Profit from a Shakeout By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jul 23, 2001 02:41 PM Stocks as a group may well frustrate investors for the next few months. But if past is prologue, today's weakness will translate into tomorrow's strength. You can profit if you pick the most-likely consolidation candidates. "We've seen all this...
CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jul 19, 2001 11:13 AM [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="230"] SCI Systems 52-week stock performance[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="230"] SCI Systems 52-week stock performance[/caption] Sanmina Corp.'s {SANM} purchase of larger rival SCI Systems Inc. {SCI} will create a formidable player in the electronics manufacturing services sector (EMS), but bloated inventories and...
Fund Managers Say: Get Real! By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jul 13, 2001 03:43 PM Sagging markets make this the time for investors to formulate more realistic long-term investment goals rather than shoot for the moon, according to participants at this week's Franklin Templeton fund manager roundtable forum held in Silicon Valley. Earlier...
Analysts Predict i2 Comeback By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jul 9, 2001 11:32 AM i2 Technologies Inc. 52-week stock performance Shares of i2 Technologies Inc. {ITWO} fell 20 percent last week after the company pre-announced a larger-than-expected loss for its fiscal 2001 second quarter ended June 30. But several company watchers from both...
Envision the Tech Rebound By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jun 6, 2001 04:23 PM For months now, most tech stock analysts have been roughly divided into two camps, those who expect to see a rapid V-shaped recovery in stock prices, which some think has already started, and those looking for a slower...
Isis May Hit Psoriasis Pay Dirt By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jun 26, 2001 12:00 PM Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. 5-year stock performance Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. {ISIP} could get more attention from investors after the firm's weekend announcement that it will commence Phase II clinical testing of a new topical ointment for the treatment...
Oracle Under Pressure By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jun 22, 2001 09:05 AM Oracle 52-week stock performance Oracle Corp.'s {ORCL} stock moved up roughly 20 percent this week as investors reacted positively to suggestions from the company that its sales slump may be bottoming out. But even analysts who are positive on the...
PeopleSoft Gaining on Oracle By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jun 19, 2001 03:47 PM PeopleSoft 52-week stock performance Oracle Corp. {ORCL} got all the attention this week, but several analysts think the comparatively stronger performance at rival Internet software maker PeopleSoft Inc. {PSFT} could be the bigger news in the months ahead. Earlier this...
3 Wireless Plays for 2002 By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jun 18, 2001 02:11 PM Several analysts say the wireless sector's recent plunge has opened up attractive buying opportunities at some smaller wireless enabling firms such as 724 Solutions Inc. {SVNX}, Aether Systems Inc. {AETH}, and Openwave Systems Inc. {OPWV}. Given current market...
Intel's Visibility Only Half the Battle By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jun 8, 2001 03:38 PM Investors gave Intel Corp. {INTC} credit this week for accurately predicting the degree to which its business is faltering. That good will won't last long without improved results. On Thursday, Intel held a mid-quarter conference call to...
What's Next for Microsoft? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 30, 2001 03:36 PM Microsoft Corp. 52-week stock performance Microsoft Corp.'s {MSFT, News, Boards} stock has moved up nicely in recent weeks as investors anticipate the launch of new products and fears recede that the company will be broken up as a result...
Expedia, Travelocity Make the Cut By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 25, 2001 03:30 PM Despite earlier concerns, leading financial and industry analysts now say it is increasingly clear that online travel firms Expedia Inc. {EXPE} and Travelocity.com Inc. {TVLY} will be among the handful of Internet operations that will survive, and...
Agile's CEO Speaks By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 24, 2001 03:03 PM Agile Software Corp. {AGIL} was in the spotlight again this week when the company reported pro forma net losses for its 2001 fiscal fourth quarter that met recently revised analyst expectations. On a pro forma basis, Agile's losses came...
TiVo's Future in Question By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 22, 2001 04:00 PM TiVo Inc. 52-week stock performance Most analysts won't be surprised to see TiVo Inc. {TIVO} post slightly lower than originally forecast losses when the company reports first quarter earnings on Thursday. But the agreement about the prospects for the...
Is AMAT Ahead of Itself? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 18, 2001 03:50 PM Like several other leading names in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment group, Applied Materials Inc.'s {AMAT} stock is up significantly off its recent lows. But at least one prominent analyst is warning that if past is prologue, the...
Uncertainty Lingers for Dell By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 17, 2001 08:15 AM Dell Computer Corp.'s {DELL} recent termination of approximately 3000 employees is expected to help the company meet earnings expectations when the firm reports its first quarter performance on Thursday after the market close. But analysts are sharply divided...
Rambus on the Ropes By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 15, 2001 02:00 PM The wild ride for Rambus Inc. {RMBS} shareholders may finally be at an end. A federal jury last week found the Los Altos, California-based memory chip design firm guilty of fraud for drafting memory chip patent claims based on...
No Quick Cisco Fix By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 10, 2001 04:34 PM Cisco Systems 52-week stock performance Like jilted suitors returning to a past love, investors have bid Cisco Systems Inc.'s {CSCO} stock up off the bottom it hit last month in hopes the company will ride out its current difficulties...
B2B Death Exaggerated By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 8, 2001 04:00 PM Experts say a handful of firms selling private trading network software, such as Manugistics Group Inc. {MANU}, Agile Software Corp. {AGIL} and i2 Technologies Inc. {ITWO}, should find themselves in the business-to-business (B2B) sector's sweet spot during the next...
Exodus May Be at Crossroads By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 4, 2001 01:00 PM Exodus Communications 52-week stock performance A handful of optimistic financial analysts are telling investors the worst may now be over for Exodus Communications Inc. {EXDS} shareholders. But several leading industry analysts say they have real doubts about whether...
Siebel's Challenges Grow By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent May 2, 2001 08:15 AM Siebel Systems Siebel Systems Inc.'s {SEBL} stock has doubled over the past month as investors bid it up on the expectation that the company will emerge from the current tech sector shakeout with the winning hand in the online customer...
Mr. Cisco Meet Mr. Avici By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Apr 27, 2001 03:20 PM You probably already know that the economic downturn has been blamed for most of the problems that have depressed the stocks of leading networking equipment suppliers such as Cisco Systems Inc. {CSCO} and Juniper Networks Inc. {JNPR}. What...
Ariba Answers Critics By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Apr 25, 2001 05:00 PM Ariba 52-week stock performance Most experts say don't look for much from Ariba Inc.'s {ARBA} stock over the next few quarters, with some warning that the company's existing product line up might not be enough to assure the firm's long-term...
A Value Manager Names Favorites By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Apr 24, 2001 07:30 AM Successful value investing is all about buying the right stocks and then waiting for the right time to come along, says Bruce Baughman, portfolio manager of the $1.2 billion dollar Franklin Balance Sheet Fund {FRBSX}. Baughman's fund, which...
IBM Still Has Safety Net By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Apr 18, 2001 08:00 AM Investors and corporate customers seeking security in uncertain times are expected to continue to protect International Business Machines Corp.'s {IBM} stock from the steep declines felt elsewhere in the tech sector. IBM reports earnings for its first quarter...
A Potential Biotech Blockbuster By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Apr 13, 2001 08:00 AM ImClone Systems 52-week stock performance Positive preliminary clinical data released this week by ImClone Systems Inc. {IMCL} touched off a buying spree that pushed the volatile stock up roughly 10 percent over two days and led to predictions it...
Worries Linger for Hewlett Packard By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Apr 10, 2001 04:16 PM Hewlett Packard 5-year stock performance Several tech stock specialists say they don't expect to see a sustained recovery in Hewlett Packard Company's {HWP} stock until sometime next year because of sluggish PC demand, tough competition in the UNIX...
Will Sun Warn? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Apr 6, 2001 03:57 PM JNI Corp. 52-week stock performance Sun Microsystems Inc. supplier JNI Corp.'s recent earnings warning has led to speculation in several quarters that Sun might follow suit with an earnings warning of its own prior to the company's formal announcement of...
What's Next for Yahoo!? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Apr 5, 2001 08:00 AM Yahoo! 52-week stock performance In an unusual twist, several leading industry analysts paint a rosy long-term picture for Yahoo! Inc. {YHOO} at the precise moment when many usually more positive securities analysts are recommending a hands-off approach to the...
Red Hat: Slow, Steady Progress By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 29, 2001 04:14 PM Red Hat stock performance since IPO Despite a low share price and a lack of attention from many institutional buyers, industry analysts say Red Hat Inc. {RHAT} is making the type of slow but steady progress that should...
Oracle: Another Moment of Truth By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 27, 2001 03:34 PM Oracle 52-week stock performance The analyst, who leaped ahead of the pack in predicting Oracle's recent steep stock decline, remains bearish on the software maker despite the company's continued optimistic projections about its near-term future performance. But unlike last...
Pick of the Week: Coca-Cola By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 26, 2001 07:30 AM Who Timothy Ghriskey, portfolio manager of the $105 million Dreyfus Aggressive Value {DAGVX}fund. Stock Pick Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. {CCE} Recent Price $20.36 Appreciation Potential $30 within 18 months. Reason to Buy Coke's additional $300 to $500 million marketing push expected to boost stock of leading Coke...
Cisco: No Bargain Yet By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 22, 2001 02:32 PM Despite the carnage of recent months, several value fund managers say Cisco Systems Inc.'s {CSCO} stock still has to fall another 50 percent or so from its current level before it would begin to attract meaningful attention from...
In Intel vs. AMD, Neither Wins By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 20, 2001 10:28 AM Stiffening competition between chip giant Intel Corp. {INTC} and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. {AMD} is great for consumers, but not for investors of either stock, say analysts. The very same factors that make this the best time...
Analyst Pick: L-3 Communications By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 19, 2001 08:00 AM Who: John Rutledge, portfolio manager for the Evergreen Tech Fund. Stock Pick: L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. {LLL} Recent Price: $79. Appreciation Potential: Expected to outpace tech stock averages. Reason to Buy: Defensive tech stock play. L-3 Communications 2-year stock performance Investors looking for a...
Can XP Invigorate Microsoft? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 15, 2001 09:00 AM Microsoft Corp. {MSFT} is billing the pending introduction of its newest personal computer operating system (OS) for consumers and businesses, called Windows XP, as the single most significant upgrade to the firm's product line since the firm's groundbreaking...
Valuing VeriSign By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 13, 2001 10:45 AM VeriSign 2-year stock performance It seemed a bit like old times on March 1 when Dain Rauscher Wessels analyst Stephen Sigmond reiterated his firm's "strong buy-aggressive" rating on VeriSign Inc.'s {VRSN} stock, along with a sky-high $185 12-month price target. Although $185...
Some EMS Stocks May Bounce By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 8, 2001 02:10 PM After an interesting and disquieting few months, electronic manufacturing services (EMS) stocks, a soured sweet spot of the technology sector, could be ready to sweeten once more. For only the second time in six and a half years,...
Vignette CEO Counters Critics By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 6, 2001 10:47 AM Vignette's stock got hammered again late last week when analysts at Credit Suisse First Boston and Morgan Stanley joined several others who had downgraded the stock a few weeks earlier. The new downgrades were the latest setback for a...
A Sad Vignette By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Mar 2, 2001 10:51 AM Given the many seemingly positive news reports about Vignette Corp.'s {VIGN} new marketing alliances, you might think the stock is a bargain now that it's trading 95 percent below its 52-week high of 100 a share. But the experts...
Straight Story on Align Tech By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Feb 27, 2001 03:58 PM Now that Align Technology Inc.'s {ALGN} post-IPO quiet period has ended, the securities firms who took the company public are out with a series of lengthy initiation reports that suggest the stock is headed for 50 percent or...
Bumpy Flight for Net Travel Stocks By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Feb 26, 2001 09:30 AM Dot-com investors have learned some painful lessons over the past year about the limitations of the Internet, particularly when it comes to selling bulky items like pet food and groceries. That's why many observers predict...
Can Handspring Beat The Odds? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Feb 12, 2001 08:37 AM Several analysts have been pounding the table hard on Handspring Inc.'s {HAND} stock lately. For tech investors, they say, HAND is the perfect antidote to the personal-computer blahs. While growth in PC sales dipped into single digits...
Webvan's Days Appear Numbered By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Feb 8, 2001 09:00 AM Quick, what are you going to have for dinner a week from now? If you're like most people I know, you haven't got a clue. Now take a good look in the mirror, because consumers like you are the main...
Akamai's Stock Soars Again By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jan 30, 2001 01:11 PM If you are an arms merchant, you had better be prepared for the next war. That pretty much sums up the challenges facing leading Internet infrastructure providers such as Akamai Technologies Inc. {AKAM}. Akamai is one of a handful of...
New Index May Move Biotechs By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jan 25, 2001 05:39 PM In the biotechnology arena, the Nasdaq Stock Market is taking on the American Stock Exchange, and, if you own some of these stocks, you might soon end up the winner. On Monday, Nasdaq announced substantial changes in the...
Can Stock Valuations Grow? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jan 23, 2001 06:22 PM If the stock market is overvalued, even good stocks are likely to go down. But if the market is fairly valued or undervalued, the most-successful companies will see their stock prices rise from current levels. This is an important...
Aether Systems Inc. Soars Again By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jan 22, 2001 08:00 AM Aether Systems 5-day stock performance You can add Aether Systems Inc. {AETH} to the list of technology stocks posting double-digit gains over just a few trading sessions. But unlike Microsoft Corp.'s {MSFT} newly revived stock, Aether's stock, which rose...
How IBM Beat Earnings Estimates By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jan 17, 2001 04:59 PM One-day performance of IBM. International Business Machines Corp. {IBM} exceeded fourth-quarter earnings estimates Wednesday, when it reported that profits rose 28%. Big Blue's stock has soared Thursday, rising as high as 108.50, or about 12%. The Armonk, N.Y.-based company...
IPO Recovery Possible Next Year By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Jan 2, 2001 08:30 AM Krispy Kreme post-IPO stock price In a year that began with investors salivating over the next skyrocketing initial public offering by a hot Internet or telecom company, it is interesting to note that it was the purveyor of...
Contract Manufacturing: A Second-Half Bet (part 2) By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 28, 2000 04:03 PM Michael Morris, an analyst with Salomon Smith Barney, based in San Francisco, also sees Flextronic's stock going up to the mid $70 dollar range over the next 12-18 months. "It's really one of the best times...
No Security for Network Associates' Shareholders By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 27, 2000 03:21 PM Chart: 1-year performance of NETA One-year performance of Network Associates' stock. Network Associates Inc. {NETA} took a bloodbath today after last night's news that the company has a big accounting problem, will post a fourth-quarter loss, and is...
Critical Months Ahead for Oracle By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 21, 2000 03:39 PM Oracle Corp. {ORCL} isn't out of the woods yet. First, the good news: Oracle's shares have risen about 6% since the company reported slightly better-than-expected results for its fiscal second quarter last Friday. Oracle executives also boosted their...
Symantec Charts New Course By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 19, 2000 11:20 AM Symantec Corp. {SYMC}, long known for its market-leading Norton Anti-Virus brand, is in the process of getting a big makeover. The Cupertino, Calif.-based Internet security firm recently announced a dramatic change in its approach to its core anti-virus and...
Power Play: Fuel-Cell Stocks By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 18, 2000 07:30 AM How much would you be willing to pay to keep the lights on? If the answer is "more than I'm paying right now," you might want to take a look at fuel-cell stocks. A number of industry analysts say...
Microsoft Warning No Surprise By Frances Hong and Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Reporters Dec 14, 2000 07:15 PM Given the weakness in the PC market and high-profile warnings by box makers like Compaq Computer Corp. {CPQ} and Gateway Inc. {GTW}, it is no surprise that vendors down the PC food chain would get hit, too. The...
Abgenix: The Mouse That Roars? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 14, 2000 03:30 PM 52-Week Stock-Performance of Abgenix Inc. You might call Abgenix Inc.'s {ABGX} transgenic rodent the mouse that roars. Although volatile, Abgenix's stock has been one of the biotechnology sector's most-lucrative performers over the past year moving up, though not always...
Will Linux Save Microsoft? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 8, 2000 01:54 PM In a week when the markets have battered every stock connected with the troubled personal-computer business, it is time to take a look at the company that, more than any other, has defined that industry. I speak, of...
PC Group: Don't Hold Your Breath By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 6, 2000 05:41 PM If you have listened to the experts lately, you might have the idea that the recent slide in PC-related stocks is just another short-term setback. Don't believe it. And don't believe me either. Instead, trust yourself. When it...
TiVo Winning Converts By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 1, 2000 08:00 AM My beloved 75-year-old mother-in-law can finally easily record television programs for later viewing. No blinking "12:00's." No mistakenly recorded static. And without any of the other frustrations that usually accompany first-generation videocassette recorders, such as dealing with those unsightly...
Two Hot Net Technologies To Watch by Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Nov 22, 2000 05:53 PM The death of the dot.com sector has been greatly exaggerated. I know that is cold comfort to investors who bet on the sorry likes of Priceline.com Inc. {PCLN}, Buy.com Inc. {BUYX}, or CMGI Inc. {CMGI}. Setbacks like that...
Biopure on Verge of Biotech Holy Grail By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent There could be some very good news for biotechnology investors just around the corner. If analysts are right, Cambridge, Mass.-based Biopure Inc. {BPUR} is less than a year away from achieving the long-awaited goal of obtaining government permission to start...
Adobe Systems Corners Its Market By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Sometimes the best investment ideas can be found right in front of you. Several Internet and Web-publishing analysts say that is the case with Adobe Systems Inc. {ADBE}. Adobe Systems 52-week stock price They say it is now virtually impossible for companies to...
Sign of a Top: A VC Fund for Jocks By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Looking back, it’s always easy to pick out the big milestones in technology investing. The first Hewlett Packard calculator to hit university bookstores, for example, or the creation of the wickedly addictive computer game Pong, or the...
Is McAfee the Play in Anti-Virus Stocks? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent 001110symantec Symantec 52-week stock price Between PC virus scares, most investors probably don't pay too much attention to the stocks of firms that sell virus-protection software. But when a scare does occur, you can usually count on a spike in the...
Time to Sell Solectron, Buy SCI? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Looks like it might be time to reshuffle your holdings in the highflying electronic-manufacturing services sector. Although no financial analysts will put it quite this bluntly, Solectron Corp. {SLR} is the stock to sell. The stocks to buy: SCI Systems Inc....
"Fiorina's Folly" at Hewlett Packard By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent One-year performance of HWP One of the biggest questions swirling around Silicon Valley these days is whether Hewlett Packard Co.'s {HWP} charismatic chief executive Carly Fiorina is about to take her company to new heights -- or right off a cliff. Many analysts...
IBM Jilts Transmeta at IPO altar By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If you think of an initial public offering as a kind of wedding between investors and a company, it looks like much-talked about Transmeta Corp. has just been jilted at the altar. Think of it this way: Just as the minister was...
AVANT: A Biotech With Heart By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent What if you could take a pill that magically turns your "bad" LDL cholesterol into "good" HDL cholesterol? If you were one of the estimated 10 million Americans who suffer from arteriosclerosis, you'd probably race right over to the neighborhood pharmacy. Your ailing...
Netegrity Inc. Is Coming on Strong By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Everyone wants to get a foot in the e-commerce door. But owning the door is even better. That is the recipe for Netegrity Inc.’s {NETE} rather stunning success. The Web portal security company posted its first profit one quarter ahead of schedule...
A Long Wait for the Wireless Web By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent You have heard it over and over again: The wireless Internet will be the Next Really Big Thing. Now hear this: Not only are high-speed wireless Internet services further off than you have been led to believe, they may not turn...
Time to Bite at Apple’s Stock? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent It’s bruised on the outside, but the core looks solid. Can Steve Jobs revive his revival of PC maker Apple Computer Inc. {AAPL}? That’s the 64-gigabyte question in Silicon Valley these days. This stock has been so battered, in fact, that if...
Crime Pays for Online-Security Firms By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Everyone knows the already-sizable online security market is going to grow larger. The big question up until now, though, has been whether the future of that market will belong to companies offering soup-to-nuts online-security solutions or whether you would be better off...
Is Oracle’s E-Biz Presence Overstated? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If you have been paying attention to Oracle Corp.’s {ORCL} hard-to-miss advertising campaign, you probably figure that the software giant’s leap into e-business justifies its lofty valuation. After all, even the squirrels in Central Park have by now heard Oracle’s oft-stated claim...
UpShot Presents Problems for Oracle By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Much has been made over the past few years of the long-running feud between Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison and his archrival, Microsoft Corp. {MSFT} founder Bill Gates. But some industry watchers in Silicon Valley say Ellison now has an even more-important battle...
Leading B2Bs May Be Heading for Fall By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Maybe you think you can find refuge from the carnage of the Internet's business-to-consumer, or B2C, debacle by scooping up some of the supposedly less-vulnerable leading "arms merchant" business-to-business, or B2B, stocks such as Ariba Inc. {ARBA}, BEA Systems...
Transmeta’s Big-Bark, No-Bite IPO By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If the judges are fair, Transmeta Corp. has a good chance of walking away with this year’s award for "most hype generated by an unproven pre-initial public offering company in a tiny market niche." You have no doubt already heard about Transmeta, easily one...
Cashing in on the Optics Opportunity By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If you are still kicking yourself for not buying Intel Corp. {INTC} in the early ‘80s or Cisco Systems Inc. {CSCO} a decade later, you might want to take a very close look at optical stocks right now. Even with record valuations...
Priceline Business Model Seen Flawed By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent You might think that priceline.com Inc.’s {PCLN} shares are a bargain at less than 11, down from an all-time high of 165 back in April 1999. But so many questions have arisen about the fundamental viability of the "name your own price"...
Little Thunder Seen for Loudcloud IPO By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Ever since Web wunderkind Marc Andreessen decamped from America Online Inc. {AOL} last September after that firm acquired Netscape Communications Corp. and subsequently announced plans for a new start-up, investors have had only one question about the 29-year-old: Can he do...
PC Sales May Pick up Later in the Year By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say saturated PC markets in the United States and slower-than-expected personal computer sales in Europe are creating ongoing headaches for leading chip maker Intel Corp. {INTC} and other players in the suddenly hard-pressed chip and PC sectors,...
Analysts Talk Hot Biotech Stock Picks By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Dain Rauscher Wessels initiated coverage of 11 biotechnology stocks last week saying several of them could move up 50 percent or more in price over the next 12 months. But leading industry analysts say two lesser-known biotech firms appear to have...
Art Tech Seen as Buying Opportunity By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent E-commerce enabler Art Technology Group Inc. {ARTG} chief executive officer Jeet Singh says Hewlett-Packard Co.’s {HWP} anticipated acquisition of Art-reseller PricewaterhouseCoopers’ consulting business, if completed, would be welcome news for this already-profitable firm. Art’s stock has fallen over the past few sessions,...
Why Analysts Like Flextronics By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If market watchers are right, electronic-manufacturing and service company Flextronics International Ltd.’s {FLEX} stock may soon see higher ground. Several analysts reiterated or raised ambitious 12-month price targets on Flextronics’ stock last week, after a conference call led to upward revisions in revenue and...
Will the Holidays Be Kind to E-Tailers? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Some analysts say Amazon.com Inc.’s {AMZN} recovering stock will go considerably higher before the holidays are over, but others see even bigger opportunities elsewhere in the hard-pressed but seasonally hot e-tailing sector. Investors anticipating the traditional holiday run-up have already pushed...
Analysts Like Ask Jeeves’ Prospects By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts expect Ask Jeeves Inc.’s {ASKJ} stock to move higher over the next 12 months, saying the company’s focus on natural-language processing will make it a strong survivor when the dust settles from the current dot-com sector shakeout. Late last week, U. S....
Four VOIP Stock Favorites By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several analysts say they expect to see IP-telephony stocks take over leadership in the telecommunications sector during the coming year, as both traditional long-distance phone companies and end users begin to make the transition from old-fashioned circuit-switched networks to the Internet-based phone systems...
Analysts Debate Merit of Free VOIP Telephone Calls By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent I’ve been talking to my old college buddy, David, who lives in New Zealand, a lot these days. Since I live in California, that may sound like good news for my long distance carrier, AT&T, which charges $2.85 plus...
Analysts Set Higher Targets for CIENA By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several analysts raised their 12-month price targets for CIENA Corp.’s {CIEN} stock after the optical-networking systems company reported better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results last Thursday. "CIENA is our top pick right now," says Hasan Imam, an analyst at Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette in...
Techs That Thrive in a Slowing Economy By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Holding high-margin electronic-manufacturing stocks is one of the best ways investors can shelter their portfolios from fears of a slowing economy and potentially higher interest rates, analysts say. Stocks in the electronics manufacturing products and services (EMPS) sector have handily overcome...
Stalled Fuel Cell IPOs Leave Upside By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Two fuel-cell companies that went public last week in lackluster initial public offerings may still offer investors upside potential, analysts say. Last week’s disappointing IPO from fuel-cell pioneer H Power Corp. {HPOW} leaves the stock well positioned to move up, as demand...
Election Imperils New Economy Stocks By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent A number of leading Silicon Valley business leaders say this November’s presidential election poses increased risks for investors, particularly those holding so-called New Economy stocks in emerging Internet, communications and high-tech markets. Business supporters of both Texas Governor and Republican nominee George W....
Obscure Tech Sector Poised for Growth By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Looking for a way to invest in today's hottest tech sectors without following the herd? You may want to consider companies that tech kingpins will outsource their work to in the future, especially in the wireless infrastructure and optical networking fields. Lesser-known...
Analysts Say Plexus Hits Sweet Spot By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts see more upside potential for Plexus Corp.’s {PLXS} soaring stock, saying the company’s focus on serving high-end, high-margin customers in the electronic manufacturing sector puts it squarely in the industry’s sweet spot. "It’s had a huge run-up, over 50 percent, in...
Solectron Stock Set to Soar in 2nd Half By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Some analysts -- spurred on by recent comments made by the company’s chief executive officer and president Koichi Nishimura -- say Solectron Corp.’s {SLR} stock could regain its momentum during the second half of the year. During his presentation last...
Will Webvan Group’s Stock Deliver? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although there are some skeptics, several analysts think Webvan Group Inc. {WBVN} is succeeding with its ambitious plan to bring the grocery business online, and they say now is the perfect time to buy the company’s beaten down stock. "If you’re willing to...
InfoSpace Leads Next Wireless Trend By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several leading analysts who follow wireless industry trends see major upside potential for InfoSpace Inc.’s {INSP} stock over the coming year, saying the company is emerging as a leading enabler of mobile, wireless-Internet applications. "With wireless subscribers expected to exceed 1 billion worldwide...
Analysts Say VISX’s Stock Looks Good By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although at least one prominent analyst disagrees, several others say VISX Inc.’s {VISX} beaten-down stock looks good at its current price level, considering the fact that the company has captured about 70 percent of a market that is growing at 50...
Analysts, CEO Talk Up MedicaLogic By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent MedicaLogic/Medscape Inc.’s {MDLI} founder and chief executive officer Dr. Mark Leavitt agrees with analysts who say his company’s beaten-down stock could generate very lucrative returns for longer-term investors. "This is not something you do in three or six months," Leavitt told CNBC.com in...
Intel Surges, But Some Risks Remain By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Semiconductor analysts still favor Intel Corp.’s {INTC} stock, even after this week’s big run-up, but some of them also warn of potential risks down the road. On Monday, Lehman Brothers’ analyst Dan Niles touched off a buying spree in Intel shares after...
Can Be Inc.’s Stock Make Comeback? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although financial analysts have abandoned operating system maker Be Inc.’s {BEOS) flagging stock, several leading industry analysts, along with company chairman, president, chief executive officer and founder Jean-Louis Gassée, say it is way too soon to count out the only multimedia-oriented...
Electronic Mfg Group Seen as Good Bet By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say quarterly earnings reports from Solectron Corp. {SLR} and Jabil Circuit Inc. {JBL} this week will generate increased attention for stocks in the highly volatile but upwardly mobile electronic manufacturing services (EMS) sector. "Solectron’s stock went up almost 40 percent...
Echelon Triples on Investor Enthusiasm By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent You might think that communicating with appliances or industrial machinery from afar sounds like a far-fetched concept, but Palo Alto, Calif.-based Echelon Corp. {ELON} has positioned itself to provide the technology that could do everything from monitoring jet engines while in flight...
Microsoft: Seen Solid in Long-Term By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several leading industry analysts say Microsoft Corp.'s beaten down stock remains by far the best long-term bet in the crucial operating system market despite this week’s good news for Linux and the ongoing anti-trust case against the company. "You’d be crazy not to...
Analysts Like Nortel As Tech Leader By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Looking for a market-proof tech stock not just for today, but for the long run, too? Wall Street analysts continue to ride on the bandwagon for Nortel Networks Corp. {NT}, rather than recently grounded high-flyers Qualcomm Inc. {QCOM} and Sycamore Networks...
Hot Biotech Stocks for the Long Term By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say that indiscriminate selling, despite recent reports of important clinical progress leaves several biotechnology stocks attractively priced for investors with a one-to-two-year time horizon. Investors who got into biotech stocks last year saw the sector more than double in valuation...
Hot Biotech Stocks for the Long Term By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say that indiscriminate selling, despite recent reports of important clinical progress leaves several biotechnology stocks attractively priced for investors with a one-to-two-year time horizon. Investors who got into biotech stocks last year saw the sector more than double in valuation...
Symantec Finds Favor Among Analysts By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Software security maker Symantec's stock may have been poised for a rally even before this month's virus scare. But fears of the "I Love You" virus should kick start Symantec ahead of the rest of the slowing tech sector, analysts say. To begin...
Yahoo! Wireless, B2B Plans Get Raves By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several analysts who follow Yahoo! Inc. {YHOO} say that last Thursday’s closed-door session with senior company executives convinced them that the leading Internet portal is making the right moves to become a major force in emerging wireless and business to business,...
IBeam IPO Makes Modest Debut By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say iBEAM Broadcasting Corp.’s {IBEM}big initial public offering could help the streaming media-delivery company become a ubiquitous part of the fast-growing broadband Internet infrastructure. The IPO has made a modest debut, trading up about 3/4, after pricing at $10 Wednesday night at...
Cisco’s Margins Seen Under Pressure By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Financial analysts who have been talking up Cisco Systems Inc.’s {CSCO} stock say they won’t be surprised to see the company beat consensus fiscal third-quarter earnings expectations next week, but several leading industry observers also warn that Cisco’s profit margins will almost...
FairMarket Business Model Seen as Solid by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say FairMarket Inc.’s {FAIM} novel business model gives the company a good shot at carving out a lucrative online niche. "They come across as a very strong player," says Anna Giraldo Kerr, senior Internet and eCommerce strategies analyst at International Data...
Digital Video Recorder Stocks Seen Up By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say digital video recorder (DVR) stocks will get a lift, as skyrocketing demand puts DVR makers in position to become a key platform for the next generation of value-added Internet-based interactive-television services. Last week, Dain Rauscher Wessels analyst David Lee Smith...
HomeGrocer IPO Makes Tepid Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If comparable offerings are any guide, investors who buy into HomeGrocer.com Inc.’s {HOMG} initial public offering may end up holding an empty bag, at least over the short term. Kirkland, Wash.-based HomeGrocer.com, which is 28 percent owned by Amazon.com Inc. {AMZN}, is the...
Analysts Say Rambus Ride Not Over By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Fasten your seat belts, and prepare for the wild ride to continue, say the divided pack of analysts who cover Rambus Inc.’s {RMBS} highly volatile stock. "It’s a very controversial stock," says Seth Dickson, semiconductor analyst at UBS Warburg, based in San...
Napster May Hurt Music-Firm Stocks By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent May 1, 2000 Although financial analysts haven’t factored it into their earnings projections yet, music-industry observers say the popularity of Napster’s song-sharing software is contributing to a decline in music sales to young consumers that could damage entertainment and perhaps even digital-rights management...
Future Seen Bright for Axent By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent May 1, 2000 The future is bright for Axent Technologies Inc. {AXNT}, analysts say, because the market for network-security companies is expanding. Last week, Axent posted better-than-expected quarterly results, leading two more analysts to upgrade the company’s stock, based on expectations of considerable upside...
Long-Term Trends Favor Foundries By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say strong fundamentals and the flight to quality will continue to work in favor of foundry stocks such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. {TSM} and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. {CHRT} for the foreseeable future. "These are real core holdings you’ll want to own...
Upside Seen for Silicon Valley Stock By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Two analysts upgraded Silicon Valley Group Inc. {SVGI} last week -- after the company beat quarterly consensus earnings estimates by 60 percent -- saying that the stock has upside potential of 40 percent or more over the next 12 months. On Monday,...
Analysts See Liberate Stock Jumping By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say Liberate Technologies Inc.’s {LBRT} stock should get a nice boost from a big cable-TV trade show next month that could put it on track to post gains of 300 percent or more over the next 12 months. "It just takes a...
It's Time for Dot-Com Bottom-Fishing By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say that the recent Internet stock selloff gave a haircut to several dot-com stocks that now look quite attractive. Although the stocks of second-tier, cut-rate online retailers who deliver bulky products, such as groceries or pet food, are unlikely to bounce back...
Higher Earnings Seen for PC Makers By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Gateway's first quarter demonstrates that the personal-computer sector is being revived by lower component costs, new higher-speed microprocessors and augmented product offerings. The same factors are expected to help most of the other PC makers post healthy earnings over the coming...
Chip-Sector Earnings Look Strong by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say they expect extremely good news from several leading semiconductor firms when they announce their quarterly earnings. "The results are going to be very good, whether you’re talking about semiconductor devices or equipment," says Dan Niles, semiconductor industry analyst at Robertson Stephens, based...
Saba Shares More Than Double By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Shares of Saba Software, Inc. {SABA} more than doubled in initial trading. Analysts say the emerging leader in the online learning market has a unique business primer -- ranging from a horde of satisfied customers to an attractive commercial model -- to...
OPUS360 Shares Jump After IPO By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say business-to-business professional services company OPUS360 Corp. {OPUS}, whose shares began trading publicly on Friday, is in the right place at the right time. "They’re in an area that’s going to grow quite rapidly," says Kazim Isfahani, senior analyst at the Giga...
Microsoft Woes May Boost Linux Firms By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say Microsoft Corp.’s {MSFT} prolonged legal woes create uncertainty in the marketplace that will further boost sales at rival companies that provide documentation and service for the competing Linux operating system, such as Red Hat Inc. {RHAT} and VA Linux...
Some See Upside for Healtheon By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several leading health-care analysts say Healtheon/WebMD Corp.’s {HLTH} beaten-down stock may be a good buy, now that the dust appears to be settling from last week’s downgrade by Dain Rauscher Wessels. Healtheon/WebMD’s stock has taken quite a beating lately, dropping more than 60...
ArrowPoint IPO Shoots Higher in Debut By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Shares of ArrowPoint Communications Inc. {ARPT} have soared in their debut, and analysts say the firm has a bright future ahead of it, in part, because it has caught its bigger rival, Cisco Systems Inc. {CSCO}, asleep at the switch. ArrowPoint's stock...
Here Comes a Slew of Biotech IPOs By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Despite the sector’s unprecedented choppiness, analysts say there is reason to be optimistic about the slew of biotechnology firms going public over the next two weeks, because many of them are further along in the development curve than earlier groups...
Sorting Through a Slew of Biotech IPOs By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent The Medicines Co. {MDCO} and Lion Bioscience Inc. are expected to be the cream of this week’s crop of eight biotechnology initial public offerings, but analysts warn that investments in early-stage biotech firms are usually not for the faint of...
Blaze IPO Is a Flaming Success by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say a unique combination of technologies puts Blaze Software Inc. {BLZE} in a position to prosper, and investors seem to agree, bidding the stock up in its debut Thursday. The stock opened at 35, after pricing its 4 million share offering...
Caldera Systems IPO Soars in Debut By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Caldera Systems Inc.’s {CALD} initial public offering is already being boosted in its debut by the same Linux fever that propelled the recent Red Hat Inc. {RHAT} and VA Linux Systems Inc. {LNUX} IPOs to soaring opening-day performances. The stock opened at...
3 Potentially Hot ASP Stocks to Watch by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent In part one of this two-part story on Thursday, we looked at whether other application service providers (ASP) would be able to match Cobalt Networks Inc. {COBT} success. Now we look at three up-and-coming ASP stocks for your radar screens. Although...
Can Other ASPs Match Cobalt’s Success? by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although application service provider (ASP) enabler Cobalt Networks Inc. {COBT} continues to sell products at a torrid pace, several analysts who follow ASP trends say larger firms targeting the same market are facing considerable resistance from many of their biggest potential...
Analyst Pick: KEMET By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Who: Martin Whitman, chief investment officer at the Third Avenue Value Fund {TAVFX}. Stock Pick: KEMET Corp. {KEM} Recent Price: $19 Appreciation Potential: Could hit $40 over next 12 to 18 months. Reason to Buy: Potential takeover target. KEMET 52-week stock performance The tech sector is going to need...
Selectica IPO Leaps Higher on First Day by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts see a bright future for Selectica Inc. {SLTC}. Investors seem to agree, bidding up the stock on its opening trading day. San Jose, California-based Selectica is generally regarded as one of the four leading providers of Internet selling-system software,...
IPrint.com's IPO Makes Weak Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent IPrint.com Inc.’s {IPRT} position as the first-mover in an exploding new online market bodes well its long-term prospects, though its initial public offering has gotten off to a poor start on Wednesday. IPrint Post-IPO Stock-Performance Chart "iPrint is really the first quick-printer on the...
Net2000 IPO Jumps in Opening Trading by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although Net2000 Communications Inc.’s {NTKK} initial public offering has already caught fire Tuesday, several analysts warn that profitability is proving elusive for many similar firms in the same sector. Shares of the company have already jumped in their debut, passing 30. Late...
Analysts Divided on Net Registrar Group by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Financial and industry analysts are sharply divided on the long-term prospects of the stocks of companies that help other firms register or renew Internet-domain names, despite the recent spectacular performance of market leader Network Solutions Inc. {NSOL}. Both sets of analysts, however,...
Analysts Cautious on Net Ad Stocks by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several analysts who follow online-advertising trends say investors should approach stocks in the sector with extreme caution, despite huge projected increases in online-ad spending. "The sector is going to grow in broad terms," says Chris Hansen, an analyst with Banc of America...
Hotel Reservations IPO Opens Strongly by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Hotel Reservations Network Inc.'s {ROOM} winning business model is already boosting its initial public offering, with 5.4 million shares priced at 16 per share, above its filing price range of 11 to 13. The stock opened around 24 Friday morning and has hovered...
Nextel Partners IPO Makes Solid Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say Nextel Partners Inc.’s {NXTP} success in wooing rural users of wireless-communications services should push the company’s stock to solid long-term gains after its initial public offering got a solid start on Wednesday afternoon. Nextel Partners Post-IPO Stock-Performance Chart "I think it...
Webvan's Survival Plan By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent I t seems hardly a week passes without more bad news from Webvan Group Inc. {WBVN}. The stock, which is currently trading for less than 35 cents a share, faces potential de-listing from Nasdaq as early as April 12 due to minimum price per...
Banks Face Threat from Financial Portals by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Leading online-banking industry analysts say the business model of financial services content aggregators such as LendingTree Inc. {TREE}, which went public this week, pose a daunting new set of competitive challenges to banks and other mainstream financial institutions going forward. Lending Tree...
Inforte IPO Rockets Higher in Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Inforte Corp.’s {INFT} initial public offering is already being met with the same enthusiasm that lifted Lante Corp.’s {LNTE} IPO to a nearly 200 percent first-day gain last week. "Inforte is in the same league as Lante," says Stephanie Moore, research director...
Apropos IPO Leaps up on Opening Day by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say investors should be cautious about betting on Apropos Technology Inc.’s {APRS} stock, even though the company’s initial public offering has already caught fire in early going, opening at 50 on Thursday. Apropos Technology Post-IPO Stock-Performance Chart Late Wednesday, Apropos Technology...
Repeat Buyers Boost Eloquent Inc. IPO by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Repeat business from a strong list of major customers has already pushed shares of Eloquent Inc. {ELOQ} higher. Eloquent Post-IPO Stock-Performance Chart The company priced its 4.5 million offering late Thursday at 16 a share, above its stated range of 12 to 14....
Good Track Record Boosts Lante's IPO by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent As predicted, Lante Corp.’s {LNTE} initial public offering has caught fire, thanks to the company’s long-standing technology-oriented track record. "Lante is on the list of top-tier companies that provide Internet professional services," says Stephanie Moore, research director at the Giga Information Group,...
Pets.com IPO Makes Modest Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Pets.com Inc. {IPET} has made a modest debut, though analysts are positive on the company's prospects, saying it has a good chance of holding on to its ranking as one of three leading online retailers focused on a potentially lucrative market niche. "I...
Rough Seas Seen for Health-Care B2Bs by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Despite general enthusiasm about business-to-business (B2B) Internet stocks, analysts who follow health-care trends see major challenges ahead for the two health-care B2B firms that went public this week. "They’re going up against a scarier set of players," says Claudine Singer, health-care analyst...
Hacker Attacks Overshadow Buy.com IPO by Hal Plotkin and Scott Bomboy Concerns over a new set of hacker attacks on prominent Web sites overshadowed a big day for Buy.Com Inc. {BUYX} and spread to a shutdown of popular auction site eBay {EBAY}, shopping site Amazon.com {AMZN} and news site CNN {TWX}. Buy.com shares...
Mediacom IPO Makes Modest Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Mediacom Communications Corp.’s {MCCC} initial public offering could set the stage for respectable gains, even though it has gotten only a modest start. Late Thursday, the company's 20 million share offering priced at 19 a share, at the top of its stated range...
Big E-Tail Enablers Seen as Best Long-Term Bets by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although Firepond Inc.’s {FIRE} initial public offering has soared on its first day of trading, some analysts say larger companies moving toward offering similar services, such as Oracle Corp. {ORCL}, SAP Aktiengesellschaft {SAP} and Siebel Systems Inc. {SEBL}, may...
Turnstone Business Model Drives up IPO by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Turnstone Systems Inc.’s {TSTN} initial public offering has soared on its opening trading day, trading as high as 90 on Tuesday. Late Monday, the company priced its 3 million share offering at 29 a share, above its most-recent range of 23 and...
Sequenom IPO Shoots Higher in Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Investors have welcomed Sequenom Inc.’s {SQNM} initial public offering enthusiastically, sending shares up past 78. "The company is in the hottest part of the genomics sector," says Jim McCamant, editor of Medical Technology Stock Letter, based in Berkeley, Calif. Late Monday, 5 million...
IPO Fever Continues with 724 Solutions by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent In the tradition of many recent IPOs, 724 Solutions Inc.'s {SVNX} has made an impressive debut, helped by continuing IPO fever and the company's strong ties to the banking industry. Shares opened at 73, after the company earlier Friday priced its 6...
InterWAVE IPO Shines as Expected by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts expected a strong debut by interWAVE Communications International Ltd. {IWAV} when its stock began trading on Friday. "I think it’s going to be a hot IPO with a steadily increasing stock price," says Hongjun Li, director of research at Parks Associates in...
Extensity IPO Gets Explosive Start by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Extensity Inc.’s {EXTN} initial public offering gives investors an early chance to bet on a technology that will become ubiquitous in the years ahead: managing employee business expenses. "The market they are in is pretty much starting from ground zero. And it’s going...
Neoforma.com Shares Soar in Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Want to buy into the red-hot business-to-business market and hedge your bets with the health-care sector? If today's IPO of Neoforma.com {NEOF} is any indication, other people may have the same idea. Neoforma's initial public offering made a big splash, opening at $36.50,...
Smaller Chip Firms Seen as Value Plays by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent With major semiconductor-manufacturing stocks such as Applied Materials Inc. {AMAT}, KLA-Tencor Corp. {KLAC}, Lam Research Corp. {LRCX}, and Novellus Systems Inc. {NVLS} trading at or near record levels, analysts say that now is a good time to scoop up the...
Internet Stocks for 2000, Part Two by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent In part one of this story, we looked at three Internet stocks analysts like for 2000: Puma Technology Inc. {PUMA}, RealNetworks Inc. {RNWK}, and Modem Media.Poppe Tyson Inc. {MMPT}. In part two, we look at three more: Juniper Networks Inc., Systems...
Internet Stocks for 2000, Part One by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Are there still good buying opportunities left in the Internet sector? We asked several leading Internet analysts for their favorite Internet stocks for 2000. In Part one of this two-part series, we look at Puma Technology Inc., RealNetworks Inc. and Modem Media.Poppe...
Analyst Sees Onyx Software Doubling by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Onyx Software Corp.’s {ONXS} stock price is poised to double again over the next 12 months, says analyst Cameron Steele of Dain Rauscher Wessels in Minneapolis. "Onyx is very much overlooked from a valuation perspective," Steele says. "Near term, we expect Onyx to...
Sonic Foundry Stock Seen Extending Run by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say Sonic Foundry Inc.’s {SFO} stock, which doubled in price this week despite the Internet-sector selloff, continues to have strong upside potential. "Sonic Foundry is going to be a great story and company," says John Todd, an analyst at C.E. Unterberg...
Future Bright for Young DSL Companies by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent . Trend-spotting analysts say there is a huge opportunity for a handful of newer companies making higher bandwidth, digital-subscriber line (DSL) Internet connections available to a greater numbers of consumers. "There are still a lot of people who are stuck with analog modems,"...
MIPS’s Stock Seen Heading Back Up by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent "...
Don’t Count Cable Firms Out by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent With wireless sector stocks such as red-hot QUALCOMM Inc. {QCOM} leading the market lately, investors might be tempted to think the time has come to count out old-fashioned, hard-wired cable operators. Leading telecommunications analysts, however, say that would be a big mistake. "Wireless appears...
2000 Expected to Set New IPO Record by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Major technology spinoffs, renewed interest in biotechnology start-ups, action in the insurance sector, and surging venture-capital investments are expected to combine to make 2000 another banner year for initial public offerings. "It could very well be another record year," says Richard...
Exodus's Stock Seen Going Higher by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent One of the hidden powers behind the Web is getting even higher marks from Wall Street analysts who expect the company's stock to exceed expectations. Several analysts recently raised their price targets for San Jose, Calif.-based Exodus Communications Inc.’s {EXDS}, citing expectations the...
Citrix Seen as Hot Stock for 2000 by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent "People will discover that Citrix is an enabling technology for developing applications over the Internet, and we think they'll be willing to pay a higher premium for the stock." -- Wendell Laidley, Credit Suisse First Boston Networking software maker Citrix Systems...
Caching Stocks Lead Internet Sector by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several trend-spotting analysts say they expect to see a small group of white-hot caching -- or controlled content distribution -- stocks, such as Akamai Technologies Inc. {AKAM}, Cacheflow Inc. {CFLO}, Digital Island Inc. {ISLD} and Inktomi {INKT}, continue to lead the Internet...
AltaVista IPO Seen Big, Despite Losses by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say AltaVista Co.’s pending initial public offering is likely to be a big success, despite the firm’s sizable financial losses. "I suspect the reaction to the IPO will be fairly spectacular, primarily because of the company’s relationship with CMGI," says David...
Are the Linux Backers Right? by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent "I believe open source software will have an impact on the category of Internet infrastructure software. It already has. Part of it’s because businesses don’t have to pay the extra licensing fees." -- Steve McClure, an analyst at International Data Corporation As companies such...
Maxygen Engineers Strong IPO Showing by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts believed Maxygen Inc.’s {MAXY} public offering today should fare well, thanks largely to the impressive track record of the company’s cofounder, biotechnology pioneer Alejandro Zaffaroni. They were right. Maxygen hit Wall Street at $36 a share, far above its initial pricing of $16...
Caliper IPO Tests Biotech Waters by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Biotech toolmaker Caliper Technologies Corp.’s initial public offering is another test for investors’ appetite for tech stocks that don't involve the Internet, e-business or broadband. Caliper, a life-sciences firm that make devices that speed up pharmaceutical research, hit Wall Street today at...
IPO MedicaLogic Off to Good Start by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Shares of MedicaLogic Inc. {MDLI} are already profiting from the concept of putting medical records online, debuting at 25 on Friday morning. The initial public offering of 5.3 million shares priced late Thursday at $17, above an original range of between $14...
VA Linux Tries to Overtake Red Hat by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Investors continue to buy into the Linux craze, making today's VA Linux Systems' IPO the best-performing debut in Wall Street history. The stunning debut makes VA Linux the new poster-child for the Linux business, replacing previous IPO darling Red Hat. Shares...
Preview Systems Jumps on First Day by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent ,/p> Preview Systems Inc. {PRVW} has more than doubled from its offering price on its first day trading, opening at 57, after pricing its 3.8 million share offering late Tuesday at $21 a share. Preview Systems intraday stock performance The initial public offering's stated...
NetRatings IPO Makes Strong Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent NetRatings Inc. {NTRT}, one of two main rivals in the Web-rating wars, has made a strong debut, opening at 28, after pricing its 4 million share offering at $17, above its stated range of $14 to $16. NetRatings Inc. intraday stock performance The growing...
More Gains Seen for Keynote Systems by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent "I believe they're in on the beginning of a very big boom. I'm amazed people haven't been jumping up and down about it." -- Bill Glassman, senior analyst at the Gartner Group Several analysts say Keynote Systems Inc.’s {KEYN} stock should continue to...
HealthCentral Takes Aim at Dr. Koop by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent "HealthCentral's biggest asset is Dr. Dean Edell. If he can succeed in driving traffic to the. . .site, they'll have a very good business model." --Dr. Wally S. Buch, a physician and general partner at Atherton Ventures The success of HealthCentral.com {HCEN}...
New Issue Digimarc Opens Strongly by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Shares of Digimarc Corp. {DMRC} have gotten off to a strong start, but several analysts say there's reason to be cautious about the company, despite its strong marketing alliances and seemingly versatile technology Digimarc opened at 75 and has traded as high as...
McAfee Jumps on First Trading Day by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent New issue McAfee.com Corp. {MCAF} has moved up sharply in its trading debut, opening at 22, after pricing its 6.25 million share offering late Wednesday at $12, at the high end of its expected $10 to $12 range. McAfee.com intraday stock performance "McAfee...
Web Site Offers Gurus’ Stock Picks by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent When it comes to picking Internet stocks, conventional ideas about appropriate valuations have pretty much been thrown out the window. But sooner or later, the Internet mania could fade away like other once-sizzling investment crazes, such as tulip futures or biotechnology...
WebTrends Seen Continuing to Rise by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several analysts say WebTrends Corp.’s {WEBT} stock should continue to move up smartly, thanks to increased demand for services that analyze Web-surfing patterns. "We think WebTrends is an undiscovered gem," says Rob Owens, senior analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, based in Portland, Ore....
Push into E-Commerce Seen Driving BEA by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts are upbeat about software company BEA Systems Inc.’s {BEAS} prospects, citing strong sales, smart acquisitions, and exploding demand for the company’s products. And investors, who have driven the stock up more than sixfold this year, seem to agree. BEAS one-year stock...
by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent CacheFlow's products help the Internet run faster by speeding up the delivery of Web pages to users. But investors and analysts' speedy hopes for CacheFlow {CFLO} stock were exceeded today, when its shares opened at $110. Its initial public offering of 5.5 million shares priced last...
Investors Bid New Issue Imanage up Sharply by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Investors have bid up Imanage Inc. {IMAN} sharply, with the stock opening at $20. The company's 3.6 million shares were priced at $11 late Tuesday, above the company's stated range of $8 to $10. IMAN post-IPO performance chart San Mateo, Calif.-based Imanage,...
Quintus Corp. IPO Makes Strong Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Quintus Corp. {QNTS} gives investors a chance to bet on a company that combines preexisting call-center tools with the automated e-mail and Web-based customer-interaction technologies that helped propel Kana Communications Inc. {KANA} and Silknet Software Inc. {SILK} to very successful recent...
Immersion Corp. Makes a Strong Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Immersion Corp.’s {IMMR} stock has debuted strongly Friday, after pricing 4.25 million shares earlier in the afternoon at 12, above its stated range of 9 to 11. The stock has jumped to 17 3/16. The San Jose, Calif., company gives computer joysticks,...
One Step Ahead: Tech Funds Give the Scoop by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Technology investors looking for an edge will find one at the Web sites of several top performing tech-oriented mutual funds that offer free information about their own recent buy and sell decisions. Most mutual funds are required by law to...
Expedia IPO Takes Off Strongly by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Despite Microsoft Corp.’s {MSFT} woes, analysts expected the company’s online travel agency, Expedia Inc., to enjoy a successful initial debut today. Expedia hit the market at $39 a share, up 179 percent from last night's pre-trading price of $14 a share. The 5.2...
Cobalt Hits It Big on Debut by Hal Plotkin and Eric Fleming Experts said appliance-server pioneer Cobalt Networks Inc. {COBT} would make a big splash when it began trading today. But the company's stock opened at $140 a share this morning, well above its $22 initial pricing. Goldman Sachs led the offering, with...
Webvan Hits Market As Expected by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent "I still expect it to go up 50 percent or so on the first day of trading. ...
One Step Ahead: More Health-Care IPOs? by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Need surplus medical equipment or an update on prostate surgical procedures? Two companies are trying to extend the concepts behind eBay Inc. {EBAY} and Amazon.com Inc. {AMZN} to the lucrative business of catering to health-care companies. Analysts say the pending Neoforma.com and...
Analysts Say Puma’s Best Days Are Ahead by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say Puma Technology Inc.’s {PUMA} best days are still ahead, despite the fact that the company’s stock has already moved up more than 400 percent since August. "I like the stock very much and have for some time," says John...
IPO Pipeline: Content + Commerce = How2 by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although implementation challenges remain, analysts say they’re impressed with the way IPO-bound How2.com Inc.’s business model marries content and commerce. "I’m certainly optimistic about the space they’re in," says David Cooperstein, research director at Forrester Research, based in Boston. "The beauty...
Investors Curious About XML Bandwagon by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent The language of business in the next decade may not be English but a new version of the lingo that powers today's Internet. Already, some publicly traded companies -- and their stocks -- are cashing in on the hype. Soaring stock prices of...
CV Therapeutics: A Heart-Stopping Stock by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although big drug stocks led the drug/biotechnology sector’s rebound this week, several analysts say they’re more excited about the stock of a lesser-known biomedical firm, CV Therapeutics Inc. {CVTX}. "We definitely see it getting back into the $20s," says Franklin M. Berger, an...
Transactions Put CyberSource in Driver's Seat by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say CyberSource Corporation’s smart marketing and winning business model are the main reasons why the company’s stock is up more than 250 percent since its June IPO. "CyberSource has a compelling story for investors who like companies that provide e-commerce infrastructure,"...
E-Stamp and Stamps.com to Duke It Out by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although its stock is up sharply since its IPO, E-Stamp Inc.’s {ESTM} ultimate fate may hinge on what happens after rival Stamps.com {STMP} enters the fray later this month. "Some customers may find Stamps.com easier to use," says Bonnie Brooks, principal...
Is Healtheon a Buying Opportunity? by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although one prominent analyst sees Healtheon Corp.’s {HLTH} stock as a buying opportunity, others say the company still needs to prove itself in the marketplace. Healtheon’s stock is down more than 50 percent since it topped out in May, immediately following the company’s...
Will the Palm Pilot IPO Lift 3Com's Stock? by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent "We're not negative on the stock. It's a good stock. We agree it's undervalued. It's just not the most exciting thing out there right now." -- Bert Hochfeld,Technology analyst at Josephthal & Co. Some analysts say one of next year's most...
Personal Touch Pays Off for Art Technology by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent A growing list of blue-chip customers and expectations of future industry consolidation have helped drive Art Technology Group Inc.'s {ARTG} stock price up more than 300 percent since the company's July IPO. "I'm very positive on them," says David Truog, an...
IPO Pipeline: Immersion Set for This Week by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Immersion Corp.’s initial public offering, expected this week, will test investors’ appetite for the company that gives computer joysticks, steering wheels, and other gaming products a more realistic feel. "There’s really no alternative to Immersion because of their patents," says Fred...
TiVo Soars But Challenges Remainby Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent TiVo, Inc.’s {TIVO} stock has tripled after the company’s IPO. But some analysts question if the interactive TV company is worth the price of admission to investors. Among the concerns voiced by analysts: the inability of TiVo to fend off competitors; a lawsuit...
The Server Boom, Part II: Cobalt Plans IPO by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent In Part One of this two-part series, we looked at the server market and how you can profit from the sector’s next big wave: the widespread distribution of digital products. Now in Part Two, we discuss other ways to...
Cashing in on the Coming Server Boom by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent In Part One of this two-part series, we look at the server market and how you can profit from the sector’s next big wave: the widespread distribution of digital products. If you know what to look for, you can cash in...
Getting Back to Business in Taiwan by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. {TSM} says it has received commitments from local authorities pledging that 85 percent of its electrical power will be restored by this weekend, according to a statement released by the company. The company posted revenue of $923.3 million...
Who Is Next After Kana and eGain? by Hal Plotkin, Silicon Valley Correspondent Post-IPO stock-price surges for both eGain Communications Corp. and Kana Communications, Inc. bode well for several other similar pre-IPO companies serving the same fast-growing market. On Tuesday, Kana's stock shot up more than 200% from its initial offering price of $15....
ExpressDoctors Combines House Calls and the Net by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent "We take care of everything the doctor needs so they can focus on patient care. That's something most doctors can't find anywhere else." -- Rob Kelly, CEO of ExpressDoctors ExpressDoctors Inc. is combining the simplicity of toll-free calling with the power of...
Searchbutton.com Sees Profit Before IPO by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Searchbutton.com Inc. is a rare breed of Silicon Valley start-up. The CEO of the nine-month-old firm says his company will actually be making money before it goes public, which could happen as early as next year. "I’d certainly buy the stock when they...
Wink Stock Outruns Company Performance by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Wink Communications Inc.’s {WINK} stock price has soared since the company’s recent initial public offering, though the money-losing Interactive TV company shows no signs of posting profits anytime soon. "A lot of people are making very aggressive forecasts for the market [Wink’s] in,"...
Start-Up Collab.Net Hopes to Follow Red Hat’s Example by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent With backing from a top-notch Silicon Valley venture-capital firm and Hewlett-Packard Co. {HWP} as its first customer, start-up Collab.Net Inc. is poised to become a major player in the fast-growing open-source software industry. "I’m very excited about what they’re doing,"...
Epinions.com Aims to Change Online Shopping by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Start-up Epinions.com Inc. is hoping to change the way people shop online, just in time for the upcoming holiday shopping season. While some analysts are skeptical, others say the company could quickly become a major force in the e-commerce sector. "Third-party intermediaries,...
Netro Soars on Broadband-Wireless Hopes by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Netro Corp.’s {NTRO} stock price has soared since its recent IPO, reflecting hopes that the company’s alliance with Lucent Technologies Inc. {LU} will make it a dominant player in the rapidly growing broadband-wireless market. "They have excellent technology, and there’s going to be...
AOL Gives Preview Travel Its Money’s Worth by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Preview Travel Inc.’s {PTVL} ads on America Online Inc. {AOL} are generating far-better results, dollar for dollar, than the company’s ad buys on Web portals Excite@Home {ATHM} or Lycos Inc. {LCOS}, according to a recent independent study. While that’s good...
Beam Me up Some Cash by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Start-up Confinity Inc. hopes to become a financial services powerhouse by pioneering an inexpensive new way to move money: wireless cash. "[The company] may have a handle on something quite good," says Robert Sterling, an analyst at Jupiter Communications, based in New York. Headquartered...
Picking the Right Internet Stocks by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Figuring out which Internet companies have the best chance to succeed over the long run takes logic, industry knowledge, and a willingness to ask unfamiliar questions. "The industry is beginning to develop a new set of metrics," that help investors determine the relative...
Agile Software Succeeds by Design by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Product-design software maker Agile Software Corp.’s {AGIL} has high hopes it can use its early success to become the dominant player in an emerging new market. "Agile has at least a couple of years lead," over would-be competitors, says Bruce Richardson, vice president...
Apple’s New TV Campaign Targets Intel by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Apple Computer Inc.’s {AAPL} new TV ads lampooning Intel might leave some investors worried that the world’s dominant microprocessor maker may be slipping. But several key analysts say few PC buyers are likely to be swayed by the tough new Power Mac...
To Be or Not to Be? by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although some industry watchers are skeptical, one analyst says demand for Be Inc.’s {BEOS} computer operating system will help drive the company’s stock price up more than 100 percent over the next 12 months. "I’m quite optimistic that when computer users find...
So, You Want to Be an Angel Investor? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Many high net-worth individuals want a piece of the pre-IPO action "angel investors" sometimes pocket. But becoming a successful angel investor takes much more than just money. It also requires sound judgment, seasoned mentors, and a high tolerance for...
Mypoints.com Builds Loyalty and Value By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Mypoints.com Inc. {MYPT} may have faced some bad timing with its recent IPO, but online consumer incentive company has caught analysts' attention as a stock to watch over the next year. The San Francisco-based company debuted on Nasdaq on August 20 at $8.00...
Need for Speed Sends Two Stocks Soaring by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Brocade Communications Systems Inc. {BRCD} and Gadzoox Networks Inc. {ZOOX} are benefiting from soaring demand for storage area networks (SAN) -- the newest stretch of high-tech pavement on the fast-growing information superhighway -- which could pose an obstacle for the...
Corel Rides Linux Bandwagon by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Corel Corp. {CORL}, the maker of the once-dominant WordPerfect word-processing software, is hitching its wagon to the fast-rising Linux star. The Canadian company plans to release an easy-to-install version of the Linux operating system, called Corel Linux, early next year. The product drew rave...
Potholes on the Information Highway by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent The stock of tiny Tumbleweed Communications Co. {TMWD}, a provider of secure online-communications services to the United States Postal Service, among others, has jumped about 50 percent since the company’s early-August IPO. "Tumbleweed is extremely well-positioned to exploit growth in online technology," says...
Solectron Shines in Outsourcing Sector by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Solectron Corp. {SLR}, a Milpitas, Calif., manufacturer of electronics products for blue-chip customers such as International Business Machines {IBM}, Hewlett-Packard Co. {HWP}, and Cisco Systems Inc. {CSCO}, is benefiting from strong sales by its customers and high utilization of its plants and...
Two Net Companies Test Soft IPO Market by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Two Internet companies–one that’s already been priced and one slated to be priced after the close today–are testing the softening Internet initial public offering market, despite the fact that both are losing money and facing stiff competition. HeadHunter.NET Inc. {HHNT}, an...
Sun's Magic Is Its Servers by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Sun Microsystems Inc.’s {SUNW} splashy Java and Jini software and its next-generation high-performance multimedia chip, Majc, have captured a lot of attention recently. But it’s Sun’s success selling high-end UNIX servers, used in internal corporate networks and to power Web sites, that led...
Best Is Ahead for Applied Materials by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Strong demand and a pending switch to new semiconductor-manufacturing technologies means the future looks bright for Applied Materials Inc. {AMAT}. "I’ve been following the company since it went public, and this is about the best outlook we’ve ever had for them," says...
Couch Potatoes Shun Quokka by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Fears that couch potatoes aren’t ready to follow sports on the Internet have contributed to a steep post-IPO slide for Quokka Sports' {QKKA} stock. The company, based in San Francisco, portrays itself as the leader in "digital sports immersion." Recently, the stock has been...
Grove Latest to Tout Linux by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Intel Chairman Andrew S. Grove is the latest passenger to jump on the Linux bandwagon, making an unscheduled public appearance at an industry tradeshow in San Jose. The move is sure to increase investor interest in Durham, N.C.-based Red Hat, a Linux-distributor that...
Future Looks Bright for Web Sites Targeted at Women by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Despite the recent dot-com gloom, the future looks rosy for Web sites targeted at women. According to a recent study by Nielsen Media Research and CommerceNet, the number of female consumers online jumped more than 80 percent last...
Tellme Networks Isn’t Saying Much By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent CNBC.com "If it’s just another way to get stock quotes or sports scores, it’s probably not that interesting." -- Amanda McCarthy, Forrester Research Despite the recent flurry of good press generated by Palo Alto-based Tellme Networks, Inc., key industry analysts aren’t convinced the secretive...
Investor Optimism Leaves Some Worried by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Aug 6 1999 4:00PM ET Despite the market's volatility this summer, investor optimism measured in July hit record levels last month and the danger exists of a big mismatch between expectations and reality. Fully three-quarters of investors surveyed in July say they are optimistic...
New Buyer Services Pose Threat to Online Retailers by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Aug 5 1999 6:00AM ET New services that pool purchase orders from consumers are challenging not only old-fashioned brick and mortar operations but also first-generation online retailers. "If these companies build-out to where they could be, they’ll pose a real threat,"...
Yahoo! Struggles With Its Valuation by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent August 3, 1999 6:02AMET “You still can’t do the math and come up with an explanation for how it’s worth [today’s price] 134.” -- Nick Moore, Jurika & Voyles analyst Despite falling roughly 40% from its 52-week high, some analysts think Yahoo!’s stock remains significantly...
Venture Investments Up, But Returns Trend Downward By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Aug 2 1999 6:08AM ET Venture capital investments in early-stage companies were up sharply during the second quarter this year despite a big drop recently in the average return that VCs had received on their investments. "There is simply no way we...
Hewlett Packard Pulls Out the Stops by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Jul 30 1999 6:03AM ET The selection of Carleton "Carly" Fiorina as Hewlett Packard’s new president and chief executive officer sparked a flurry of well-deserved attention last week. But the bigger buzz around Silicon Valley centers on the savvy way Hewlett Packard...
The Mouse Business Is Roaring by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Jul 29 1999 9:27AM ET Strong sales of sub-$1000 PCs and Apple’s popular iMac computer are helping drive after-market computer mouse sales to record levels. According to a recent report by Intellect ASW, a New York marketing group, recent numbers show a 41 percent...
FCC Gives Boost to AT&T's High-Speed Hopes by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Jul 28 1999 9:11AM ET Thanks to an assist from the Federal Communications Commission, AT&T's {T} considerable investments in high-speed information services have a much better chance of paying off. Recently, the FCC has put its support behind cable companies, indirectly giving...
Pending Red Hat IPO Boosts Server Market by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Jul 27 1999 9:36AM ET The recent IPO filing by software vendor Red Hat, Inc. signals increased demand in the fast-growing market for a widely accepted operating system that competes with Microsoft products. The Durham, N.C.-based company’s IPO is expected to contribute...
E-Mail Responders Get Ready for IPOs by Hal Plotkin, Silicon Valley Correspondent Jul 23 1999 9:01AM ET Investors looking for hot new Internet initial public offerings will soon have an entirely new category of Net start-ups to consider: e-mail answering services. Sound a bit dry? This new group of soon-to-be public companies solves real problems...
Third-Party Software, International Sales To Determine Apple's Future by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent CNBC.com Jul 21 1999 6:06AM ET Steve Jobs' expected rollout of Apple Computer's new laptop may capture investors attention but two other items will determine the company's long-term prospects. There are encouraging signs in both those areas -- with some important caveats. The...