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Technology Stocks : S3 (A LONGER TERM PERSPECTIVE)
SIII 0.00010000.0%May 12 5:00 PM EST

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To: David K. who wrote (7767)11/11/1997 10:24:00 PM
From: Jan A. Van Hummel  Read Replies (1) of 14577
 
David,

I am not familiar with Aureal, but problems related to issues of when
and how to recognize sales and costs has been around for a long time.

Often companies stretch the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles) for reasons of their own.

One of the better examples: Blockbuster Video

In their early years they enjoyed stellar growth and great profitability.
Investors loved them and due their growth they kept delivering these
wonderful results. Good part was due to their writing the cost off
their rental videos over a much longer time frame than was realistic
thereby inflating current profits. In the end they had to make adjustments
for it, but by that time they had grown, had high profits thus high stock
value, used that market cap to grow faster and raise more capital than
might have possible had they been much more conservative.

The problem often arises when management is rewarded for accomplishing
the wrong goals. People will generally do what they get rewarded for, not
what is in the best interest of the company long-term. To many people
want to see significant changes on a quarterly basis whereas many
decisions take today may have implications down the road only, and that,
most unfortunately, is too long a horizon for many investors.

As a result management often caters to the needs of the short-termers
thereby mortgaging the future of the company. Ongoing growth will often
bail management out, stagnating or declining sales will often bring the
problems to the fore.

By no stretch of any imagination is S3 mortally wounded, they are having
a rough time and management made it just a bit rougher on themselves by
their failure to recognize the problem earlier.

When the details of the audit are known we will know a lot more and then
we can all draw our own conclusions.

Jan
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