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Technology Stocks : COMS & the Ghost of USRX w/ other STUFF -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: David Lawrence who wrote (13946)	3/18/1998 4:25:00 PM
From: DMaA	Respond to of 22053

Ominous evidence that George Guilder is turning into a SI junky: Message 3755398

To: David Lawrence who wrote (13946)	3/18/1998 4:26:00 PM
From: Moonray	Respond to of 22053

Lucent emerges as a top-tier stock 02:41 p.m Mar 18, 1998 Eastern NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the rarefied universe of blue-chip technology stocks, add another name to the list of such perennial investor favorites as Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp.. What Microsoft is to software and Intel is to computer chips, Lucent Technologies Inc. has become to communications networks -- both for phone equipment, where it the world's market leader, and, increasingly, for the Internet. The stock has surged 60 percent in the past two months to record highs amid a growing belief on Wall Street that the old AT&T phone equipment arm is making all the right moves to gear for a new stage of growth in data networks. ''There is anticipation that the company is becoming an aggressive player in new fields like data networking even as it continues to do all the right things in telecom equipment,'' said Frank Dzubeck, an industry consultant with Communications Network Architects. Adding to near-term demand for the stock is a sense that strong quarterly results are in store, creating a pile-on effect as mutual fund managers load up on the shares before a 2-for-1 stock split that takes effect on April 1. ''Money managers are tripping over themselves to own the stock before the end of the quarter, because it has been such a strong performer,'' said Scott Bleier, chief investment strategist at New York brokerage Prime Charter Ltd. The share price has added 25 points in the last month and quadrupled in the two years since Lucent split-off from AT&T Corp.. It was trading at about $119 on Wednesday. For Lucent, analysts see a new stage of growth beginning soon. Perhaps as early as summer -- just ahead of the lifting of accounting restraints that have limited big merger moves since its split from AT&T -- the company could shoulder a major acquisition to thrust it to the top of the data network race. In recent months, Lucent has made bolder moves to muscle into the data communications business -- a new area for it that is now dominated by Internet equipment suppliers such as Cisco Systems Inc. and 3Com Corp.. In another step to prepare for the future, Lucent elevated Richard McGinn to chief executive in the fall and chairman in February, succeeding Henry Schacht, who had led the company through its split from AT&T. Meanwhile, analysts see the company continuing to perform well across the range of its existing businesses -- telecommunications network equipment, both wired and wireless, semiconductors and corporate office communications equipment. ''What Lucent is doing is benefiting enormously from its potential as a restructuring play,'' Lehman analyst Tim Luke said, referring from its move to trim costs and boost gross margins since being freed of status as AT&T's equipment arm. ''At the same time, there is a big cycle of investment going on from a lot of the carriers,'' said the Lehman analyst, referring to purchases by major telecom service providers. Lucent spokesman Scott Horn confirmed that in October Lucent will become free to fund acquisitions using its stock as a currency. However, he declined to speculate on the company's future acquisition plans. ''Lucent is a sleeping giant,'' Dzubeck said. ''Everyone anticipates them making some significant announcements in the June time frame,'' he said, referring to speculation that it might be preparing for a mega-merger. ''But they aren't going to make an $8 billion or $10 billion acquisition without the favorable accounting status,'' he said. Stock-for-stock mergers are often the preferred method for funding acquisitions because they allow a company to soften the blow of having to account for the costs of the acquisition in ways that drag down near-term earnings results. o~~~ O

To: David Lawrence who wrote (13946)	3/18/1998 5:06:00 PM
From: Lost in New York	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 22053

I thought someone on this thread was a Ham (no not that, I mean an amateur radio enthusist.) I assumed it was you, it turns out it was Eric. Dave

To: David Lawrence who wrote (13946)	3/18/1998 5:30:00 PM
From: Moonray	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 22053

Rockwell Lowers Earnings Estimates Wednesday March 18, 5:08 pm Eastern Time COSTA MESA, Calif., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell International Corporation (NYSE: ROK - news) today announced that fiscal 1998 second quarter earnings per share will be approximately 25 percent lower than comparable 1997 second quarter earnings of 71 cents per share. These results are driven by weaker than anticipated performance in the PC modem business and a $10 million restructuring charge at Semiconductor Systems. Don H. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, said, ''We now expect lower second quarter earnings due to weaker than planned demand for our v.34 and 56 kilobit modem products as customers withheld orders during January and February awaiting release of our new interoperable v.90 modem chipsets. We commenced shipment of the determined standard compliant v.90 product in late February.'' Davis added, ''We are experiencing significant pricing pressure on the new v.90 product and, accordingly, Semiconductor Systems will not recover in the second half of our fiscal year to the extent we previously anticipated. Although our Automation and Avionics & Communications businesses continue to perform strongly, we expect 1998 earnings per share will approximate 1997's earnings of $2.89 per share.'' This news release contains statements relating to future results that are ''forward-looking'' as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, those detailed from time-to-time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Rockwell is a global electronic controls and communications company with leadership positions in industrial automation, avionics and communications, and Semiconductor Systems with fiscal 1997 sales of approximately $8 billion and 48,000 employees. Rockwell's world headquarters is located in Costa Mesa in Orange County, Calif. Rockwell's World Wide Web Site: rockwell.com. SOURCE: Rockwell International Corporation o~~~ O