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Technology Stocks : The *NEW* Frank Coluccio Technology Forum

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To: axial who wrote (4430)	11/28/2001 6:51:07 AM
From: elmatador	of 46821

MSFT has a nasty problem: what to do with $31.6 billion in cash. We can picture a sleep-deprived Bill Gates and a red-eyed Steve Ballmer toiling away night after night, trying to get the company out of this predicament. It must be tough. So we decided to help them out by making a few suggestions on how Microsoft should spend its cash hoard. We're going to propose a variety of acquisitions. While the company hasn't historically had an acquisitive culture, that seems to be changing. Last November, Microsoft hired Richard Emerson -- a former managing director at the investment bank Lazard Frères -- to head its mergers and acquisitions division. A month later, the company announced the purchase of the software developer Great Plains Software for $1.1 billion. The only possible hitch could be its ongoing legal battle with the U.S. Department of Justice and 18 state governments regarding antitrust violations. While announcements of late have all tended in Microsoft's favor, it's not over till it's over, and there is still some likelihood of a settlement outcome. Estimates for such a resolution range from $1 billion to $2 billion. But that's chump change. Here's what the company should do with the rest of the dough LOCK IT UP First, we think Microsoft should buy the security software developer Symantec (Nasdaq: SYMC). Microsoft software has often been plagued by security concerns, and acquiring Symantec would improve its product line with powerful antivirus and firewall capabilities. Since Symantec has a better mix of desktop and enterprise products than other companies in the sector, its acquisition would buy more bang for Microsoft's buck than, say, springing for Network Associates (Nasdaq: NETA). The deal, ...CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

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