Opinion & investing ideas
La situation reste problématique pour les deux principaux constructeurs informatiques américains. La publication des résultats trimestriels de Dell, mardi soir, et de HP, hier, illustre le déficit de croissance dont souffrent les deux compagnies. Le chiffre d'affaires de Dell a augmenté de 2 % seulement, à 16 milliards de dollars, tandis que celui de HP reculait de 7 %, à 30 milliards.
Le marché du PC est aujourd'hui en grande difficulté. Selon Gartner, les ventes (en volume) ont reculé de 1,4 % dans le monde au dernier trimestre. Aux Etats-Unis et en Europe, le marché a respectivement chuté de 5,9 % et 16 %. Seuls Apple et Lenovo voient aujourd'hui leur part de marché progresser dans les pays développés.
Le phénomène des tablettes, symbolisé par le succès de l'iPad, souligne les difficultés qu'ont les deux constructeurs américains à offrir des produits innovants. Les « ultrabooks » commencent certes à arriver sur le marché. Mais le prix élevé de ces nouveaux PC portables, fins et légers, pourrait représenter un frein à leur succès dans le contexte de crise actuel. « Le marché ne risque pas de s'emballer cette année, estime Benoît Flamant, directeur général d'IT Asset Management. Les consommateurs feront preuve d'attentisme, alors que Microsoft prévoit de sortir une nouvelle version de Windows à l'automne. »
VIVUS, Inc announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended Qnexa be granted marketing approval by the FDA for the treatment of obesity in adults. The Committee voted 20 to 2, on the recommendation for an approval based on a favorable benefit-risk profile.
"We are pleased with the panel's approval recommendation in support of the safety and efficacy of Qnexa," said Peter Tam, President of VIVUS. "We look forward to working with the FDA as they complete their evaluation. Obesity is a serious medical condition, and we are committed to making Qnexa available and providing physicians with a new medical treatment option in their battle with this public health epidemic."
Ceres, Inc is an agricultural biotechnology company that markets seeds for energy crops used in the production of renewable transportation fuels, electricity and bio-based products. Its development activities include sweet sorghum, high-biomass sorghum, switchgrass and miscanthus. Ceres markets its products under its Blade Energy Crops brand.
Fuel Systems Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: FSYS) has acquired the compressor business and the right to use certain trademarks from Dresser Italia S.r.l. in an all-cash transaction. The purchase price was not disclosed.
Fuel Systems, along with competitors Clean Energy Fuels Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNE) and Westport Innovations Inc. (NASDAQ: WPRT), are driving growth in the use of natural gas in the transportation business. Natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) has started a $1 billion venture fund to promote natural gas as an alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels, and Clean Energy was among the first beneficiaries of that fund.
Fuel Systems, with a market cap of around $550 million, is the smallest of the three and is trying to beef up its offerings to stay in the game. And it may be doing better than that.
The Dresser purchase includes compressed natural gas (CNG) compressor equipment, the acquisition of the CUBOGAS trademark, and a license to use the Dresser name on equipment now to be manufactured by Fuel Systems.
In the past 12 months, Westport’s share price has more than doubled, Clean Energy’s share price has risen 40%, and Fuel Systems’ price has fallen -1.2%. The story is somewhat different since the beginning of 2012. Fuel Systems’ share price has jumped 60% since January 1st, compared with rises of about 37% at both of its competitors.
