Feb 01 2008

Exxon, Chevron Post Record Profits

Exxon, Chevron Post Record ProfitsHouston, Texas — Feb 01, `08 — Beating its own record to rack up the largest annual corporate profit in American history, Exxon Mobil said Friday it earned $40.6 billion for the year, reaping the benefits of crude-oil prices around $100 a barrel.

Exxon Mobil also topped its own record for profit in a single quarter, posting net income of $11.7 billion for the final three months of the year — about $1 billion more than the same period in 2005, the previous quarterly record.

The annual profit was enough, at $3 a gallon, to buy nearly four 15-gallon fill-ups for the roughly 243 million registered passenger vehicles on American roads. Put another way, it’s almost equal to what Microsoft has offered to buy Yahoo outright.

Chevron, No. 2 behind Exxon Mobil among U.S. oil companies, also had its best year ever in 2007, saying Friday that it banked a profit of $18.7 billion.

The backlash against the oil industry, which has periodically intensified as gasoline prices have risen in recent years, was predictably swift on Friday.

One advocacy group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, called the profits “unjustifiable.” Some politicians said Congress should rescind the tax breaks awarded two years ago to encourage oil companies to boost their investments in the United States and increase domestic production.

“Congratulations to Exxon Mobil and Chevron — for reminding Americans why they cringe every time they pull into a gas station,” said Senator Charles Schumer, Democrat of New York.


Dec 17 2007

Adobe Q4 Profit Up 21 pct on Demand for Creative Suite

Adobe Q4 Profit Up 21 pct on Demand for Creative SuiteSAN JOSE, Calif — Dec 17, `07 — Adobe Systems today reported financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Nov 30, `07.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, Adobe achieved record revenue of $911.2 million, compared to $682.2 million reported for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006 and $851.7 million reported in the third quarter of fiscal 2007. This represents 34 percent year-over-year revenue growth. Adobe’s fourth quarter revenue target range was $860 to $890 million.

Adobe benefited from global demand for Creative Suite 3, which includes software for editing photos, designing Web sites and creating video. Chief Executive Officer Shantanu Narayen, who took over from Bruce Chizen this month, predicted first- quarter earnings that topped estimates, and reaffirmed a forecast for 13 percent sales growth in 2008.

Adobe Reports Record Annual Revenue in Fiscal Year 2007
In fiscal year 2007, Adobe achieved record revenue of $3.158 billion, compared to $2.575 billion in fiscal 2006. On a year-over-year basis, annual revenue grew 23 percent. More at Adobe.


Nov 29 2007

Dell Reports Revenue of $15.6 Billion in Q3; Net Income Jumps 27%

Dell Reports Revenue of $15.6 Billion in Q3; Net Income Jumps 27%Round Rock, Texas — November 29, 2007 — Dell today reported results for its third quarter of fiscal year 2008, with revenue up nine percent year-over-year to a record $15.6 billion, operating income up 13 percent to $829 million and earnings per share of $0.34, a 26 percent increase over the prior year.

Cash from operations totaled $1 billion, while cash and marketable securities at the end of the quarter were $14.6 billion. The company plans to resume its share repurchase program in early December.

“We embarked this year on a long-term strategy to re-ignite growth and our Q3 results indicate we’re making solid progress through investments in five key business priorities – consumer, emerging countries, notebooks, enterprise and small/medium business,” said Michael Dell, chairman and CEO.

“Initiatives to simplify IT will drive innovation across all industries, creating new value for customers and shareholders. For consumers we will continue to launch products that set the bar for design, personalization, and price performance – and we will make them available in more places than ever before.”

Third Quarter

Year to Date

(in millions, except share data)

FY’08

FY’07

Change

FY’08

FY’07

Change

Revenue $15,646 $14,419 9% $45,144 $42,950 5%
Operating Income $829 $734 13% $2,664 $2,243 19%
Net Income $766 $601 27% $2,268 $1,857 22%
EPS $0.34 $0.27 26% $1.00 $0.82 22%


Key Business Priorities

  • Consumer:  While revenue for Dell’s U.S. Consumer business declined six percent, the business segment made strong progress against key initiatives, including new product design, channels, product personalization and mobility. Consumers will be able to buy Dell products in nearly 10,000 stores including Gome, China’s largest consumer electronics retailer, and Staples’ 1,400 stores across the U.S. During the quarter, Dell closed the acquisition of ZING Systems Inc., a consumer technology and services company focused on always-connected audio and entertainment devices.
  • Emerging Countries:  China, Brazil and India registered strong unit growth of 26, 30 and 42 percent, respectively. Combined Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) revenue growth during the quarter was 32 percent. The company plans to continue its initiative of tailoring solutions to meet specific regional needs, enhancing partner relationships to provide customer choice and flexibility, and expansion into these and other emerging countries that represent 85 percent of the world’s population.
  • Notebooks:  Notebooks are expected to grow at six times the rate of desktop systems for the next several years, and Dell plans to increase the speed with which it introduces new products, while lowering costs and tailoring mobile devices for specific customer segments. The Dell XPS M1330 notebook was labeled a “dream machine” in Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2007 issue earlier this month.
  • Enterprise:  Dell unveiled multiple products and marketing initiatives to help customers simplify IT. These included new virtualization technologies that embed Citrix’s XenServer on future PowerEdge servers, allowing customers to install and manage virtual machines almost immediately upon start up. On Demand Desktop Streaming will simplify desktop administration and management by combining all the benefits of traditional thin clients with the performance of standard desktops. Dell also completed the acquisition of Silverback Technologies, growing its Software As A Service (SaaS) IT monitoring and management capabilities.
  • Small/Medium Business:  New products for the SMB market included the PowerVault MD3000i which simplifies storage consolidation. In this, the fastest growing segment of the storage market – iSCSI, Dell also announced the planned acquisition of EqualLogic.

More at Dell.


Nov 19 2007

HP 4Q Profit Jumps 28 Percent

HP 4Q Profit Jumps 28 PercentPALO ALTO, Calif –BUSINESS WIRE– Nov 19, ‘07 — HP today announced financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31, 2007, with net revenue of $28.3 billion, up 15% from a year earlier and up 11% when adjusted for the effects of currency.

Hewlett-Packard Co., the biggest personal-computer maker, forecast sales and profit that beat analysts’ estimates after extending its lead over Dell.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd, who cut 15,000 jobs and closed offices to buoy profit since taking over in 2005, is winning sales of PCs, printers, software and server computers. The company, whose stock reached a seven-year high this month, said today it will buy back as much as $8 billion in shares.

Fourth-quarter net income rose 28 percent to $2.16 billion, or 81 cents a share, from $1.7 billion, or 60 cents, a year earlier, the company said. Excluding some costs, profit was 86 cents a share, exceeding analysts’ estimates for the 11th straight quarter.

Passing IBM
Hurd, 50, has topped his forecasts in each quarter since succeeding Carly Fiorina. He also delivered on a goal to surpass $100 billion in annual sales for the first time, with revenue tallying $104.3 billion for the year. That makes the company the world’s largest maker of computer technology, beating International Business Machines Corp. for the second year.

HP last year overtook Dell as the largest maker of personal computers after three years of lagging behind its Round Rock, Texas-based rival. Hurd has focused on selling laptops and printers in stores and in markets outside the United States, areas where Dell lagged. More at HP.


Nov 05 2007

Sun Microsystems Beats Expectations, Swings to 1Q Profit

Sun MicrosystemsSan Francisco, CA — Nov 05, ‘07 — Sun Microsystems delivered strong quarterly results today as it continued to benefit from its corporate restructuring and stronger sales of high-end computers.

Net income in the company’s fiscal first quarter was $89 million, or 3 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $56 million, or 2 cents per share, in the year-earlier period. Revenue advanced to $3.22 billion from $3.19 billion. Net income included $113 million, or 3 cents per share, of restructuring charges. Analysts, on average, had expected revenue of $3.26 billion.

Sun Micro, based in Santa Clara, California, said its gross profit margin increased 5 percentage points to 48.5 percent from the year-earlier period. Sun, led by Chief Executive Jonathan Schwartz, has been staging a recovery by changing its product line, selling server computers powered by chips from Advanced Micro Devices and Intel, among other moves. It has also cut about 4,000 jobs in the past year.

The company benefited from strength in its high-end systems lineup, Schwartz said in a statement, as well as growth in subscription-based identity management software and greater adoption of its Solaris 10 operating system.

After enjoying a long run as one of the fastest-growing Silicon Valley companies through most of the 1980s and 1990s, Sun saw its market share — and its stock — tumble with the dot-com bust. Until turning itself around last year, the company had five consecutive quarters of losses.

“We showed continued execution and operating discipline and delivered a very solid first quarter with continued revenue growth, profitability and gross margin expansion,” said Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems. “We saw particular strength in our high-end systems lineup, good growth in our subscription-based identity management software offerings, and even more adoption and momentum behind the award-winning open source Solaris 10 Operating System and our virtualization offerings. Growth remains our top priority for fiscal 2008 as we look to capitalize on our UltraSPARC T2 servers, delivering outstanding Solaris and Linux performance with extreme energy efficiency.”

More at Sun Micro.


Nov 02 2007

Dell Regains Compliance with Nasdaq Listing Requirements

DellRound Rock, TX–November 1, ’07–Dell has received a letter from the Board of Directors of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC confirming that the company has regained compliance with all NASDAQ listing requirements by reason of its recent filing of past due periodic reports. Accordingly, the company’s securities will continue to be listed on NASDAQ. 

The company also has launched its first online interactive year-in-review, which can be found at www.dell.com/fy07yearinreview. The new year-in-review site features videos and Flash microsites that describe the company’s products, services, milestones and impact around the world. More at Dell.


Oct 29 2007

Verizon 3Q Net Down But Sales Increase 5.8% on Wireless, FiOS

Verizon LogoVerizon said on Monday its third quarter profit fell but revenue rose on growth in its wireless venture and higher high-speed Internet subscriptions. The second-biggest U.S. phone company posted net income of $1.27 billion, or 44 cents per share, compared with $1.92 billion, or 66 cents a share, a year earlier. 

New York, NY–October 29, ‘07–Verizon today reported another strong quarter of financial and operational results.  Verizon Wireless continued its record of industry-leading profitability, Verizon Telecom reported accelerating sales of FiOS TV, and Verizon Business increased overall sales and sales of strategic services. 

Verizon reported third-quarter 2007 earnings of 44 cents in fully diluted earnings per share (EPS).  This compares with third-quarter 2006 earnings of 53 cents per share before income from discontinued operations that have since been sold or divested. 

Verizon’s total operating revenues grew 5.8 percent to $23.8 billion, compared with the third quarter 2006.  Operating revenues grew 6.0 percent on an adjusted basis (non-GAAP).  Verizon’s total operating expenses increased 3.4 percent to $19.6 billion, compared with the third quarter 2006.  Operating expenses increased 3.5 percent on an adjusted basis (non-GAAP). 

Verizon Wireless:  

-Added 1.8 million retail net customer
-Total customers (retail and wholesale) increased to 63.7 million
 

Verizon FiOS: 

-Added a net of 202,000 new FiOS TV customers
-The company has 717,000 FiOS TV customers in total
-Verizon has more than 1.5 million video customers
-Added a net of 285,000 new broadband connections (DSL and FiOS Internet connections combined)
-Broadband connections totaled 8.0 million
-Added a net of 229,000 FiOS Internet connections in 3Q, total: 1.3 million
 

More at Verizon


Oct 25 2007

XM Satellite Loss Widens, Revenue Rises 20%

Tag: Financial Results, Music, Satellite Radio, TechLuver, XMJack @ 3:42 PM

XM Satellite RadioRed ink is flowing at XM Satellite Radio on the eve of its proposed merger with Sirius Satellite Radio as expenses grew faster than revenue during the third quarter.

The Federal Communications Commission is expected to rule any day on the proposed acquisition of XM by Gotham-based Sirius Satellite Radio. Among XM’s expenses for the quarter were $500,000 spent on lobbying for the deal, and $8 million paid to outgoing CEO Hugh Panero.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. today announced earnings for the three-month period ended September 30, 2007. Revenue for the 2007 third quarter increased approximately 20 percent year over year to $287 million compared to $240 million in the 2006 third quarter.

XM ended the 2007 third quarter with approximately 8.57 million subscribers compared to approximately 7.19 million subscribers in the prior year period.

“During the third quarter, XM achieved year-over-year gains in both gross and net subscriber additions, despite weakness at retail, driven primarily by a record number of new automotive subscribers,” said Nate Davis, president and chief executive officer, XM Satellite Radio. “We’re already seeing the early results of the ramp in production of XM-equipped vehicles, which will provide XM with sustained subscriber growth for 2008 and beyond.”

Davis continued, “We remain optimistic that our deal to merge with Sirius will close by the end of this year. In the meantime, we continue to work with the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to further demonstrate that this merger is in the public interest and should be approved.”

For the third quarter of 2007, adjusted operating loss (formerly adjusted EBITDA) was $47 million compared to a loss of $2 million in the same period of 2006. The 2007 third quarter adjusted operating loss includes $9 million in expenses related to the company’s pending merger with Sirius Satellite Radio. XM’s 2007 third quarter net loss was $145 million compared to the 2006 third quarter net loss of $84 million. For a reconciliation of XM’s net loss to adjusted operating loss, see the attached financial schedules.

In the 2007 third quarter, XM recorded gross subscriber additions of 952 thousand and net subscriber additions of 315 thousand compared to 868 thousand gross additions and 286 thousand net subscriber additions in the 2006 third quarter.

More at XM


Oct 25 2007

Motorola 3Q Profit Drops Sharply But Outlook Better

Tag: Cellphones, Financial Results, Motorola, PDAs, TechLuverJack @ 3:15 PM

MotorolaThird-quarter profit still fell 94 percent as the company lost mobile phone market share in Asia. But Motorola’s shares rose as much as 5 percent as investors took heart from the results, which came after two quarters of losses.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – 25 October 2007 – Motorola today reported sales of $8.8 billion for the third quarter of 2007. The GAAP earnings from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2007 were $0.02 per share, which includes net charges of $0.04 per share related to charges associated with previously announced workforce reductions and a write-down of intangible assets.

“We are pleased with the improvement in the financial performance of mobile devices and we look forward to building upon the progress we have made,” said Ed Zander, chairman and chief executive officer.  “We have strengthened our leadership position in broadband video, WiMAX, next generation government and public safety and the enterprise mobility markets. With our focus on these key opportunities and the initiatives we are taking in mobile devices we will further improve our performance and create long-term shareholder value.” 
  
“During the third quarter, we maintained our focus on increasing cash flow, enhancing profitability and driving growth,” said Tom Meredith, chief financial officer. “We are beginning to see improvements in our cash conversion cycle and operating cash flow which will lead to increased financial flexibility.”

Motorola has been losing market share to the largest mobile phone maker Nokia and to Samsung, which took Motorola’s No. 2 ranking in the second quarter. It also faces competition from Apple’s iPhone.

The handset business posted an operating loss of $138 million compared with a profit of $843 million in the year ago quarter. Mobile phone revenue fell 36 percent to $4.5 billion. Motorola shipped 37.2 million cell phones in the quarter, giving it an estimated market share of about 13 percent.

While it lost market share in the Asia Pacific region, including India, it regained its lead in Latin America and kept its lead in North America, executives said. More at Motorola


Oct 25 2007

Microsoft 1Q Net Jumps 23% On Vista, Halo 3

MicrosoftMicrosoft Reports 27% Revenue Growth; Fastest First Quarter Since 1999.

REDMOND, Wash–October 25, 2007–Microsoft Corp. said first-quarter earnings rose 23 percent, exceeding analysts’ estimates, and raised its forecasts for this year on sales of the new versions of Windows, Office System and the “Halo 3” video game.

The company said net income increased to $4.29 billion, or 45 cents a share. Sales advanced 27 percent to $13.8 billion, beating projections by more than $1 billion.

Microsoft, the world’s biggest software maker, brought in $300 million in one week from “Halo 3″, the latest installment of its flagship shooter franchise, in its first week of sales after its Sept. 25 debut, double some analysts’ estimates.

More computer makers installed the pricier versions of the new Windows Vista program on their machines. Sales of Windows for personal computers jumped 25 percent and Xbox almost doubled, putting both units ahead of Microsoft’s forecasts in the first quarter.

The holiday quarter is a crucial one for Microsoft as it aims to spur adoption of new computers running its latest Windows Vista operating system. Its entertainment arm also counts on the December quarter generating twice as much revenue as any other quarter of the year.

More detailed results at Microsoft


Oct 25 2007

Sony 2Q Profits Up Sharply, Despite Trouble Selling PlayStation 3

Sony 2Q Profits Up Sharply, Despite Trouble Selling PlayStation 3Sony PlayStation 3Tokyo, Japan–October 25, ‘07–Sharply higher quarterly profits at Sony offer the latest sign that cost-cutting and disposal of non-core businesses have set the once-ailing Japanese electronics and entertainment giant firmly on a recovery course.

Sony said today that net profit in the three months ended Sept. 30 jumped almost 43-fold from last year to 73.7 billion yen, or $646.7 million. The company said robust sales of digital cameras, flat-panel televisions and other consumer electronics more than offset losses at its video-games unit, which has been hurt by disappointing sales of its new PlayStation 3 console. For the fiscal half overall, Sony posted a $1.23 billion profit, about three times a year earlier. First half sales climbed 12.8 percent to $35.61 billion.

The major sore spot in Sony’s results was in its game unit, where red ink worsened from a year earlier, partly because of losses related to its PlayStation 3 home console. The machine has been struggling against Nintendo’s Wii.

Sony, the entertainment and electronics company behind Walkman portable players and “Spider-Man” movies, has been restructuring in recent years to regain profitability in its core electronics operations, which includes televisions and digital cameras.

Sales in the gaming unit rose 42.9 percent, boosted by sales of the PlayStation 3, which hit stores last year. But losses in that division deepened to $848.2 million as Sony continued to sell the games for less than it cost to produce them. Sony hopes the unit will be profitable by the fiscal year ending March 2009, said Chief Financial Officer Nobuyuki Oneda.

The company sold 1.3 million PS3s during the second quarter for a total of 5.6 million so far worldwide. In contrast, Nintendo said Thursday that it has sold 13.2 million units worldwide of the Wii, which launched about the same time as the PS3.

Sony has been banking on a resurgence in its TV business, where it fell behind rivals in flat-panel TVs. It now makes them jointly with Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea. But it booked a slight loss from its liquid-crystal display venture with Samsung and acknowledged its TV operations were in the red for the fiscal first half. More detailed results at Sony (in pdf)


Oct 25 2007

Nintendo’s H1 Profit Doubles on Success of Wii, DS Games

Nintendo LogoNintendo WiiTOKYO, Japan–October 25, ‘07–Nintendo said Thursday profits more than doubled in the six months to Sept. 30 on the roaring success of its hit Wii and Nintendo DS game consoles.

The Japanese manufacturer of Pokemon and Super Mario games said its group net profit surged to 132.42 billion yen ($1.16 billion) in its fiscal first half from 54.35 billion a year earlier. Group sales also more than doubled to 694.80 billion yen ($6.07 billion) from 298.82 billion yen, with 78% of sales booked overseas.

The strong results spurred Nintendo to raise its profit forecast for the year through March to 275 billion yen ($2.40 billion), up from the 245 billion yen it forecast in July. Sales are forecast to rise 10% to 1.55 trillion ($13.55 billion). The earnings underline the Kyoto-based company’s success in a three-way battle of video game consoles against Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Nintendo’s U.S. arm is based in Redmond, Wash., as is Microsoft.

With its wandlike remote control for fishing, golfing, tennis and other video games, Nintendo’s Wii console has won over fans from young children to elderly rehab patients. Nintendo has announced a further lineup of Wii accessories: a floor pad for exercise and dancing, a steering wheel for driving games and a gun-shaped “zapper” for shooting.

The company shipped about 3.9 million Wii units around the world in the last three months, according to numbers announced Thursday, bringing the total since its launch last year to 13.2 million units — 5.5 million in North America, 3.7 million in Japan and 4.0 million elsewhere. Nintendo said it expects to sell a total of 17.5 million Wiis during the fiscal year.

Nintendo has already sold 53.6 million DS consoles, and sales are still strong. Unit sales in the last six months — 13.35 million units — rose 32% from the same period last year. The company said it expected to sell 28 million DS units in the year ending March.


Oct 23 2007

AT&T Delivers Strong 3Q Results Helped By Growth in its Wireless Business

Tag: AT&T, Financial Results, TechLuverJack @ 5:23 AM
  • AT&T Delivers Strong 3Q Results Helped By Growth in its Wireless Business$0.50 reported earnings per diluted share compared with $0.56 in the year-earlier third quarter
  • $0.71 adjusted earnings per diluted share, up 12.7 percent from $0.63 in the third quarter of 2006
  • Continued revenue growth ramp: $30.1 billion reported operating revenues, compared with $15.6 billion in the year-earlier third quarter; pro forma revenue growth of 3.2 percent, up from 2.0 percent year-over-year growth in the second quarter of this year
  • 2.0 million net gain in wireless subscribers to reach 65.7 million in service
  • 14.4 percent wireless revenue growth with wireless data revenues up 63.9 percent
  • Wireless operating income margin of 18.0 percent reported, 26.4 percent adjusted; 39.1 percent adjusted wireless OIBDA service margin, up from 35.6 percent in the year-earlier quarter
  • Further advances in enterprise customer revenues driven by a 21.6 percent increase in Internet Protocol (IP) data revenues: year-over-year growth in recurring enterprise service revenues, second consecutive quarter of sequential growth in total and recurring enterprise revenues
  • 126,000 U-verseSMTV subscribers in service, up from 51,000 three months earlier; total video subscribers, including satellite and AT&T U-verse, up 215,000 in the third quarter to reach 2.1 million

SAN ANTONIO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AT&T today posted strong third-quarter results and delivered its tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in adjusted earnings per share. Results included an increase in wireless subscribers of 2.0 million, further advances in enterprise business trends and accelerated expansion of AT&Ts next-generation TV service.

We delivered an excellent third quarter, said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer. Revenue growth continues to ramp, merger integration is on track, adjusted earnings and free cash flow are both strong.

At AT&T, our goal is to connect people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and do it better than anyone else, Stephenson said. We have assembled great assets and alliances to help us deliver on this vision. And across our business were innovating and working aggressively to give customers more choice about how, when and where they communicate.

Our results show the benefit of these efforts, Stephenson continued. Wireless subscriber gains stepped up dramatically. Our enterprise business has greatly improved momentum. Broadband growth is solid. And our AT&T U-verse TV install rate already approaches our year-end target of 10,000 per week.

Improved Revenue Growth

AT&T reported third-quarter revenues of $30.1 billion, up from $15.6 billion in the year-earlier quarter, prior to its Dec. 29, 2006 acquisition of BellSouth Corporation and the accompanying consolidation of wireless results.

In addition to reported results, to provide a further basis for comparison, AT&T provides pro forma results, which combine revenues from AT&T, BellSouth and Cingular Wireless consistently for all periods. On this basis, AT&T’s third-quarter 2007 revenues totaled $30.3 billion, up 3.2 percent versus results for the year-earlier quarter. This increase is up from year-over-year growth of 2.0 percent in the second quarter of 2007 and 1.7 percent in the quarter before that. Sequentially, versus the second quarter of this year, pro forma revenues were up 1.8 percent.

This ramp in revenue growth was driven by AT&Ts double-digit increase in wireless revenues along with improved trends in enterprise services. In addition, AT&Ts regional business revenues delivered continued solid growth, and regional consumer revenues were up modestly. These results more than offset anticipated declines in revenues from wholesale and national mass market customers.

Double-Digit Growth in Adjusted Earnings Per Share

AT&Ts reported net income for the third quarter totaled $3.1 billion compared with $2.2 billion in the year-earlier quarter. Reported earnings per diluted share totaled $0.50 versus $0.56 in the third quarter of 2006.

More at BusinessWire


Oct 22 2007

AmEx Q3 Profit Up 10% On Higher Spending by Cardholders

Tag: Amex, Financial Results, TechLuverJack @ 3:35 PM

American ExpressNew York - October 22, 2007 - American Express Company today reported third quarter income from continuing operations of $1.1 billion, up 15 percent from $934 million a year ago. Diluted earnings per share were $0.90, up 18 percent from $0.76. As previously disclosed, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its international banking subsidiary, American Express Bank Ltd.(AEB). Net income, which includes AEB within discontinued operations, totaled $1.1 billion for the quarter, up 10 percent from $967 million a year ago. On a per share basis, net income was $0.90, up 14 percent from $0.79.

“Our strong earnings growth this quarter reflected a 16 percent rise in combined spending by consumers, small businesses and corporate Cardmembers. Investments that expanded our service, rewards and loyalty programs helped to add 2.5 million cards during the quarter while also generating excellent spending increases from existing Cardmembers,” said Kenneth Chenault, chairman and chief executive.

More at AmericanExpress (in pdf)


Oct 22 2007

Apple Q4 Profit Jumps 67% On Strong Mac Sales

Apple LogoApple Inc beat Wall Street targets with a 67 percent rise in quarterly profit on Monday, led by strong sales of its Macintosh computers and a big first full quarter from the iPhone, sending its shares up nearly 6 percent.

CUPERTINO, California—October 22, 2007—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2007 fourth quarter ended September 29, 2007. The Company posted revenue of $6.22 billion and net quarterly profit of $904 million, or $1.01 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $4.84 billion and net quarterly profit of $542 million, or $.62 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 33.6 percent, up from 29.2 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 40 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

Apple shipped 2,164,000 Macintosh® computers, representing 34 percent growth over the year-ago quarter and exceeding the previous quarterly record for Mac® shipments by 400,000. The Company sold 10,200,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 17 percent growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone™ sales were 1,119,000, bringing cumulative fiscal 2007 sales to 1,389,000.

“We are very pleased to have generated over $24 billion in revenue and $3.5 billion in net income in fiscal 2007,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re looking forward to a strong December quarter as we enter the holiday season with Apple’s best products ever.”

“Apple ended the fiscal year with $15.4 billion in cash and no debt,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the first quarter of fiscal 2008, we expect revenue of about $9.2 billion and earnings per diluted share of about $1.42.”

More at Apple


Oct 18 2007

Google 3Q Profit Soars 46 Percent

Tag: Financial Results, Google, TechLuverJack @ 1:59 PM

Google LogoMOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - October 18, 2007 - Google Inc. today announced financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.

“We are very pleased with the impressive growth we experienced across our business,” said Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. “Our core search advertising business experienced continued momentum driven by growth in monetization and traffic, and we are creating a wider and deeper ads system through our focus on innovation, bringing more ad formats to our advertisers. Our efforts to offer more products and services in international markets as well as effectively grow our technology infrastructure and add to our deep talent base during the quarter helped to deliver growth by enabling Google to reach more users around the world.”

Q3 Financial Summary

Google reported revenues of $4.23 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, an increase of 57% compared to the third quarter of 2006 and an increase of 9% compared to the second quarter of 2007. Google reports its revenues, consistent with GAAP, on a gross basis without deducting traffic acquisition costs, or TAC. In the third quarter of 2007, TAC totaled $1.22 billion, or 29% of advertising revenues.

Revenues - Google reported revenues of $4.23 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, representing a 57% increase over third quarter 2006 revenues of $2.69 billion and a 9% increase over second quarter 2007 revenues of $3.87 billion. Google reports its revenues, consistent with GAAP, on a gross basis without deducting TAC.

Operating Income - GAAP operating income in the third quarter of 2007 was $1.32 billion, or 31% of revenues. This compares to GAAP operating income of $1.10 billion, or 29% of revenues, in the second quarter of 2007. Non-GAAP operating income in the third quarter of 2007 was $1.52 billion, or 36% of revenues. This compares to non-GAAP operating income of $1.35 billion, or 35% of revenues, in the second quarter of 2007.

Net Income - GAAP net income for the third quarter of 2007 was $1.07 billion as compared to $925 million in the second quarter of 2007. Non-GAAP net income was $1.24 billion in the third quarter of 2007, compared to $1.12 billion in the second quarter of 2007. GAAP EPS for the third quarter of 2007 was $3.38 on 317 million diluted shares outstanding, compared to $2.93 for the second quarter of 2007, on 315 million diluted shares outstanding. Non-GAAP EPS for the third quarter of 2007 was $3.91, compared to $3.56 in the second quarter of 2007.

More at Google


Oct 16 2007

IBM’s 3Q Earnings Rise 6 Percent

Tag: Financial Results, IBM, TechLuverJack @ 11:29 PM

IBM LogoARMONK, NY - 16 Oct 2007: IBM today announced third-quarter 2007 diluted earnings of $1.68 per share from continuing operations compared with diluted earnings of $1.45 per share in the third quarter of 2006, an increase of 16 percent as reported. Third- quarter income from continuing operations was $2.4 billion compared with $2.2 billion in the third quarter of 2006, an increase of 6 percent. Total revenues for the third quarter of 2007 of $24.1 billion increased 7 percent (3 percent, adjusting for currency) from the third quarter of 2006.

Chief Financial Officer Mark Loughridge told analysts the company experienced a slowdown with financial services customers in September, but that analysts’ fourth-quarter target of 15 percent earnings per share growth was ‘reasonable.’ IBM shares fell 1.2 percent after the company reported Tuesday that its third-quarter profit was $2.36 billion, or $1.68 per share. That surpassed the profit of $2.22 billion and $1.45 per share that IBM posted in the same quarter of 2006.

As in several previous quarters, IBM leveraged stock repurchases to achieve hefty gains in earnings per share even with revenue growth in single-digit percentages. In a conference call with analysts, Chief Financial Officer Mark Loughridge noted that earnings per share have risen 16 percent this year, which puts the company ahead of its previous guidance of a 14 percent to 15 percent rise in 2007.

The brightest spot this time was IBM’s services division, where IBM has worked hard to lower expenses in what has traditionally been a labor-intensive field.

More at IBM Press Room


Oct 16 2007

Yahoo Delivers Lower Profit, Wall St Awaits Action From Jerry Yang

Tag: Financial Results, TechLuver, Yahoo!Jack @ 3:47 PM

Yahoo! LogoJerry Yang Yahoo! Co FounderSUNNYVALE, Calif. – October 16, 2007 - Yahoo! Inc. today reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2007. “Over the past three months, we conducted a thorough review of our business and the marketplace. We’ve made key strategic decisions to invest in and grow our large communities of users, advertisers, and publishers. We’ve also made progress in sharpening our focus and improving our execution,” said Jerry Yang, co-founder and chief executive officer, Yahoo! Inc. “Moving forward, we are focused on three big, multi-year objectives: to become the starting point for the most consumers on the Internet; to be the ‘must buy’ for the most advertisers; and to deliver open, industry-leading platforms that attract the most developers. We are executing against our transformation and are excited about playing a leadership role in the large and growing Internet market.”

Yahoo said its third-quarter net profit fell to $151 million, or 11 cents per share, from $158.5 million, or 11 cents per share, in the year-ago period when the company had significantly more shares outstanding. Gross revenue rose 12 percent to $1.77 billion. Excluding the cost of payments to advertising partners, revenue rose 14 percent to $1.28 billion.

Yahoo! Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jerry Yang pledged in July to craft a turnaround strategy in 100 days. Shareholders say they’re still waiting. Yang, 38, replaced Terry Semel as CEO of the owner of the most-visited U.S. Web site in June. Since then, Yang has named a new sales chief, announced four acquisitions, and upgraded Yahoo’s search engine with movies and photographs.

More at Yahoo! PressRoom (in pdf)


Oct 16 2007

Intel Posts Record Third-Quarter Revenue, Quarterly Profit Rises 43 Percent

Tag: Financial Results, Intel, TechLuverJack @ 2:58 PM

Intel Leaps AheadSANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 16, 2007  — Revenue $10.1 Billion, up 15 Percent Year-over-Year; Operating Income $2.2 Billion, up 64 Percent Year-over-Year; Record Microprocessor, Chipset and Flash Unit Shipments Net Income $1.9 Billion; EPS 31 Cents. Those are the highlights of Intel’s Third-Quarter financial results.

“A combination of great products, strong and growing worldwide demand, and operational efficiency from our ongoing restructuring efforts led to record third-quarter revenue and a 64-percent year-over-year gain in operating income,” said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini. “Looking forward, we see each of these elements continuing to improve into the fourth quarter. We are very pleased with the results and optimistic about our business.”

For the current quarter, Intel forecast revenue of $10.5 billion to $11.1 billion and a gross margin of 57 percent, plus or minus a couple of percentage points.

More at Intel Press Release