by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
THQ shares are posting a fat gain today after the videogame company announced that it has completed a previously announced cost-reduction plan designed to chop its annual spending by $220 million.
THQ CEO Brian Farrell said in a statement that the company’s goal is to return to profitability and generate positive cash flow in the March 2010 fiscal year, and to position the company for long-term sustainable growth.
Dell CEO Michael Dell has done little to dispel rumors that his company is working on a mobile computing device. In fact, he all but confirmed them while traveling in Japan on March 24 when he said: “It is true that we are exploring smaller-screen devices.” What form those devices will take remains a matter of heated debate.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
So, uh, wasn’t Dell supposed to be working on a cellphone?
Well, that was the scuttlebutt. But Dell has failed to show at recent mobile trade shows. Shaw Wu, an analyst at Kaufman Bros., asserts in a research note today that the company’s first attempt was basically rejected by the carriers as too, well, Dell-like.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
The Street seems to be backing away from the theory that Apple will introduce a cheaper version of the iPhone with a smaller screen and reduced functionality.
Yesterday, Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi noted that the company does not appear to be pursuing his idea for an “iPhone Nano,” and that any new iPhones are likely to include both a browser and access to the App Store.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
Good news for shoppers, bad news for retailers. Apple’s Black Friday discount could be up to 15 percent, compared to 5-10 percent. Retailers will be the ones suffering for it, though, not Apple. The ability of Apple products to attract shoppers into stores and turn them into buyers–especially of high-margin products–is likely the reason retailers are willing to take the hit.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu believes that Apple’s market share is still small enough relative to the overall PC and cellphone markets that there’s room for significant growth in both the Mac and iPhone businesses. He expects the company to earn $5.05 a share in FY 2009 on revenues of $35.5 billion.
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