I really don't like the finance and stock market arguments for why "Microsoft must be stopped."
The reason that Microsoft is so profitable is that they're blessed by operating in a highly profitable and scaleable industry. Software has high fixed-costs (R&D), after which the variable costs are minimal. The more they sell, the more profitable they become (as that fixed cost is spread upon more software units).
That's also the reason that Microsoft is more profitable than other software companies--they have the most volume. Msft is fortunate enough to sell mass-market priced high-volume products which cater to almost all computer users. Most other software companies are limited in scope (video games, virus scanners, databases, web servers, CAD, etc.) because their products appeal to a relatively smaller audience.
Another bonus of Microsoft's business model is that they do not rely on a salesforce to sell their products. Many software companies (like ORCL, SAP, NSCP, etc.), particularly those that sell to corporations, have this high expense.
Microsoft business model and top-notch management team, combined with its perceived reliable growth on Wall Street (which warrants high-premiums these days) leads to its lofty stock price.
It's irrelevant and ignorant to blindly compare the stock prices of companies within industries. Better to understand WHY one company is worth a lot more than a seemingly-similar competitor. The best companies in each sector--and that does NOT mean that they are monopolies--are awarded the highest valuations. Compare Coke to Pepsi, Cisco to other networkers, Dell to Compaq and other PC makers, MCI-Worldcom to AT&T, SAP to PeopleSoft, i2 to Manugistics (you may have never heard of them?), Wal*Mart to K-Mart, Safeway to other supermarket chains, Oracle to Sybase/Informix, Charles Schwab to Merrill Lynch, Amazon.com to other E-Tailers, Yahoo to other portals (Yahoo is worth about 10x more than both Lycos and Excite!), etc., etc. These aren't monopoly situations, their stocks are higher because of differences in business models, branding, management acumen, execution, market share, and a host of other factors.
-Sal |
