Nach diversen Abstufungen, wird jetzt der Sinn von B2B-Software generell in frage gestellt - speziell, ob sich die hohen Ausgaben für die Programme überhaupt rechnen.
Langsam wirds absurd...
Friday March 9, 12:02 pm Eastern Time
RESEARCH ALERT-Lehman downgrades B2B
software makers
NEW YORK, March 9 (Reuters) - Lehman Brothers on Friday cut its ratings on several
leaders in the business-to-business software market, citing the weakening U.S. economy and
heated competition.
Analyst Patrick Walravens downgraded Ariba Inc. (NasdaqNM:ARBA - news) and Commerce One Inc.
(NasdaqNM:CMRC - news) to market perform from buy and lowered estimates for the quarter and year. He cut
PurchasePro.com Inc. (NasdaqNM:PPRO - news) to buy from strong buy and lowered estimates and target price to $30 a
share. Finally, he cut VerticalNet Inc. (NasdaqNM:VERT - news) to market perform from buy.
Based on recent talks with heads of companies responsible for buying technology, Walravens said customers are increasingly
concerned about the U.S. economy and are delaying expensive purchases. They also are more scrupulously evaluating claims
by B2B software makers that the money their products save customers outweighs the cost of the software.
Finally, Walravens said that i2 Technologies Inc.'s (NasdaqNM:ITWO - news) recent purchase of Rightworks will take market
share away from Commerce One and affect Ariba even more severely. I2 is the No. 1 seller of ``e-procurement'' software that
enables companies to manage and automate their purchasing and inventory. The acquisition of Rightworks allows i2 to offer
software that to set up B2B online exchanges and buy finished goods and raw materials over the Internet -- Ariba's domain.
The downgrades follow earlier earnings reductions by Goldman Sachs and Bank of America analysts, who also cited the
slowdown in the U.S. economy.
In Friday morning trading, shares of Ariba were down $1-5/8, or 12 percent, at $12, while Commerce One dropped $2, or
14.7 percent, to $11-5/8 and VerticalNet fell 11/32, or 11.5 percent, to $2-21/32. All three stocks hit 52-week lows earlier in
the session. PurchasePro was down $1-5/16, or 11 percent, at $10-5/8, near a 52-week low of $9-3/16.
Gruß Dampf
Langsam wirds absurd...
Friday March 9, 12:02 pm Eastern Time
RESEARCH ALERT-Lehman downgrades B2B
software makers
NEW YORK, March 9 (Reuters) - Lehman Brothers on Friday cut its ratings on several
leaders in the business-to-business software market, citing the weakening U.S. economy and
heated competition.
Analyst Patrick Walravens downgraded Ariba Inc. (NasdaqNM:ARBA - news) and Commerce One Inc.
(NasdaqNM:CMRC - news) to market perform from buy and lowered estimates for the quarter and year. He cut
PurchasePro.com Inc. (NasdaqNM:PPRO - news) to buy from strong buy and lowered estimates and target price to $30 a
share. Finally, he cut VerticalNet Inc. (NasdaqNM:VERT - news) to market perform from buy.
Based on recent talks with heads of companies responsible for buying technology, Walravens said customers are increasingly
concerned about the U.S. economy and are delaying expensive purchases. They also are more scrupulously evaluating claims
by B2B software makers that the money their products save customers outweighs the cost of the software.
Finally, Walravens said that i2 Technologies Inc.'s (NasdaqNM:ITWO - news) recent purchase of Rightworks will take market
share away from Commerce One and affect Ariba even more severely. I2 is the No. 1 seller of ``e-procurement'' software that
enables companies to manage and automate their purchasing and inventory. The acquisition of Rightworks allows i2 to offer
software that to set up B2B online exchanges and buy finished goods and raw materials over the Internet -- Ariba's domain.
The downgrades follow earlier earnings reductions by Goldman Sachs and Bank of America analysts, who also cited the
slowdown in the U.S. economy.
In Friday morning trading, shares of Ariba were down $1-5/8, or 12 percent, at $12, while Commerce One dropped $2, or
14.7 percent, to $11-5/8 and VerticalNet fell 11/32, or 11.5 percent, to $2-21/32. All three stocks hit 52-week lows earlier in
the session. PurchasePro was down $1-5/16, or 11 percent, at $10-5/8, near a 52-week low of $9-3/16.
Gruß Dampf
