Norden --
Excellent response. As you say, there are others that will benefit, but you've hit on some key players--- leaving out some of the obvious like ASND and CSCO, whom we all know.
Besides NN, you mention SMAWY (Siemens) and I'm wondering if it's time to give them a look. They've recently reorganized the company, with new divisions to be effective in September, and last week they sold off their unit in the U.K. ---
[http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=Cnzb5Wb8Ztdi0odm3nZy&FQ=siemens&Title=Headlines%20for%3A%20siemens%0A
---- leaving them over a billion US in cash, just from that sale, alone.
Notice what the Reuters' story says regarding GPT's valuation:
<<>>
I suspect many of us will recall the difficulty of steering a safe course during the tech decline of late '96/early '97. If AT&T's purchase of TCI is a wake-up call that the tide has turned, then perhaps we aren't so far off to invest in the companies we've been discussing. Would T make this move if they thought the economy was going to tank? Don't they have economists advising them on a global scale? Aren't they bound by SEC guidelines to observe certain precautions for the sake of their shareholders?
I guess what I'm saying is, if Nortel and T and WorldCom and to a lesser extent Alcatel have the confidence to make the moves they've made, what is this telling us? We're talking huge corporations whose bets are so large they could be crippled --- if not mortally wounded --- if they go bad.
Okay, changing gears for a minute, you mention content. That's one area I don't even begin to know how to play. What place does Inktomi [INKT] play? inktomi.com They're the recent IPO with the database the big guys use. Their key account is AOL and they have all the top web browsers from there on down. [List of press releases: inktomi.com ]
The recent Disney Internet Guide is powered by INKT:
<<>>>
I stopped by their booth at Supercom and asked about their server plans. Here's what they have:
inktomi.com
I'm not knowledgeable in this area, so haven't taken a big position. I also thought the stock would drop a bit after the IPO, but it's held up frustratingly well.
In case you wonder who's behind INKT, check out their board of directors:
inktomi.com
Not shabby.
Pertinent IR information:
inktomi.com
Every company should have data this easily available. Even a quote service and links to the analysts who follow.
Red Herring:
herring.com
Printed just before the IPO:
Inktomi Corporation
1997 sales: $5.8 million
1997 income: -$8.7 million
One-year sales change: 991.5 percent
Filing date: April 16, 1998
Expected IPO date: June 10, 1998
Shares offered: 2.26 million
Post-offering shares: 20.531 million
Offering amount: $38.4 million
Proposed offer price: 16.00 to 18.00
Proposed symbol: INKT
Proposed exchange: Nasdaq
Underwriters: Goldman Sachs; BT Alex. Brown; Hambrecht & Quist
I was at the show when it came public --- it hit the street at 30 and went up from there --- and when I got home, my H&Q broker said he'd managed to get me 150 shares. So, that's all I have. But, who has the nerve to buy at $40? Clearly, I've never jumped on Yahoo or Excite or AOL, either --- well, briefly, but I always jump off after a few points, and watch them go to the moon without me.
Whoa. . . I really got off topic.
And then there's e-commerce. Don't even get me started! :))
But, what fun it is to watch this industry take off. To me it's just as exciting as seeing Armstrong walk on the moon. Speaking of Armstrong, here's a link that includes a film clip of his lunar landing: legacy.gsfc.nasa.gov
To find it, I simply did a "Neil Armstrong" word search on Infoseek.
Okay, time to touch down here in Del Mar.
No more meandering down web paths. . . .
Later --
Pat |
