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Technology Stocks : Novell (NOVL) dirt cheap, good buy? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Serendipity who wrote (20372)	2/26/1998 10:33:00 PM
From: Cosmo Kramer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42771

Any and all: I heard on CNBC there is going to be a 9:30am interview with the CEO of NOVL. Any thoughts on what's up and the way the stock should move. Thanks Mark

To: Serendipity who wrote (20372)	2/26/1998 10:39:00 PM
From: Serendipity	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42771

To All: A comment regarding top line VS bottom line and a question; Turn arounds, almost always, start from the bottom line (earnings) and go to the top line (revenues.) In other words, they start internally, which is much easier to control and change. A present and verifiable example, in a somewhat similar business, is Unisys. NO, THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION! No, this is not a hype. It is a working model. Unisys has turned around by bringing in a NEW CEO and turning the bottom line, not the top line. NO GROWTH YET. Here is Unisys formula: Define the core business, develop new products, divest if needed, define goals (grow share holders value, grow revenue, grow earnings) identify strength and weaknesses, get to know your customers, increase profit margins, control costs, put into place procedures, put into place accountability, establish credibility, improve the balance sheet, improve employee moral (not fire them), get rid of advertising that only got you money-losing-market-share. Start with the above list and go forward systematically, to go from 12 to 18 dollars a share in 2 months. Better yet: To go from $6 to $18 in 10 months. All the while NO GROWTH in top line. All the while have and do business in Asia, especially Japan. There are other examples, Sun Beam and International Papers come mind. Please do note that "reverse mergers" are not the topic here and those examples do not apply. Having owned a number of businesses and been involved with all the above, I submit there is no better way to turn a business around. Rare exceptions notwithstanding. My question to those who think a turn around must start from the top line is: please enlighten us by naming the companies you know that have or are doing so successfully. Please do provide facts and figures, not just a name or a symbol. Please do not discuss what Novell is or is not doing, but what other turn arounds have done. Please turn this board into a place to learn from. Let us learn from you. Thank you in advance, Seren.