Certainly you can argue they have been successful on both fronts. And the demand for luxury sport utility vehicles is increasing. |
Do ducks swim in the water? |
Financially, their product line is reasonably successful. There would be no kind of distress sale as there was with Nissan and Renault. Honda can pick something in their own time and place. |
For a full-year basis we're looking at sales basically being flat this year versus where they were last year. But we're still staying at a fairly high rate. |
Free is very difficult to compete with. Certainly, life has become more interesting and challenging for the telecom companies. |
Historically, Ford and Navistar have been the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the medium-duty truck business. This is just a consolidation of the industry. |
I do think from a cultural standpoint that Microsoft is not yet quite thinking in the way that they need to competitively. |
I don't think they are going to split. Management has indicated that while they are a public company, they would like to run themselves as if they were a private company and you could argue that's a similar path as Berkshire. |
I give Rick credit to try to move GM as an organization more at Internet speed. We're seeing the baton being passed from one person who made a significant contribution to someone on the same team, who is going to take the company hopefully to the next level. |
I have to give them credit. They are pioneers but are they leaders? And one might want to ask the question that isn't it true that pioneers die with arrows in their backs? |
I would not be surprised to see sales in the second half of 1996 and sales in the first half of 1997 to be under pressure as a result of this finding. |
In an environment where operating volumes are down and regulatory compliance is becoming more strict, it doesn't make sense for two companies to pool resources. |
In my view, shares of Ford would probably become more attractive if it got down to say $22, $23 a share. Although, I would argue that as long as these investigations are continuing, they'll probably serve to put a lid on the stock price performance. Other stocks in the auto sector we are more positive on include General Motors ( GM : Research , Estimates ). Also at GM, you've got a change in management -- you've got a significant outside shareholder developing in Carl Icahn, owning 30 percent in GM. There's just a lot of value to be realized in the group. |
Investing in their business in order to put in place an infrastructure of the Amazon of tomorrow is becoming, increasingly, an expensive proposition. And it becomes painful, if you will, for investors to wait for that to happen. |
It all boils down to when is this company going to show us better profit margins and cash flow margins? Investors are waiting patiently. |