To: calgal who wrote (139329 ) 8/16/1999 7:51:00 PM From: stock bull Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 176387
Leigh, I just saw the Blue Mountain Card to Daniel. It really is adorable. I'm sure he'll love it. Regarding Dell, here an article I just read: Dell Computer's 2nd-Qtr Profit Seen Rising: Earnings Outlook Round Rock, Texas, Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Following is the outlook for Dell Computer Corp.'s fiscal second-quarter earnings, which are expected to be released tomorrow. Expected Earnings Dell is expected to report that profit for the quarter ended July 30 rose to 17 cents a share, the average analyst estimate from First Call Corp. Some estimates were as high as 18 cents. The world's biggest direct-seller of personal computers earned $346 million, or 12 cents, in the year-earlier quarter. Time Dell is expected to release earnings after the close of U.S. trading tomorrow. Behind the numbers Most analysts expect Dell's revenue to rise to about $5.9 billion, with some forecasts as high as $6 billion. A year earlier, revenue was $4.33 billion. It would be the third straight quarter where sales growth is less than 50 percent. Investors also will be watching for signs of declining computer prices. Merrill Lynch & Co. analyst Steve Fortuna estimates Dell's average PC price will fall 9 percent this year. Slower sales growth and a drop in PC prices at the Round Rock, Texas, based company rattled investors during the beginning of the year. What the Experts Say ``For the last three quarters, there's been something for people to pick on,' said Richard Schutte, an analyst with Goldman, Sachs & Co., who has Dell on his list of recommended stocks. For the second quarter, though, ``It's going to be tough to find something you can poke a hole in,' Schutte said. Previous Market Reaction Dell shares fell 9.7 percent on May 19, a day after the company reported a 41 percent first-quarter sales increase. Sales growth lagged the 54 percent Dell averaged in the previous eight quarters. Dell also cut prices to boost revenue, which trimmed the company's profit margins more than most analysts predicted. Market performance Dell shares fell 1/8 to 41 5/16 in recent trading. The stock, the best performer on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index for the last three years, has gained 13 percent this year. Aug/16/1999 15:06 For more stories from Bloomberg News, click here. (C) Copyright 1999 Bloomberg L.P. Stock Bull