BackHP slashes outlook, spends on services overhaul
HP slashes outlook, spends on services overhaul
Premium
New York: Hewlett-Packard Co slashed its 2011 profit forecast as it prepares to spend heavily to revamp a troubled corporate services division.
Chief executive Leo Apotheker, who took the helm in September, blamed the division’s “missed opportunities" under his predecessor Mark Hurd.
Apotheker vowed on Tuesday to revamp the division to focus on consulting, cloud computing and higher-margin businesses, and away from less profitable endeavors such as computer maintenance.
HP also trimmed its sales forecast for the second straight quarter, sending its shares down 9% to its lowest level since June 2009.
The expansion in services comes as the global PC industry is under siege from the growing popularity of mobile devices such as Apple Inc’s iPad.
HP’s sales of PCs in the second quarter slid 5% to $9.4 billion.
“It sounds like Hurd took too many costs out of (the services) business and didn’t reinvest in positioning it in cloud and other things," said Cross Research analyst Shannon Cross. “Leo is doing that now."
The sluggish industry-wide consumer PC market plus the lingering supply impact of Japan’s earthquake are expected to hurt the world’s largest technology company’s profits for the rest of the year.
Apotheker indirectly blamed the services unit’s problems on Hurd, who left the company in August amid allegations of sexual harassment.
HP acquired the division when it bought Electronic Data Systems in 2008, adding services ranging from help-desk support for personal computers to advising corporations on rebuilding their data centers to take advantage of new “cloud computing" technologies.
Cloud computing refers to the use of Web-based servers to deliver a range of services to large businesses and organizations.
Apotheker said that business had failed to expand quickly enough into more profitable services such as consulting, where it competes with IBM and Oracle Corp Accenture.
“We are missing significant market opportunities," Apotheker said in an interview with Reuters.
Taking it Seriously
In a signal that HP intends a serious expansion of the services division, Apotheker also stripped the group’s previous manager of responsibility and put the arm under the direct control of HP veteran Ann Livermore—who heads up the enterprise division—until a new chief can be found.
He also plans to hire more people to shore up the consulting business. Apotheker wants to boost earnings by pushing into sectors such as cloud computing, which for HP involves helping companies to revamp their data centers. Investors are looking for signs of progress on that strategy.
“HP has been known historically for consistency," said Gleacher & Co analyst Brian Marshall. “Now they are known for inconsistency."
The spending on services may have to be offset by tight cost control elsewhere. It comes as HP grapples with newfound competition in the server market from Cisco Systems Inc and Oracle Corp, limp consumer spending on PCs, and the expansion into cloud computing.
“We will manage our costs very prudently ..., including our salary costs," Apotheker said. “We want to create enough resources to expand our business."
The company is not planning any job cuts but will watch its headcount, he added.
HP cut its outlook for full-year profit, excluding items, to “at least $5.00 per share" from a previous “$5.20 to $5.28." It also cut its full year revenue outlook to $129 billion to $130 billion from a previous $130 billion to $131.5 billion.
Revenue in the fiscal second quarter ended 30 April rose to $31.63 billion, up 3% from the previous year and slightly above the average estimate of $31.52 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Strength in the quarter was driven by its commercial and enterprise businesses as businesses continued to spend on technology.
The company reported net income of $2.3 billion, or $1.05 a share, up from $2.2 billion, or 91 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items, HP earned $1.24 a share, better than the average analyst estimate of $1.21 a share.
Its shares were down 9% at $36.15 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
