YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Ahead of the Bell: IBM likely to post stronger 2Q

    Associated Press – Wed, Jul 18, 2012

    NEW YORK (AP) — The uncertain global economy will serve as a challenging backdrop as IBM Corp. reports its quarterly financial results Wednesday.

    IBM is the world's largest technology-services company. Its results provide a gauge of the global business appetite for technology spending.

    Because IBM's earnings often beat Wall Street's expectations, revenue growth tends to be a focus for investors. In the first quarter, the company fell shy of revenue estimates. While software and services revenue increased, its hardware and financing segments saw a decline. IBM has been focusing on its software and services offerings lately, which have higher profit margins.

    Credit Suisse analyst Kulbinder Garcha said that the unsteady economy and increasingly challenging comparisons with last year will likely constrain revenue growth for the second quarter.

    On Tuesday, chipmaker Intel Corp. said the weak global economy is slowing its growth. Earlier this month, Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. lowered lowering its guidance because of weaker-than-expected sales in China and Europe and lackluster demand overall from consumers.

    Analysts, on average, are expecting IBM to report second-quarter earnings of $3.43 per share on revenue of $26.3 billion, according to FactSet. A year earlier, IBM earned $3.66 billion, or $3 per share, on revenue of $26.7 billion.

    Loading...

    More Tech News

     

    News for You »

    • Copper reserves at China's Sicomines in Congo less than hoped

      KINSHASA (Reuters) - Copper reserves at a mine owned by Sicomines, a miner at the centre of a $6 billion resources for infrastructure deal between China and Democratic Republic of Congo, have fallen more than 30 percent short of expectations, a senior Congolese official said. Congo agreed in 2008 to cede mining rights to Sicomines, a joint venture between China's Sinohydro, the China Railway Group Ltd and Congolese miner Gecamines, in exchange for the building of roads, schools, railways, hospitals and dams. ...

    • Cycling-Road-Giro d'Italia points classification after stage 18

      May 23 (Infostrada Sports) - Points Classification Giro d'Italia after Stage 18 on Thursday 1. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) 113 2. Cadel Evans (Australia / BMC Racing) 109 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Astana) 103 4. Carlos Betancur (Colombia / AG2R) 94 5. Mauro Santambrogio (Italy / Vini Fantini) 89 6. Giovanni Visconti (Italy / Movistar) 86 7. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Team Sky) 86 8. Elia Viviani (Italy / Cannondale) 72 9. Ramunas Navardauskas (Lithuania / Garmin) 65 10. Giacomo Nizzolo (Italy / RadioShack) 61

    • No Wonder Republican Criticism of Obama Isn’t Working

      Henny Youngman, the late borscht belt comedian, told hundreds of politically incorrect jokes. One of them was his response when asked, “How’s your wife?” “Compared to what?” he’d say.

    • Trayvon Martin texts, photos: Might they change Zimmerman trial?

      Ultimately, many of the photos and cellphone records of Trayvon Martin released online Thursday by George Zimmerman’s defense attorneys – indicating that the slain teenager smoked marijuana, got into fights at school, and had an interest in, and perhaps access to, guns – may be ruled inadmissible in court. But they are already making the rounds in the court of public opinion, which can influence everything from fundraising efforts to the mind-set of potential jurors in Mr. Zimmerman's murder trial.

    • Early Land Animals Lacked Good Bites

      Tens of millions of years passed between the emergence of land animals and the evolution of an efficient apparatus for munching on the available fare. Karen Hopkin reports.

    • Niger attacks are 'shockwave' of Mali conflict

      By Abdoulaye Massalatchi NIAMEY (Reuters) - French special forces and Niger troops shot dead on Friday the last two Islamists involved in a twin attack on a military base and a French uranium mine in Niger claimed by the mastermind of January's mass hostage-taking in Algeria. Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a one-eyed veteran of al Qaeda's North African operations, said in a statement that his Mulathameen brigade organised Thursday's raids with the MUJWA militant group in retaliation for Niger's role in a French-led war on Islamists in Mali. ...

    • 5.7-magnitude earthquake shakes Northern Calif

      GREENVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A magnitude 5.7 earthquake was widely felt as it rattled Northern California Thursday night, breaking dishes and shaking mirrors off walls. But authorities said there were no immediate reports of injury or serious damage.

    • Michelle Obama vacation: Will critics slam this trip too?

      Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia are looking at an extended vacation on Martha’s Vineyard this summer, according to a report in The Boston Globe. The Globe might have something here – it’s almost a local Vineyard paper, after all.

    Show More
    Loading...

    Follow Yahoo! News