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Technology Stocks : Compaq -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Night Writer who wrote (93205)	9/25/2001 5:39:49 PM
From: Elwood P. Dowd	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 97611

Micron Technology posts large 4th-qtr loss SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Micron Technology Inc., one of the biggest makers of memory chips used in personal computers, on Tuesday reported a loss of about $576 million for its fiscal fourth quarter as sales tumbled 79 percent, due to weak PC sales and a glut of memory chips. For the period ended Aug. 30, Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology (NYSE:MU - news) reported a loss of $575.5 million, or 96 cents a share, compared with net income of $726 million, or $1.28 a share, a year ago. Sales tumbled to $480.3 million from $2.31 billion. The loss in the latest fourth quarter include a charge, after taxes, of $118 million, or 20 cents a share for the write down of its equity investment in Interland Inc., formerly Micron Electronics Inc. Results also include an inventory write down of $289 million, or 48 cents a share, after taxes. The per-share results excluding the one-time items discussed above would have been a loss of 28 cents, which was narrower than the consensus analysts' forecast for a loss of 33 cents a share, according to Thomson Financial/First Call. Estimates ranged from a loss of 25 cents a share to 45 cents, according to the 13 analysts surveyed by First Call. Shares of Micron Technology closed down $1.06 to $21.24 New York Stock Exchange trade. Reflecting plunging prices for DRAM, or dynamic random-access memory, chips and weak PC sales, the stock has fallen 40 percent this year, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index has declined 30 percent.

To: Night Writer who wrote (93205)	9/28/2001 12:01:30 PM
From: Elwood P. Dowd	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 97611

Compaq/HP Merger Speeds UP by: skeptically 09/28/01 11:56 am Msg: 257074 of 257075 newsalert.com a-search-&StoryTitle=compaq September 28, 2001 03:04 Compaq, Hewlett-Packard Merger Speeds Up By Crayton Harrison, The Dallas Morning News Sep. 28--Compaq Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. are picking up speed on their planned merger, contacting government officials, planning ahead and trying to persuade skeptical investors that they're making a good deal. The two companies' share prices lost about one-third of their values after the merger announcement on Sept. 3, though analysts said investors' fears after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks may have contributed to the declines. But lately, investors have kept their shares of the two companies at more stable prices. On Thursday, shares of Houston-based Compaq were up 71 cents from a week ago and Hewlett-Packard shares were up $1.70 from a week ago. Compaq closed at $8.56 and Hewlett-Packard closed at $16.20 Thursday. Since Hewlett-Packard's purchase of Compaq is tied to the companies' share prices, the value of the merger has dropped from $25 billion on Sept. 3 to $17 billion on Thursday. Investors' gut fears about large-scale mergers between technology companies contributed to the early declines, but now shareholders can settle down and find some positive aspects to the deal, said Peter Kastner, chief research officer of the Aberdeen Group in Boston. "The financial community has taken the view that just on sheer magnitude, this wasn't a good deal, especially in the high-tech industry, where huge mergers have not generally been successful in the past," Mr. Kastner said. "In a climate of declining stocks, it was very difficult for the companies to get their messages out." Not that Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina hasn't tried. She stayed quiet during the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, but was soon back on the road, asking analysts in the United States and Europe to take another look at the merger. In an op-ed piece for industry news Web site ZDNet.com, Ms. Fiorina said she hopes investors pay attention to each company's market share in information technology services and other sectors, not just the large personal computer market in which both companies compete. "This is not predicated on PCs," Ms. Fiorina said. "It's actually all about enterprise computing and professional services. The new company will have a balanced overall portfolio with scale, scope, breadth and depth across a range of product categories." That includes printers and printing supplies, which would continue to be a large part of Hewlett-Packard's business, Ms. Fiorina said. Investors won't get a lot of information about what product lines the companies will preserve or what cost-saving measures they will take until after the merger is complete, Compaq spokesman Arch Currid said. Since the two companies have to continue acting like competitors, they can't divulge much ....more at link...........