Does anyone know if the so-called "QUIET PERIOD" is
mandatory regarding earnings? When LU shocked everyone
earnings-wise I noticed that CSCO and a few others
scrambled to reaffirm their projections and reassure
the investing masses. However, INTC did NOT do so and
instead made reference to the "QUIET PERIOD" as the
reason.
Cisco, for one, reports in February, so they are not in any quiet period yet. Microsoft did come out and say they were NOT changing their guidance (should be fine) when a shortfall rumor was started by shorters, or others that wanted MSFT to go down. They do report in January, so were supposedly in a quiet period. HOWEVER, THAT WAS A DELIBERATELY SET INCORRECT REPORT THAT THEY WOULD NOT MAKE THEIR QUARTER, SO THEY FELT OBLIGED TO SET IT STRAIGHT. I think it was GV Tucker that said that quiet periods are self imposed, so you can do what you want if someone is trying to trash you.
Now, you may say that Gateway was trying to trash Intel when they threw up all over the table. However, nothing in the Gateway report said, or implied that Intel would not make their quarter. Intel has said all along that they were meeting committed orders, but not orders above and beyond that. Apparently, GTW wanted above and beyond parts. Intel took the conservative way out, and the quiet period, and said nothing. If it were worse than Intel "just being able to meet orders", they would have changed guidance. Maybe they were conservative in taking the quiet period stance, but if you know Intel, they always err on the side of being conservative.
Bottom line to me: the posters here that do the most and best analyzing, and have the most credibility to me, have said they think Intel's Q is going to be fine. I agree with that, find out Thursday.
Tony |
