The emotional reactions and after-hours selling by small-fry notwithstanding, I think the effect on markets of this ruling is going to be minimal. M$FT may go down a few bucks on Monday, but will recover. Assertions that the ruling will freeze M$ stock value are ridiculous. Revenue trends from W2K next year will have a much bigger effect on the stock, up or down, than this ruling.
IMHO this is going to be another IBM case. As they pointed out on CNBS, the IBM case just stretched on and on over decades until the whole thing was moot and the government backed off. M$ will do the same thing. The cost of litigating it to the bitter end is nothing to them, so why not do it? They will make no end of conciliatory noises, but that's all just feathering their appeals nest and is 100% insincere and phony, as they will never voluntarily give an inch.
After Judge Jackson rules on whatever remedy he's going to suggest, this thing will just submerge out of the public consciousness again during a lengthy appeals process.
As for SUNW shares, same thing. It's a no-op. If M$ had won, on the other hand, SUNW would have taken a hit.
JMHO.
Regards,
--QwikSand
EDIT: If it does get to the Supreme Court, they will not hear it. JMHO<g>. |
