But that's still not good enough for the low-key Hurd, who most likely believes that the company can still do better. After raising guidance this week for the remainder of 2008, Hurd stated that "we've got a lot of work to do here," using his famous phrase that he's used to describe various high-performing business units within the company. Hurd also dropped a hint that he won't be CEO of the world's largest computer maker forever, stating that "It's important to know when your work is done ... CEOs can stay too long." Not that Hurd is going anywhere at the moment -- he just recognizes that he'll be exiting HP at some point in the future when the time is right.

Hurd's taken a unique, nuts-and-bolts approach to his job that has flat-out worked. Instead of trumpeting vision, he focuses in on strategy and execution. Instead of chasing market share at all costs, he looks at each business unit with laser precision and pays special attention to costs. By taking care of the underlying infrastructure and nurturing all those components, success will emerge. It sure has for H-P, which seems to be outgunning competitor Dell in just about every area where the two compete. It'll be that way until Hurd retires from the company, which will probably be many years from now. Until then, H-P looks to be continually poised at the top.

Hewlett-Packard's Hurd: We can do even better originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dellfeaturedHewlett PackardHewlettPackardHPQMark HurdMarkHurdmichael dellMichaelDelltech stocksTechStocksFri, 22 Feb 2008 13:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Hewlett-Packard wants more 'Happy People']]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/01/07/hewlett-packard-wants-more-happy-people/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/01/07/hewlett-packard-wants-more-happy-people/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/01/07/hewlett-packard-wants-more-happy-people/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), the world's largest computer manufacturer, has launched the second phase of its "Happy People" campaign in its U.K. offices, according to the company. The program with the trite name has the goal of making its U.K. offices a happier and more productive place to work.

Well that's not a new concept, except for what I believe are CEO Mark Hurd's efforts to cut a bunch of fat from the decision-making layers and real-time information that has really helped HP ascend to the top of the tech world in the last 24 months. In fact, I'll go on record and say that Hurd's obsession with fine-tuning -- in every possible way -- the world's largest tech company is directly responsible for its recent success. Forget the recent "HP Way" -- it's "Hurd's Way," and it's something other companies should pay attention to, regardless of Six Sigma involvement and other business buzzphrases that grab headlines.

Under the Happy People campaign, the focus is to identify the consequences of inefficient paperwork and unnecessary administration. In other words, toss the red tape and enable your employees to be the professionals they are (or should be). In Hurd's mind, using technology to automate, simplify or reduce paperwork is his mantra -- one he's mentioned several times in recent quarterly conference calls as one of the top areas to attack for gaining competitive advantage. A nice side effect is that is leads to increases in employee morale and productivity, according to the company.

Of course it does! Nobody wants to work in an inefficient environment in the information age. The problem is that millions still do.

Hewlett-Packard wants more 'Happy People' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bureaucracyHappy PeopleHappyPeopleHewlett-PackardHPQmanagementMark HurdMarkHurdMon, 07 Jan 2008 16:41:00 EST<![CDATA[HP's Hurd hitting on every possible cylinder]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/11/20/hps-hurd-hitting-on-every-possible-cylinder/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/11/20/hps-hurd-hitting-on-every-possible-cylinder/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/11/20/hps-hurd-hitting-on-every-possible-cylinder/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) reported quarterly results yesterday afternoon that were a knockout punch against estimates. Among the profit makers for the world's largest tech company were ink sales and retail sales of PC laptops. With Hewlett-Packard laptops in every imaginable retail store I can think of, this makes perfect sense. They're also priced more attractively than almost all the competition.

HP is the PC manufacturer to beat these days, and it continues to trounce Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) in sales as well as retail presence. Dell is catching up, but it has a lot of catching up to do. HP CEO Mark Hurd is a formidable opponent to Dell CEO Michael Dell, so the latter will need some innovation to propel growth and rise back up to its former glory circa 2003 and 2004. Right now, HP has the mojo, while Dell is scrambling to keep pace. It's quite a role reversal from 2003, which pitted HP's Carly Fiorina against Dell's Kevin Rollins.

If there is one low-key but effective CEO in the tech business, it's Hurd. He's constantly confident in conference calls and gets his knuckles dirty in terms of making HP an operationally efficient and lean manufacturer at the same time as a marketing powerhouse and sales leader. It's not an easy feat to bypass Dell as the world's largest PC maker and IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) as the world's largest tech company, but that's what Hurd has engineered in his two years at the Palo Alto company. When a $100 billion (revenue) company beats market expectations for 11 quarters in a short tenure under three years, you have to wonder what's going on. That's Hurd's magic -- he keeps on delivering, quarter after quarter.

HP's Hurd hitting on every possible cylinder originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hewlett-Packard (NASDAQ: HPQ) logo Hewlett-Packard (NASDAQ: HPQ) today reported quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street analysts' forecasts for the 11th straight quarter. The company also gave earnings guidance that exceeded analysts' estimates and announced an $8 billion stock buyback.

Net income soared 28% to $2.16 billion, or 81 cents a share, from $1.7 billion, or 60 cents, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, profit was 86 cents. Revenue jumped 15% to $28.3 billion. The largest computer maker was expected to earn 82 cents on revenue of $21.39 billion. Shares of the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company rose in after-hours trading.

In the current quarter, Hewlett-Packard expects profit of 80 cents on sales of $27.4 billion to $27.5 billion, exceeding analysts' estimates of 77-cent profit and revenue of $26.99 billion.

This underscores the challenge Michael Dell faces in turning around Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL). Hewlett-Packard has been kicking their butts ever since Mark Hurd took over as chief executive.

Hewlett-Packard reports blowout quarter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When it comes to Hewlett-Packard Co.'s (NYSE: HPQ) recent performance, it's hard to give the company bad marks in any area. From what I've seen, CEO Mark Hurd has turned the company around in most aspects, providing investors not only with growth every quarter but with market share leads in many of its business segments. In other words, HP is hitting on all cylinders under "transformational" CEO Hurd than at any other time in the last decade.

HP is beating Dell and others in the PC segment and from its direct and retail (and corporate) presence, it may continue that charge long into 2008 unless Dell comes up with something substantial to grab share back. How did Hurd do it? Easy -- he's an operations guy with a large knack for fundamentals and logisticsand it took just that to transform HP back from where it had been under former CEO Carly Fiorina. Fiorian is often credited for setting up HP for its current success, but I don't see it that way at all, regardless of her take (which I've read). HP's current success is all Hurd.

Market screamer Jim Cramer interviewed Hurd recently, and his answers to what HP has done under his guidance sounds completely appropriate: focus on the fundamentals, work on the cost structure and product innovation. Additionally, 65% of HP's revenue is outside the U.S. (and the U.S. is already strong for the company), and Hurd pointed to strong growth in mobility (laptop PCs). HP's consumer laptop lineup, in my estimation, has one of the most stylish designs combined with competitive prices and retail availability almost everywhere.

Want more proof that Hurd knows what he's talking about? When asked about PC market differentiation, he answered like this: design, service, support, features and innovation. Notice that "design" was mentioned first. Consumers buy design before all else, right? Perhaps HP is taking a page from Apple, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) product design playbook, and having seen HP's recent consumer laptops, I think this is the case. With HPQ being up 20% so far in 2007, where does it sit in your portfolio?

Hewlett-Packard's (HPQ) Hurd interviewed by Jim Cramer originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Hewlett-PackardHPQMark HurdMarkHurdThu, 06 Sep 2007 12:21:00 EST<![CDATA[Liveblogging Hewlett-Packard's (HPQ) Q3 results]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/16/liveblogging-hewlett-packards-hpq-q3-results/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/16/liveblogging-hewlett-packards-hpq-q3-results/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/16/liveblogging-hewlett-packards-hpq-q3-results/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) has reported Q3 earnings and the company is about to have a live conference call here in a bit, at 5 p.m. EST. The consensus estimates have stated some pretty lofty goals for the world's largest tech company to hit. Right now, Wall Street has stapled a $0.65 EPS figure on CEO Mark Hurd's forehead, which represents a 20% YoY gain for the PC and printer manufacturer and marketer. Can it hit this looming and large target Thursday? Find out here in a few minutes.

Revenues were expected to be in the range of $23.9 billion to $24.2 billion for the quarter. If HP keeps inline with the growth that many industry pundits expect, it will crack the $100 billion in sales per fiscal year barrier very soon. With all the internal activity HP has generated in the last year (like the Mercury Interactive acquisition), year-ago quarter comps are a little tricky (if even possible), but one thing is clear: HP is doing way more right things under CEO Hurd than wrong things.

In fact, every time I hear Hurd speak on quarterly conference calls, the man seems to have the perfect blend of financial, operational and sales savvy that a $100 billion CEO should have. He exudes cool confidence and you can tell he has all his plays under his jacket at all times, though he does not reveal most of them. I'm quite of the belief that he is the right person to lead HP, and from recent quarterly financial results and guidance, I stand by that opinion. We'll see if Hurd is further vindicated below. With that, let's begin. Remember to use the "Refresh" key on your web browser to refresh this post every few minutes. All times below are in EST.

Continue reading Liveblogging Hewlett-Packard's (HPQ) Q3 results

Liveblogging Hewlett-Packard's (HPQ) Q3 results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Hewlett-PacakrdHP earningsHpEarningsHPQMark HurdMarkHurdThu, 16 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[While HP gets larger, it's becoming more lean as well]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/26/while-hp-gets-larger-its-becoming-more-lean-as-well/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/26/while-hp-gets-larger-its-becoming-more-lean-as-well/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/26/while-hp-gets-larger-its-becoming-more-lean-as-well/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Mark Hurd took the reigns at computer maker Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) from a marketing whiz (with no ops chops, as it were) in an effort to cut excess bloat along with reviving stagnant sales. He was thus destined to slash every single thing he could that was not direly needed at HP. Hurd brought in Todd Bradley to lead PC sales in the U.S. and after HP's extensive realignment with retailers and fresh new laptop designs, Dell was overtaken in 2006 as the largest PC market. By design? Of course it was.

Dell's direct model was somewhat replaced by HP's new retail model since the company decided it could (or would) not play in Dell's direct customer arena. Instead, HP took a new direction and went whole-hog retail, but still made its products directly available on the internet as well. Either Hurd should be hailed a genius or all the pieces were in place and they all fell together for HP right when everything was falling apart for Dell. The thing is, the game is not over yet for HP.

Hurd honed operational, logistics and cost-cutting skills at NCR over an entire career, and he's brought that to HP along with, what I think is, an infectious enthusiasm that helped rally his teams and go for the win (and to keep on winning). Along with that, Hurd's plan to become as lean as possible (lean manufacturing, Six Sigma would be my guess) while ascending to be the largest tech company in the world is probably an order many CEOs would crumble from. In Printers and Imaging and Services, HP is holding its own as well, and with HP shares gaining 44% in 2006 (and 10% this year already), Hurd is not done yet.

While HP gets larger, it's becoming more lean as well originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DellHewlett-PackardHPHP WayHPQHpWayMark HurdMarkHurdTue, 26 Jun 2007 09:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Hewlett Packard Q2 earnings preview]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/14/hewlett-packard-q2-earnings-preview/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/14/hewlett-packard-q2-earnings-preview/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/14/hewlett-packard-q2-earnings-preview/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) is set to release Q2 earnings this Wednesday at 2pm PDT. The computing and services giant should have all its marbles in a row to have a very good Q2 after beating up on competitor Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) at the conclusion of 2006 and into 2007. What are the estimates? How about a $0.69 EPS figure, roughly the same estimate from the year-ago quarter? No losses here, although it will be interesting to see which parts of the company have contributed to the company's bottom line and which are dragging (if any). But with HP just bumping an already rosy outlook for Q2, the company may be sitting on cloud nine come Wednesday.

HP's current $121 billion market cap speaks highly of the company's effort to return aggressively to profitability, which has happened pretty widely under current CEO Mark Hurd. Although former CEO Carly Fiorina is receiving some of the credit for setting up some of the strategy that has enabled HP to change from a marketing company not making much headway into an operational and customer company that is, Hurd has executed on his expertise (logistics and operations) to cut costs where needed and partner aggressively with its customers (and sell hard) to ensure the company is as good as what it currently looks like.

At the same time, internal politics, spying and strife at HP seems to have mostly blown over, and the company hasn't lost focus and continues to grow at a very respectable rate. After overtaking Dell last year as the largest computer manufacturer in the world, HP became larger than IBM and claimed stake as the largest tech company in the world -- for now. Whether it remains there (or even blows past it) is certainly in Hurd's hands, but only future quarters will tell the tale. For now, HP is sitting pretty, and that position should remain come Wednesday, when I'll be liveblogging HP's Q2 conference call. Stay tuned!

Hewlett Packard Q2 earnings preview originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 May 2007 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Carly FiorinaCarlyFiorinaDellHewlett-PackardHewlett-Packard earnings previewHewlett-packardEarningsPreviewHPQMark HurdMarkHurdMon, 14 May 2007 13:43:00 EST<![CDATA[HP plays with new mold for chips]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/03/hp-plays-with-new-mold-for-chips/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/03/hp-plays-with-new-mold-for-chips/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/03/hp-plays-with-new-mold-for-chips/#commentsFiled under: ,

No, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) is not getting into the old and rotten food market, but it is playing with new microchip molds for new products. The silicon valley tech giant (now the largest tech company in the world) said this week that it has invented a microchip manufacturing machine that will allow microchip manufacturers to produce chips that have connecting wires measuring just a few atoms wide. For the chip industry, this may indeed be an important breakthrough. But an important part of the breakthrough is that the machine takes a few minutes to install and start working, according to HP.

The machine is of the "imprint lithography" design where a chip design is imprinted into a substrate (backer) material which can accept metal poured in to make ultra-thin wires. The closer those wires are, the more processing power can be added and the less heat that is produced by the chip itself (along with less power consumption). Current technology from Intel makes wire "grooves and channels" in chips at about 45 nanometers (very, very small) -- and that's the state of the art tech right now in chips.

HP's new lithography process promises chips with channels that are only 15 nanometers, which is just a few atoms thick. A boon to HP's new process is that it can be incorporated easily into conventional chip-making processes. The more processing power that is needed requires chips with this power and with less power consumption than in previous designs. HP may have just hit the mother load here of the next generation of chips, and it may be able to sell quite a few of the systems for making these newer 15-nanometer products.

HP plays with new mold for chips originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 May 2007 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Hewlett PackardHewlettPackardHPQimprint lithographyImprintLithographyMark HurdMarkHurdThu, 03 May 2007 13:20:00 EST<![CDATA[HP shareholders want exec pay more tied to performance]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/03/16/hp-shareholders-want-exec-pay-more-tied-to-performance/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/03/16/hp-shareholders-want-exec-pay-more-tied-to-performance/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/03/16/hp-shareholders-want-exec-pay-more-tied-to-performance/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's always been a tenet of mine that executive compensation should be tied to company performance. In many ways and in many companies it is. Stock bonuses and related options are generally the favored mechanism to retain good-performing executive talent and it works. At a recent Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) shareholder meeting, one of the shareholder proposals was one tied to executive compensation. Naturally, I was intrigued.

It's a shame individual and institutional shareholders don't have more of a direct voice into how the company that they partially own is run. Yes, it's true that one can't really "know" the company and its situation without being involved day to day -- or is it? So much public information is available on every public company that an informed shareholder is not a hard status to ascend to, right?

One of the recent shareholder proposals -- which was passed even with HP management voting against it -- would measure executive pay in a way that long-term compensation packages involving stock options and hefty bonuses be tied directly to company performance. This was probably seen by many, as the outlandish pay package bestowed on former HP CEO Carly Fiorina after she was booted from the CEO spot caused quite a furor over those who don't agree with the insane golden parachuted given to non-performing executives.

Make no mistake -- like most of the working class and rank-and-file worker, pay should be based on performance as the overriding factor. This is not a government job, you know. This is the private sector, and performance talks (non-performance walks).

HP shareholders want exec pay more tied to performance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Hewlett-PackardHP BoardHpBoardHPWMark HurdMarkHurdFri, 16 Mar 2007 17:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark Hurd's HP resurgence no mistake]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/22/mark-hurds-hp-resurgence-no-mistake/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/22/mark-hurds-hp-resurgence-no-mistake/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/22/mark-hurds-hp-resurgence-no-mistake/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

As Hewlett-Packard(NYSE:HPG) released solid numbers the other day, its shares sank a little after consistently skittish investors took some of the words from CEO Mark Hurd's mouth during the conference call and parlayed them into possible shakiness this next fiscal quarter. Well, that may be so -- and HP lost quite a few profit basis points while taking marketshare in its last quarter. But that is not the whole story on why HP has stormed back like a thunderbolt to squelch Dell's thirst for growth while becoming the largest tech company in the world --- surpassing even IBM.

Many can say that certain structures set up for former CEO Carly Fiorina have been exploited and improved upon by current CEO Mark Hurd, but I do not see it that way. Hurd's unique team mentality combined with a never-ending quest for the best growth and the absolute lowest costs within reason are the basis for HP's comeback recently. Hurd's dug in and has learned the business from the inside out, and being extremely informed and detail-oriented doesn't hurt either.

HP's consumer designs for notebook PCs --- which are in its largest-selling business segment of personal systems --- toast those by rivals like Dell and Acer in many respects. Hurd even spent a day on the floor of a Best Buy store to hear what consumers had to say about its products. That's dedication and probably gave him insight into the minds of actual customers -- something that most CEOs have no clue about beyond what studies and marketing departments state.

Will Hurd continue to make HP the premier tech player not only in PC and technology, but in services as well? IBM says that HP's commodity products are not that large of a threat. But if the products get the job done for consumers with considerable cost savings, then what is the difference between a costly and proprietary IBM system and an open-source HP system that performs the same tasks at a much lower price -- with services contracts being equal between the two? IBM and Dell best be on the lookout for where HP is going.

Mark Hurd's HP resurgence no mistake originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Carly FiorinaCarlyFiorinaHewlett PackardHewlett-PackardHewlettPackardHPHPQMark HurdMarkHurdThu, 22 Feb 2007 11:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Hewlett-Packard may pull back]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/21/hewlett-packard-may-pull-back/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/21/hewlett-packard-may-pull-back/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/21/hewlett-packard-may-pull-back/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Cost discipline and revenue growth go hand in hand, said CEO Mark Hurd during Hewlett-Packard's (NYSE: HPQ) conference call last night. HP emphasized its unit volume growth for the quarter.
  • Notebook units up 57%; 40% revenue growth
  • Printer hardware units up 18%; revenue up 7%
  • Personal system group, in total, was up 19% in units, with revenue up 17%
HP was able to gain market share gains while improving margins. The margin improvement in such a competitive market was impressive, as GAAP operating margin increased to 7.3% up from 6.6%.

However, the balance sheet and cash flow statement metrics showed signs which historically preceded difficult times for the PC business. Guidance was a bit weak and inventory has jumped up. In addition, there was concern about the apples to apples comparisons of gross margin due to the Mercury acquisition. In addition, there was some concern about sources and uses of cash. Particularly about $1.48 billion cash outflow for rebates and other uses--also a signal of a weakening PC business.

HP is a stock you do not have to rush into. There are warning signs that this stock might run into a couple of quarters of weak results. Stay on the sidelines for now.

Hewlett-Packard may pull back originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earningshewlett packardhewlett-packardHewlettPackardhphpqmark hurdMarkHurdWed, 21 Feb 2007 08:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Liveblogging Hewlett-Packard's Q1 financial results]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/20/liveblogging-hewlett-packards-q1-financial-results/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/20/liveblogging-hewlett-packards-q1-financial-results/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/20/liveblogging-hewlett-packards-q1-financial-results/#commentsFiled under: ,

Here we go -- HP is about to have its webcast on Q1 financials, with Chairman and CEO Mark Hurd leading the way. With competitor Dell releasing quarterly results next week, will HP meet, beat or dip below analyst projections for the quarter completed as of 1-31-07? We are sure to find out.

Please note: all times below are in PDT, and you will need to "refresh" your web browser often as this liveblog will be updated every few minutes as HP releases all relevant quarterly data and updates guidance and projections for Q2.

With that, here we go!

4:01pm -- on hold music is playing. What a soft and pleasant tone is being set for the webcast. Ahh -- how nice.

4:02pm -- HP is about on time (unlike most companies it seems). Here we go...

4:06pm -- CEO Mark Hurd starts the call by stating that he'll miss the outgoing Investor Relations executive. Mark also overviews the quarter in very general terms. We'll be at specifics soon.

Continue reading Liveblogging Hewlett-Packard's Q1 financial results

Liveblogging Hewlett-Packard's Q1 financial results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Hewlett-PackardHPHP quarterly resultsHP resultsHPQHpQuarterlyResultsHpResultsMark HurdMarkHurdTue, 20 Feb 2007 16:59:00 EST