By Jaspreet Singh Feb 24 (Reuters) - HP Inc said on Tuesday it expected volatility in memory chips to persist even into next year and forecast a slump in its PC shipments, sending its shares down around ‌6% in extended trading. The personal devices maker said it expects adjusted profit for fiscal 2026 ending October ‌31 to be at the low end of its previously issued forecast of $2.90 to $3.20 per share. It anticipates PC unit shipments to decline in the double ​digits, in line with industry trends. HP, ...

Core Viewpoint - HP Inc. anticipates fiscal 2026 results to be at the low end of its forecasts due to U.S. trade regulations and rising memory chip costs, leading to a 3.6% decline in its shares during extended trading [1] Financial Performance - HP's first-quarter revenue increased by 6.9% to $14.44 billion, surpassing analysts' average estimate of $13.94 billion [1] - The adjusted profit per share for the quarter ended January 31 was 81 cents, exceeding estimates of 76 cents [1] - Revenue from the personal systems unit, which includes consumer and commercial PCs, grew by 11% to $10.25 billion [1] - Revenue in the printing segment fell by 2% to $4.19 billion [1] Market Outlook - HP's CFO indicated that the company expects results to be closer to the low end of its range due to increasing memory costs [1] - Preliminary data from IDC suggests a low double-digit decline in unit shipments for smartphones and personal computers in 2026 [1] - Global PC spending is projected to rise to $219.57 billion by 2027 [1] Strategic Adjustments - HP, similar to peers like Dell, has implemented supply chain adjustments and price increases to mitigate the impact of fluctuating tariffs and rising memory chip prices [1] - The company is benefiting from the growing adoption of AI-powered personal computers and the ongoing Windows 11 upgrade cycle [1]

Market Overview - The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 1% as investors reacted to jobs data and awaited the January inflation report [1][15] - The Dow dropped 669.42 points (1.34%) to 49,451.98, the S&P 500 decreased by 108.71 points (1.57%) to 6,832.76, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 469.32 points (2.03%) to 22,597.15 [6][15] Technology Sector - Cisco Systems reported a less-than-impressive quarterly update, leading to a 12.3% drop in its shares, the largest one-day selloff since May 2022, which negatively impacted the broader technology sector [2][8] - The S&P 500 software index fell 1.7%, marking its second consecutive loss, with AppLovin experiencing a significant decline of 19.7% after its fourth-quarter results [9][15] - Concerns about AI disruption affected transportation companies, with the Dow Jones Transport Average sinking 4% [10][15] AI Investment and Competition - Investors are focused on which sectors can enhance productivity through AI investments while also worrying about industries that may face disruption [3][5] - Major tech companies, including Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, are expected to spend around $650 billion in the competition for AI dominance [9][15] Employment and Economic Indicators - A stronger-than-expected jobs report raised concerns that the Federal Reserve may be less likely to cut interest rates [7][15] - The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased less than anticipated, indicating lingering disruptions from winter storms [7][15] Market Dynamics - Declining issues outnumbered advancers on both the NYSE and Nasdaq, with a ratio of 2.17-to-1 on the NYSE and 2.74-to-1 on the Nasdaq [12][15] - The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index finished down 2.5%, while Equinix shares rose 10.4% due to strong AI-linked demand forecasts [11][15]

Core Insights - The personal computer market is expected to face rising DRAM and NAND/SSD prices due to supply shortages driven by AI data center demand, leading to increased selling prices by PC vendors in 2026 [2] - Apple is well-positioned with its Mac business benefiting from the new macOS Tahoe 26 and M5 chip, which enhances performance and user experience [3][4] - HP is experiencing strong early adoption of AI-enabled PCs, but faces challenges with declining PC unit volumes and rising memory costs impacting earnings in 2026 [7][8] Apple Insights - Apple's Mac business is gaining market share, with a 9% share in 2025, up 30 basis points year-over-year, and shipments growing 11.1% to 25.6 million [5] - The M5 chip, built on 3 nm technology, offers significant performance improvements, including over four times the peak GPU compute performance of the previous M4 chip [4] - Apple's diversified manufacturing base, including operations in India and Vietnam, is expected to help manage supply chain challenges in 2026 [6] HP Insights - HP's AI PCs accounted for over 30% of total shipments in Q4 2025, with expectations to rise to 40-50% in fiscal 2026, leading to higher average selling prices [7] - Despite the growth in AI PCs, HP anticipates a decline in overall PC unit volumes in fiscal 2026, with only slight revenue growth expected from higher specifications [8] - HP's market share was 20.2% in 2025, with shipments growing 8.4% year-over-year to 57.5 million [10] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HP's fiscal 2026 earnings is $3.00 per share, reflecting a 4% decrease from fiscal 2025 [11] - In contrast, the consensus for Apple's fiscal 2026 earnings has increased to $8.13 per share, indicating a 9% growth over fiscal 2025 [12] Stock Performance and Valuation - Over the past 12 months, Apple shares have appreciated by 10.3%, while HP shares have dropped by 40.2% [13] - HP shares are considered cheaper with a Value Score of A, trading at 0.33X forward price/sales, compared to Apple's 7.83X, which has a Value Score of F [16] Conclusion - Apple's strong Mac portfolio and technological advancements position it favorably in the PC market, while HP faces challenges from memory shortages and declining demand [19]

Group 1 - Dell Technologies (DELL.US) saw a pre-market increase of over 2%, reaching $121.75 [1] - Omdia's latest report indicates a significant recovery in the global PC market, with total shipments expected to reach 279.5 million units in 2025, a 9.2% increase from 2024 [1] - The fourth quarter of 2025 is projected to see shipments exceed 75 million units, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 10.1%, which will be a key driver for annual growth [1] Group 2 - Dell's fourth-quarter year-on-year growth rate reached 26%, setting a record for quarterly shipments [1] - The company's total annual shipments amounted to 41.89 million units, with a market share increase of 2 percentage points year-on-year [1]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the article highlights a significant recovery in the global PC market, with a projected total shipment of 279.5 million units in 2025, representing a 9.2% increase from 2024 [1] - The fourth quarter of 2025 is expected to see a shipment of over 75 million units, with a year-on-year growth rate of 10.1%, which will be a key driver for the annual growth [1] - Dell Technologies reported a year-on-year growth rate of 26% in the fourth quarter, achieving a record single-quarter shipment of 41.89 million units, and increasing its market share by 2 percentage points [1]

Core Insights - Dell Technologies (DELL) and Apple (AAPL) are significant competitors in the personal computer (PC) market, with Dell focusing on Windows-based PCs and Apple expanding its macOS-based offerings [1][2] Market Overview - The PC market is projected to grow from $222.64 billion in 2025 to $344.13 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.10% [2] Dell Technologies - Dell's Client Solutions Group (CSG) reported revenues of $12.47 billion in Q3 of fiscal 2026, marking a 3% year-over-year increase, with commercial revenue up 5% to $10.6 billion [4] - The ongoing PC refresh cycle presents a significant opportunity for Dell, with approximately 500 million PCs eligible for Windows 11 upgrades and another 500 million older PCs that cannot run the new OS [5] - Despite a modest revenue growth driven by AI-enabled PCs, Dell faces challenges from declining consumer PC revenue and macroeconomic pressures [10][11] Apple Inc. - Apple's Mac sales rose 12.7% year-over-year to $8.5 billion in Q4 of fiscal 2025, with nearly half of buyers being first-time users [6] - The introduction of the M5 chip in the new MacBook Pro has enhanced performance, providing up to 3.5 times faster AI capabilities compared to previous models [7] - Strategic partnerships with enterprises have strengthened Apple's market position, with companies adopting Mac products to boost productivity [8] Stock Performance and Valuation - Over the past six months, DELL shares increased by 14.3%, while AAPL shares surged by 40.2%, attributed to strong Mac demand [11] - DELL shares are considered undervalued with a Price/Earnings ratio of 0.71X, while AAPL shares are viewed as overvalued at 8.98X [14] - Earnings estimates for DELL are projected at $9.89 per share for fiscal 2026, indicating a 21.50% year-over-year increase, while AAPL's estimate is $8.12 per share, reflecting an 8.85% increase [16] Conclusion - Both companies are positioned to benefit from the growing PC market, but Apple's strong demand for Macs and innovative product offerings provide it with a competitive advantage over Dell [20]

Group 1 - Dell's founder, Michael Dell, and his wife, Susan, announced a donation of $6.25 billion to help open investment accounts for American children [1] - The donation is part of a plan based on Trump's "Invest in America" initiative, which aims to establish $1,000 tax-deferred investment accounts for all children born in 2025, referred to as "Trump accounts" [1] - The funds will be managed by the U.S. Treasury to create accounts for 25 million children aged 10 and under who do not qualify for government funding, with each account receiving $250 [1] Group 2 - The initiative is focused on areas with median household incomes below $150,000, aiming to benefit 80% of children in the same age group across the U.S. [1] - Following the announcement, Dell Technologies' stock rose by 2.91%, closing at $135.94 per share [1]

Core Insights - HP Inc. reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.93, exceeding the estimated $0.91, indicating strong performance in the technology sector [1][6] - The company's revenue for the quarter ending in October 2025 was $14.64 billion, a 4.2% increase from the previous year, but fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $14.97 billion, resulting in a revenue surprise of -2.23% [2][6] Financial Performance - HPQ's EPS matched the previous year's figure, delivering a positive surprise of 2.2% against consensus estimates, marking the only time in the past four quarters that it exceeded consensus EPS estimates [3] - The company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is approximately 9.02, indicating how the market values its earnings [4][6] - HPQ's revenue increase of 4.2% year-over-year reflects its competitive position in the market despite the revenue shortfall against estimates [2][6] Market Valuation - The price-to-sales ratio stands at 0.41, suggesting a relatively low market valuation compared to its revenue [4] - The enterprise value to sales ratio is 0.52, slightly higher than its market capitalization, reflecting the company's overall valuation including debt [4] Financial Health - HPQ has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, indicating a higher reliance on debt financing [5] - The current ratio of 0.77 suggests potential challenges in covering short-term liabilities with short-term assets [5] - Despite these challenges, HPQ's earnings yield of about 11.09% offers insight into the return on investment for shareholders [5]

Core Insights - RiverPark Advisors reported strong performance in U.S. equity markets during Q3 2025, with the S&P 500 Total Return Index increasing by 8.12% and the Russell 1000 Growth Index rising by 10.51% [1] - The RiverPark Large Growth Fund achieved a return of 4.73% in the same quarter, with market leadership concentrated among a few mega-cap tech and consumer companies driven by AI innovation [1] - The sectors of Information Technology, Consumer Discretionary, and Communication Services outperformed, while Energy and Utilities lagged behind [1] Company Focus: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) - Apple Inc. reported a one-month return of 3.48% and a 52-week gain of 16.79%, closing at $267.44 per share with a market capitalization of $3.969 trillion on November 18, 2025 [2] - The company experienced a strong quarter, with total revenue of approximately $94 billion, reflecting a 10% year-over-year growth, driven by a 15% increase in iPhone sales and record Services revenue of $27 billion [3] - Apple Inc. ranked 8th among the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds, with 156 hedge fund portfolios holding its shares at the end of Q2 2025, down from 159 in the previous quarter [4] - The September quarter revenue for Apple Inc. was reported at $102.5 billion, marking an 8% year-over-year increase [4]