Bullish conference
Hi Lee:
Don't ask me why but I revel in the experts' mistakes and they often are,go figure! You think I have a sick mind?<vbg>
Now here is more on the Montgomery conference.
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Speaking at the NationsBanc Montgomery Securities stock conference in San Francisco, officials from bellwethers Dell Computer (DELL) and Applied Materials (AMAT).
"We see the industry as being fairly healthy," said Dell Vice Chairman Kevin Rollins. He said the company expects PC industry sales to increase by about 15 percent this year, suggesting increased demand in the second half of 1998. Overall, sales have grown about 11 percent in the first half of the year.
Applied Materials' chief financial officer also provided reason for optimism, though it was muted slightly. "The industry will recover, but it will probably not get back to the previous levels of growth we've seen in the past. We view this as a new level of maturity for the industry," said CFO Joseph Bronson.
Applied has seen annual growth rates of as much as 40 percent in recent years, analysts said. This year, industry propsects are still robust, Bronson said, adding that he expects good growth by the 2002.
Semiconductor surprises
Last Thursday, Intel Corp. (INTC), the world's largest chipmaker, said it sees third-quarter sales exceeding analysts' estimates, driven by strong demand from computer makers in the U.S. and Europe.
"The (PC) industry should be up for the next couple of quarters, helped by Intel," said Anthony Ianiro, an analyst at Olde Discount. |
