Despite these challenging economic times, there are some companies who simply refuse to feel the pinch. Take HP, for example. The second largest personal computer manufacture in the world has just reported that it has achieved some solid sales figures for laptops in its fourth quarter, which has led to a net profit of $8.3 billion, a figure that is vast in itself, but which is 15 per cent up on the previous year.
This all comes in stark contrast to the huge number of companies out there who are either going to the government to beg for emergency loans or simply going bankrupt.
In other figures released by the company, the $2.1 billion net profit in the fourth quarter was down 2 per cent on the previous year’s fourth quarter, suggesting that things are not all rosy. However, revenue for the full 2008 fiscal year was $118.4 billion, a 3 per cent increase on the previous year. All this has led to earnings per share of $1.03 in the fourth quarter, which is up from the $1 expected by analysts.
Mark Hurd, the chairman and chief executive of HP, said that “These results demonstrate our ability to execute in a challenging market”, and that he was “confident in HP’s ability to gain share, expand earnings, and emerge from the current environment as a stronger force in the marketplace”.
But the real story is with the huge laptop sales. Whereas the revenue from desktop sales actually declined by 2 per cent, the revenue from laptops rocketed by 21 per cent.
This all seems to confirm the pattern that no matter what economic storm clouds are gathering, people simply will not allow a recession to get in the way of them and their laptops. Constant access to a laptop is becoming an increasingly common demand, and my guess is that the directors at HP will be getting in extra large turkeys this Christmas to celebrate.
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Doesn’t come as a suprise, HP PCs are lot more desirable than others. Have you seen the latest touch smart PCs? They are just awesome. Anyways HP Laptops are the only ones with finger recognition.
Uhmm no…I dont think so. Lenovo and Toshiba have used it also. (fingerprint reader). Over time I have seen a quality decline in HP. I have worked on newer laptops with the quickplay and they seem to be made of cheap glossy plastic. I might check out their netbook with the discounts going on. Other then that beware of fine print with HP.
HP laptops are very splendid and wonderful I would love to have one, especially the ‘touch screen’. Neichy