"Meet Randall Williams-Gurian. Again. And shortly learn what you should do with Microsoft stock...."
seattletimes.com
Last week's Microsoft financial report worried some. A higher-than-usual share of the profit came from the sale of investments, not software.
Not to worry, Williams-Gurian said. "I would be buying on dips," he said.
Investment gains are a natural part of a company that has $17 billion lying around. Microsoft, already the world's highest valued company, has become one of the world's biggest investment companies.
Williams-Gurian expects extremely strong demand for Microsoft's new operating system, Windows 2000, an upgrade for network computers debuting next month.
"It's a tremendous lever for the company," Williams-Gurian said. "And I don't think the PC is dead. Go into an office and there's a PC on every desk and 90 percent are on Microsoft operating systems."
The government monopoly case could end in a breakup of Microsoft.
"There's more value to a split-up," Williams-Gurian said. He'd like to see Microsoft propose it, and offer the software source code free to competitors as well.
"I think the stock would like that - there's excess value there," Williams-Gurian said.
The switch of Steve Ballmer to chief executive, supplanting Bill Gates, also met with his approval.
"If I could pick one guy to work on strategic thinking in the computer/network area, it would be Bill Gates. The fact they did that is powerful." |
