Terry, The timing is really tough with a touty firm like Gateway. As it was with Dell, Atmel, IBM, Compaq and other firms where obscuring the real results is the full time job of the best people at the firm. With Gateway, they just keep building more stores and hiring more people while expenses decline. I don't think a balky auditor, even if there were an honest one of them critters, could bring their accounting out of the shadows. I think it will eventually take a regulatory agency.
So, a long answer that should have been phrased, "I have no idea when Gateway will have to fess up." It is much easier when you are dealing with honest companies, or, formerly honest cos. like Hewlett or Texas Instruments. They may mislead you with silly future forecasts, but they generally call a spade a spade after the numbers are in. Sadly, there are few honest cos. left, as "managing earnings," aka lying through the teeth, has become the norm.
My gut feeling is that Gateway blows up early next year, as they fake their way through 1999. I own no puts now, but will probably buy them in Jan or Feb. |
