These Buys Make Sense For Hewlett

Article Excerpt

HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. $48 (New York symbol HPQ; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 2.6 billion; Market cap: $124.8 billion; WSSF Rating: Above average) continues to expand its software operations. It has agreed to pay $1.6 billion for publicly traded Opsware Inc., whose software helps large organizations manage their server computers and databases. Hewlett has also agreed to buy corporate computing specialist Neoware Inc. for $214 million. The company had $12.3 billion ($4.70 a share) in cash at April 30, 2007, so it can comfortably afford these purchases. Growing by acquisition is riskier than internal growth, but these two companies look like good fits with Hewlett’s existing businesses. The two should help Hewlett win more computer consulting and service contracts, which generate higher profits than hardware sales. Expanding its software operations also cuts Hewlett’s reliance on consumer products such as printers and digital cameras, which account for roughly half of the $2.77 a share Hewlett should earn in its current fiscal year…