Linux News:

Dell Meets Street, Confirms Sunny Forecast
February 14, 2003

Number two computer maker Dell matched analyst expectations for sales and profit in the fourth quarter and, more surprisingly to some observers, said it remains on track to meet targets for the current quarter. Fourth-quarter revenue rose 21 percent to $9.74 billion, an impressive gain given that computer sales overall were largely flat, Dell noted.

Cisco Hits Targets, Says CEOs Still Cool on Spending
February 05, 2003

Network equipment maker Cisco Systems has squeaked past analyst expectations, reporting net income of $991 million for its second fiscal quarter, well above Q2 2002 levels of $660 million. However, the company's largest quarterly profit ever stemmed more from cost-cutting measures than from top-line sales growth.

AOL Books $99 Billion Loss; Turner To Step Down
January 30, 2003

After reporting that it ended its fiscal year an unprecedented $99 billion in the red, AOL Time Warner said Ted Turner also will step down from his post as vice chairman in May. The company's fourth-quarter earnings statement revealed a $45.5 billion charge as a result of depreciation in its America Online division.

Amazon Posts Profit, Makes Free Shipping Permanent
January 24, 2003

Bellwether e-tailer Amazon.com booked its second-ever profit in the fourth quarter as shoppers flocked to the site for holiday purchases, helping push revenues to record levels that surpassed analysts' expectations. Amazon said it took in $1.43 billion in the fourth quarter. Net income was $3 million, down from $5 million last year.

EBay Shatters Q4 Targets, Joins Billion-Dollar Club
January 17, 2003

Continuing to set the standard for both growth and profit among e-commerce companies, eBay has reported Q4 income and revenue that far outpaced expectations. Buoyed by bargain-hunting holiday shoppers and traction in high-ticket categories, the company booked a profit of $87 million, more than tripling its year-ago income of $25.9 million.

Intel Beats Street But Cautions on 2003
January 15, 2003

The technology earnings season is off to a mixed start, with leading chipmaker Intel reporting a fourth-quarter profit that beat Wall Street expectations, but also adopting a largely conservative outlook for 2003. The company said net income in the quarter was $1 billion, almost double fourth-quarter 2001 levels of $504 million.

Gateway: Promotions Will Not Save Holiday Season
January 08, 2003

Gateway has revealed that its fourth-quarter earnings will not meet expectations because a flurry of promotional offers, including a first-ever two-for-one offer on PCs, failed to lift sales to sufficient levels. The company said it expects to book sales of $1.06 billion, well short of its earlier estimate of $1.2 billion.

IPO Hopefuls Bid Good Riddance to 2002
January 03, 2003

The National Venture Capital Association has made official what most observers already knew: 2002 was a dismal year for initial public offerings, with just 22 venture-backed companies debuting in U.S. stock markets. Those firms raised a collective $1.9 billion. In comparison, 35 companies held IPOs in 2001, raising a total of $2.8 billion.

Oracle Beats Estimates; Says Worst Is Over
December 19, 2002

The number two software supplier Oracle said Wednesday it had beaten its own conservative quarterly estimates and indicated the company's financial downturn may be coming to an end.

Stocks That Rocked in 2002
December 03, 2002

With the stock market wobbling unsteadily toward the 2002 finish line, producing gains that are modest at best and nonexistent at worst, good investments are few and far between. Even so, a few savvy investors have found high performers amid the carnage.

Tech Stocks for the Long Haul
November 22, 2002

Wall Street has battered tech stocks for more than a year, so one might think the Nasdaq would be littered with bargains. But recent gains in the tech sector have wiped away many of the best opportunities, according to analysts. Even so, some gems still sparkle amid the wreckage in software, semiconductors and even telecom.

HP Exceeds Wall Street Expectations
November 21, 2002

Lifted by its printing and imaging success and by cost-cutting measures associated with its $19 billion merger with Compaq, Hewlett-Packard reported that it earned $390 million on $18 billion in revenue in its fourth quarter ended October 31st.

Is Pessimism the Key to Stock Growth?
November 15, 2002

The stock market rally that Microsoft sparked by smashing through its first-quarter revenue and earnings targets had barely started to take hold when CEO Steve Ballmer began telling audiences that the results were an aberration. Is the company trying to lower the bar for itself?

BroadVision at the Crossroads
November 12, 2002

In the last two years, BroadVision's revenues have collapsed, and its market cap has shrunk. Even after a year of aggressive cost cutting, the company's third-quarter results showed continuing losses. Is the company on its last legs, or has its repositioning strategy put it on the road to recovery?

Free Shipping Pays Off: Amazon Sales Rise 33 Percent
October 25, 2002

E-tail giant Amazon.com said sales grew 33 percent year-over-year to $851 million in the third quarter, fueled by its free shipping offer in the United States and by dramatic expansion in overseas sales. Amazon's net loss shrunk to $35 million from $170 million in the same quarter in 2001.

Microsoft Says Q1 Sales Not Sustainable
October 21, 2002

After beating analysts' expectations with a surprise profit of $2.71 billion in its first fiscal quarter, software giant Microsoft acknowledged over the weekend that a repeat performance in the coming year is not likely.