US government agencies charged with reviewing sensitive acquisitions are engaged in a debate over how to handle Huawei, the Chinese software and telecoms equipment-maker viewed with deep scepticism by government security experts.
The Obama administration has forced a US maker of fibre optics to abandon a planned joint venture with China's Tangshan Caofeidian Investment Corporation because it believes the tie-up would threaten national security.
The technology industry faces further sweeping consolidation among makers of the hardware, software and services that underpin corporate IT systems, according to Mark Hurd, chief executive of Hewlett-Packard HPQ, the world's largest computer maker.
Huawei has recruited a prominent former Bush administration official who worked on national security issues, as the Chinese telecoms equipment maker seeks to make inroads in Washington and assuage concerns that it has ties to the Chinese military.
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s latest numbers show how deeply dependent the company is on personal computers even as it aggressively expands into more lucrative areas.
Recommendation: Long-only accounts should consider trimming/underweighting their FFIV positions into strength around the F3Q10 results (June 2010 quarter), especially above $70/share; trading/hedged accounts should consider shorting FFIV into strength leading into or after F3Q10 results and guidance.
Company Background
F5 Networks is a leading provider of technology hardware and software solutions that optimize the delivery of network-based applications as well as the security, performance, and availability of servers, data storage devices, and other network resources. FFIV's products sit in front of their customers' web/application servers, balancing...
The Dow is back in the bull zone above the critical 10,725 level. According to Charles Dow, co-founder of Dow Jones & Company, when the public mind has a well defined tendency, either bullish or bearish, it is not easily changed. Scores or hundreds of people may change, but the mass press on in the same direction.
Now that the recovery is on the way, corporate IT spending is ramping up. NThe network security sector stands to be beneficiaries of the growth in this market as governments and organizations begin to see the desperate need to meet regulatory and...
Goldman Sachs is out with its latest hedge fund trend monitor report and tit has highlighted some key takeaways from the slew of fourth quarter SEC filings and portfolio disclosures. Focusing on hedge fund exposure to equities, Goldman notes a broad trend of rotation into industrials and out of information technology. Goldman interestingly notes that this is the first time since 2005 that hedge funds are underweight IT.
Let's revisit the price performance of the major index ETFs for 2010 thus far. We're looking at the S&P 500 (SPY) in green, Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA) in red, Nasdaq 100 (QQQQ) in yellow, and Russell 2000 (IWM) in blue.
Networking giant Cisco Systems (CSCO) has formally announced that it will be breaking off ties with longtime partner, Hewlett-Packard (HPQ). In an official blog posted Thursday, Cisco SVP of Worldwide Channels, Keith Goodwin stated that H-P’s system integrator contract, due for renewal on April 30, would be set aside. As a result, H-P would cease to be a Cisco Certified Channel or Global Service Alliance Partner.
The announcement comes as no surprise, since there has been ample evidence of a fallout between the companies over...
(This post is part of our series on tracking hedge fund portfolios. If you're unfamiliar with tracking investments they disclose via SEC filings, check out our series preface on hedge fund 13F filings.)
Next up is John Paulson's hedge fund firm Paulson & Co. Before rocketing to hedge fund fame, Paulson managed a seemingly mediocre merger arbitrage fund. All of that quickly changed when he shorted collateralized debt obligations and bought credit default swaps in 2005 for his new trade against subprime. At the end of 2007, the Opportunities fund was up 590% and his Opportunities...
The bullish tailwinds have been at the backs of equity investors since the depths of the dark lows of March 2009. In fact, the S&P 500 Index has gained approximately 61% from its panic lows. In the wake of the Chinese government trying to rein in their economy, the European Union struggling with member Greece, and an extended economic stagnation period in the US, the S&P 500 Index has shed some of the froth that has been built over the last 10 months. With the S&P 500 Index now seven percent off its highs...
Susan M. Byrne is Chairman and CIO of Westwood Management and its sister company Westwood Trust, wholly owned subsidiaries of Westwood Holdings Group (NYSE: WHG). Westwood Management and Westwood Trust manage over $10 billion in assets.
We had the opportunity to ask Susan for the thesis behind her single highest conviction holding in her portfolios at this time.
Stock News 
