Jeff,
I agree with you that the company is going to have to compile or give a solid indication of a string of positive and improving quarters to shrug off whatever is left of the negativism that surrounds it.
That being the case, I believe the company will not blow out 4Q, but instead will cap sales at 280MM-300MM. By doing so, however, the DSO should be improved from 3Q [this is Glenn Rudolph's point, not mine], which should help to convince the Street that 1Q98 will be improved as well. In effect, the 1/16, excuse me, 1/20 (unless it changed again) earnings release should show a solid improvement for 4Q97 and a good chance of an improving 1Q98 (killing 2 birds with one stone). I hope that such numbers will shed a large amount of any remaining negativisim.
Gary Korn
P.S. If I'm not mistaken, by the end of 1998, ASND will have close to $1B in cash and cash equivalents. Take about $600MM by the end of 1997, and add to that another $50MM per quarter for 1998. That is starting to add up, isn't it? |
