I watch this stock, because so many of my friends are in it. See we have a mutual friend who works at PSFT -- and has almost from the start. He has made tens of thousands of dollars on stock options and splits etc... He has managed to accumulate several thousand shares on his own, through his 401(k) and individual brokerage account -- some, unfortunately, on margin.
He was recently hit with a margin call and was forced to sell thousands of his PSFT shares well below his basis. I'm sure some on this thread can relate.
In a long converstaion I had with him last week, he informed me that PSFT was struggling to make new ground, that is, it was no longer going to experience double-digit increases in revs that we are so familiar with. In fact, SAP has stepped up its efforts on many fronts with some very aggressive pricing/bidding (because SAP is facing the same reality.)
All his fellow sales reps are finding it very difficult to sell (or even prospect) product over the last 5 or 6 months, and not simply because of competition, but mainly due to high install costs & saturation at the larger account level. Plus the excessive/continual M&A activity that is/has gone on has forced companies to delay these larger system's purchasing decisions. Then, finally, budgeted Y2K expenditures are causing them to loose some of the other potential accounts out on the margins.
Not trying to discourage anyone here on this thread. The company, however, should now be treated as the established/mature entity that it is and no longer a hi-fly tech growth company that it was. Many have spoken to this point on this thread. However, I've been told by someone on the front lines who was very reluctant to admit such up until now.
-JH |
