Friday, November 21, 2008, 8:16PM ET - U.S. Markets Closed.

Wall Street to Main Street: Beware PCs, Chips

Posted Oct 06, 2008 05:03pm EDT by Sarah Lacy in Investing, Computers, Semiconductors, Products and Trends, Recession

There's a raft of downgrades and warnings pouring out of Wall Street today, and no tech sector seems to be as hard hit as computers and the chips that power them. Just to name a few: UBS is cutting targets and estimates for Apple, Dell and HP; Weisel is cutting estimates on Apple; JP Morgan is cutting them on Dell; Citibank is cutting estimates or downgrading some 15 chip makers.

Post-bailout and post-markets crashing around the world. it seems to be dawning on everyone in tech-- whether on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley-- just how bad things are about to get through the rest of the year and into 2009.

I asked Scott Kessler, of Standard & Poor's Equity Research, just how bad holiday shopping looks for tech and where all these warnings were last week.

23 Comments

you
DON P - Monday October 06, 2008 05:30PM EDT

Common and pile on....just remember the folks that voted for the bailout when you go to the polls. Our Reps knew about all the dirty deals done dirt cheap, remember them in November.

NS
NS - Monday October 06, 2008 05:30PM EDT

Let's see Wall street does nt even know how to evaluate their own assets (or liabilities) and now these guys are giving advice on other well run companies that actually produce real goods? I have always been wary of 'anal-yeasts', so I am sick and tired of their nonsense talking.

you
johnyale - Monday October 06, 2008 05:33PM EDT

Doesn't this babe change her delivery to circumstances? Her tone is as if she's discussing a recipe. Goofy smile. She's not very good.

chiefdray
chiefdray - Monday October 06, 2008 05:44PM EDT

I think almost everything will go down the tubes. Wall St is the last place i would go to for advice. It is run by a bunch of crooks and swindlers.

you
p c - Monday October 06, 2008 05:50PM EDT

When these idiots say sell, I buy!

you
R R - Monday October 06, 2008 05:51PM EDT

The chip sector already took a hit, just look at the prices of the companies and how much they dropped. Of course now some idiot analyst comes out and says there's going to be a downgrade. Useless.

not happy
not happy - Monday October 06, 2008 05:56PM EDT

Thats why I took my money out awhile back and play poker with it instead............at least an even playing field!!..and free drinks to boot.....

you
jerry s - Monday October 06, 2008 06:01PM EDT

Its about time to clean up this united states. We all are heading for the poor house. Only the big wheels will come out smelling like a rose. Companys will go under and the people that run them, walks out with millions. The crooks are taking over and most of them are in washington DC and the bad thing more are comming in NOVEMBER.

you
revdrscorpio - Monday October 06, 2008 06:07PM EDT

Buy your winter coat in the summer. Stocks... sell into strength, buy on weakness. Good co's are a steal. IR has a P/E of 2 now. Gimmie a break. With a 10+ year time horizon you should be not spending money on food and just buying with all you can afford to lose in the short term. This time will be the valley on the chart where everyone will say, "I should have bought then". I fortified positions on FLR, CCJ, IR, DE, DOW today. Not huge positions to begin with, but good buys. Most were 5% up from lows by day's end.

you
revdrscorpio - Monday October 06, 2008 06:07PM EDT

Buy your winter coat in the summer. Stocks... sell into strength, buy on weakness. Good co's are a steal. IR has a P/E of 2 now. Gimmie a break. With a 10+ year time horizon you should be not spending money on food and just buying with all you can afford to lose in the short term. This time will be the valley on the chart where everyone will say, "I should have bought then". I fortified positions on FLR, CCJ, IR, DE, DOW today. Not huge positions to begin with, but good buys. Most were 5% up from lows by day's end.

you
Yahoo! Finance User - Monday October 06, 2008 06:09PM EDT

"When these idiots say sell, I buy!" Buy on downgrade, sell on upgrade. It works like a charm.

you
modiglialan - Monday October 06, 2008 06:11PM EDT

When you're self made and very comfortable it is hard not to be a little smug. Especially remembering the college days with some of the same preppy Wall Street schmucks who thought they knew it all. You have to love the chaos. I hope I'm not the only one out here having fun making a killing.

you
ritznbo - Monday October 06, 2008 06:28PM EDT

this idoits buy the stock after downgrade

you
ritznbo - Monday October 06, 2008 06:29PM EDT

this idioits buy the stock after downgrade

Gramps
Gramps - Monday October 06, 2008 06:31PM EDT

In my day, you could buy a stick of gum and a music download for 5 cents. Life was simpler then.

you
oc_man08 - Monday October 06, 2008 06:34PM EDT

Fundamentally companies that had a good business before the crash will still have good business. They have customers and a design wins to sell their chips in. IT departments often obtain their equipment on 3 year leases or depreciate it over three years. Thus they need new equipment every three years. ... 2001, 2003, 2006, 2009 are all big years for IT equipment leases. It might not be all that bad.

smielews
smielews - Monday October 06, 2008 06:50PM EDT

If you believe that these downgrades are a "surprise" to anyone, you're wrong...we are heading for a global downturn and Bush, Obama, and McCain all voted to push our deficit to 11 trillion...like that's gonna help...they knew...they all knew...but they lined their pockets while they could...there's no leadership in this country...and little Ms. Joe-six-pack-hockey-mom is the best the rebuplicans can offer?...she's about as knowledgable as an 8th grader when it comes to Wall Street and Main Street...hold on...it's a wild ride down...buy puts!

sing4beer
sing4beer - Monday October 06, 2008 07:36PM EDT

Nigerian email scam?.....we all should know now that the $600 was to butter-up the masses for the granddaddy of them all schemes......the $700 Billion Bank Bailout, which will be AT LEAST $3,300 for every man, woman, and child in America, maybe even $10,000 each before it's all over; say $40,000 per household, PRETTY GOOD DEAL I'D SAY. Don't ya get it? they give us $600......we give them $3,300-$10,000, sound like Nigeria knocking to me.

you
Yahoo! Finance User - Monday October 06, 2008 11:48PM EDT

Is Sarah Lacy the Insider and she spoke for these companies, If she know ahead every thing She should be very rich just buy and sell stocks. Gơơơd Luck.!!!!!!!!

you
James - Tuesday October 07, 2008 02:59AM EDT

========Best Post Of the Pile========== Nigerian email scam?.....we all should know now that the $600 was to butter-up the masses for the granddaddy of them all schemes......the $700 Billion Bank Bailout, which will be AT LEAST $3,300 for every man, woman, and child in America, maybe even $10,000 each before it's all over; say $40,000 per household, PRETTY GOOD DEAL I'D SAY. Don't ya get it? they give us $600......we give them $3,300-$10,000, sound like Nigeria knocking to me. Give me some NEW Synonyms for Catastrophe... Like names , you know

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