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Technology Stocks : Dell Technologies Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Boplicity who wrote (67077)	9/23/1998 10:32:00 PM
From: joao bilt	Respond to of 176387

up almost $5.00 today. I missed their conference call this morning, did anyone participate in the call? Dell continues to lead the way in the computer industry.

To: Boplicity who wrote (67077)	9/23/1998 11:02:00 PM
From: Mohan Marette	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 176387

Global PC market seen rising 13.2 percent in 1999! Greg: Thanks for that information,much obliged. Now how much you think is this news going to be worth,eh?<g> ==================================================== By Duncan Martell PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept 23 (Reuters) - Shipments of personal computers worldwide will rise 13.2 percent in 1999, spurred by strong demand for lower-cost machines, market research firm International Data Corp. forecast on Wednesday. The United States and Western Europe will play a major role in helping the PC industry bounce back from slowing growth in 1998, with unit shipments expected to rise to 89 million units globally from a forecast of 80.2 million units in 1998. Even so, analysts at IDC sounded notes of caution at its annual PC Market Outlook symposium held in Santa Clara, Calif. Next year's figures hinge on the Japanese economy -- now mired in recession -- bouncing back, no devaluation of China's currency and the resolution of economic troubles in Asian-Pacific markets and in Russia. ''They're really trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel,'' said Lou Mazzucchelli, an analyst at Gerard Klauer Mattison & Co. who was in attendance. ''There are still so many macroeconomic unknowns out there.'' Shipments in the United States are forecast to rise 13.9 percent to 40.1 million units next year, while Western Europe will grow 11.8 percent to 25.4 million. Together, the two regions account for 73 percent of total worldwide PC shipments. If markets in China and India -- two of the fastest-growing regions -- hold and Asian economies improve, overall 1999 growth should be only slightly lower than the 14.3 percent growth IDC is predicting for this year. ''A lot of this is predicated on Japan and Asia bottoming out,'' said Bruce Stephen, group vice president of worldwide personal systems research. Although unit shipments are forecast to rise again next year, because PC prices are falling so rapidly, revenue gains will be only about half the 13.3 percent forecast gain in unit sales. Kevin Hause, senior analyst for IDC's consumer devices research, said major PC makers such as International Business Machines Corp., Compaq Computer Corp. and Dell Computer Corp. will be selling $499 machines in the next 12 months. ''It's just amazing,'' Hause said of the price declines in PCs. PC prices will continue to fall, spurred by further reductions in the cost of major pieces of PCs, such as memory chips, disk drives and other components. Increases in production efficiency, the integration of more computer functions onto fewer, or single, semiconductors and lower distribution costs also will help pull PC prices down, Hause said. Those increased efficiencies will be enjoyed by the largest PC makers, which will continue the recent trend of consolidating market share. In recent years, the big PC makers have been getting bigger while the small have dwindled further. ''It's the status quo,'' analyst Mazzucchelli said. Compaq, Dell, Hewlett-Packard Co. and Gateway Inc. all gained market share in the first half of 1998. But IBM, the third-largest PC maker, lost market share in the first half, hampered by execution problems and a lack of a defined strategy. ''They're sort of the weak leg of the stool,'' IDC's Stephen said of IBM. Compaq is the No. 1 seller of PCs, Dell recently jumped to No. 2, while Hewlett-Packard is No. 4. In this year's fourth quarter, typically the strongest of the year because of Christmas and holiday buying, IDC forecast worldwide unit shipments to rise 13.6 percent to 26.8 million units. This year's third quarter, which spans the summer months and is usually among the slowest of the year, was unusually strong, IDC said. Worldwide unit shipments expanded 10.5 percent to 21.7 million units.