Restructuring & innovation paying off

Article Excerpt

HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. $42 (New York symbol HPQ; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 2.7 billion; Market cap: $113.4 billion; WSSF Rating: Above average) is one of the world’s leading makers of computers and electronic devices. Products include printers and digital cameras (29% of 2006 revenue, 49% of profit), personal computers (31%, 14%), business computers (19%, 18%), computer services (17%, 18%), financing, software and other (4%, 1%). Customers outside North America account for two-thirds of its revenue. Big restructuring fuels profit gains Hewlett’s revenues grew at a compound annual rate of 6.1%, from $72.3 billion in 2002 to $91.7 billion in 2006 (fiscal years end October 31). Thanks to a major restructuring plan that streamlined its manufacturing and sales operations, profits before non-recurring items rose from $0.79 a share (total $2.4 billion) in 2002 to $2.03 a share ($5.8 billion) in 2006, or 26.6% compounded annually. The company has one of the world’s largest patent portfolios (over 30,000), thanks to its strong…