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The week ahead: Investors look to Oracle

The technology sector will hope for strong earnings from the software maker and will have its eyes on Adobe and CMGI. Also on tap: Internet World in Los Angeles.

6 min read
Following are some of the notable technology-related events scheduled for the week of March 12 through March 16.

The technology sector will hope for some good earnings news from Oracle this week.

The database software giant is scheduled to report earnings Thursday, which will provide another look at how the slowdown in the U.S. economy is affecting the software sector. The Redwood City, Calif.-based company issued a profit warning March 1.

Some investors will prepare for the worst after last week's earnings report from Intel and the subsequent meltdown in the stock markets.

Adobe Systems, the maker of Acrobat desktop publishing software, will also report earnings Thursday, and Internet incubator CMGI will announce earnings Tuesday.

Also this week, the government will release retail sales data and the Producer Price Index. Both reports will provide information on the level of demand at the manufacturing and consumer levels of the economy.

Internet professionals will have a chance to attend the Internet World Spring 2001 conference, which will take place at the Los Angles Convention Center from March 12 to March 16. The event will offer presentations about e-business and Internet technologies. Keynote speakers include eBay CEO Meg Whitman, USA Networks CEO Barry Diller and Siebel Systems CEO Thomas Siebel.

The information was gathered from First Call , Hoover's Online, CCBN's StreetEvents and CNET Investor.

Other events scheduled this week:

Tech Events
Monday, March 12
  • Merrill Lynch's Global Communications Conference will take place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, March 12-14. Executives presenting include Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers, Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg and SBC Communications CEO Ed Whitacre.

  • The Association for Computing Machinery will host the Beyond Cyberspace Conference in San Jose, Calif., March 12-14. The event will focus on the ways computers affect diverse fields such as biology, oceanography, astrophysics, the life and social sciences, and education. Speakers will include Bob Metcalfe, the founder of 3Com, and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

  • Technologic Partners will kick off Network Outlook at the San Francisco Airport Marriott, March 12-13. The conference will focus on the network equipment industry and will feature presentations by Lucent Chief Technology Officer Steve Akers, Avici Systems CEO Surya Panditi, Redback Networks CEO Vivek Ragavan and Extreme Networks CEO Gordon Stitt.

Tuesday, March 13

  • The eCRM 2001 Conference will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, March 13-16. The event will coincide with Internet World Spring 2001 and provide product information, education and best practices on using the Internet, Web and IP technologies for customer relationship management practices.

  • Kagan Seminars will run the Broadband Cable Technology and Finance Conference at the Park Lane Hotel in New York, March 13-14. The event will focus on future growth trends in the broadband and cable industry. Speakers will include George Blumenthal, chairman of NTL; Rocco Commission, CEO of Mediacom; and Alan Yates, vice president of sales and marketing for Microsoft's TV Platforms Group.

  • The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will conduct "The Information Marketplace: Merging and Exchanging Consumer Data" at the Commission Meeting Room (432), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C., on March 13. The free workshop will explore how businesses merge and exchange detailed consumer information and how such information is used commercially.

Wednesday, March 14

  • Janco Partners holds its Annual Institutional Investor Telecommunications Conference at the Cascade Village Inn Resort in Vail, Colo., March 14-16. Companies presenting include Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Level 3 Communications.

  • Forrester Research will hold Travel Summit at the Fairmont Dallas, March 14. The conference will address the growth in the online travel industry and what companies must do to market their services over the Internet. Speakers will include John Samuel, vice president of e-business at American Airlines, and Tony Gonchar, the customer relationship management director at Expedia.

  • Active Communications International will hold a conference on IP telephony in Dallas, March 14-15, focusing on how companies can make revenue off new cable services. The conference will include presentations from companies such as Motorola, Lucent Technologies and Terayon Communication Systems.

  • Job Expo International asks all job-seeking tech professionals with experience to strut their stuff at TechExpo2001 at the Digital Sandbox in New York. Aegis Software, PeopleSoft and Lockheed Martin will be in attendance looking for candidates.

Thursday, March 15

  • Worldwide Business Research will host MCommerce Latin America 2001 at the Sheraton Biscayne Bay, Miami, Fla., March 15-16. The event will feature case studies and presentations on wireless Internet and mobile commerce tactics used in Latin America. Call Libby Eynon at (305) 423-7063 for more information.

Earnings

Monday, March 12

  • Gilat Satellite Networks makes satellite equipment. Per-share consensus estimate for the fourth quarter: profit of 83 cents.

  • Engage makes software to help companies perform online marketing. Per-share consensus estimate for the fiscal second quarter: loss of 26 cents.

Tuesday, March 13
  • EchoStar Communications operates a direct broadcast satellite television service in the United States and makes digital equipment. Per-share consensus estimate for the fourth quarter: loss of 37 cents.

  • Microvision makes personal display products and imaging display technology for military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer uses. Per-share consensus estimate for the fourth quarter: loss of 63 cents.

  • CMGI operates a portfolio of Internet companies. Per-share consensus estimate for the fiscal second quarter: loss of $2.27.

  • Comverse Technology offers voice mail services to telecom companies. Per-share consensus estimate for the fiscal fourth quarter: profit of 39 cents.

Wednesday, March 14

  • Verity makes search and database software. Per-share consensus estimate for the fiscal third quarter: profit of 23 cents.

Thursday, March 15

  • Adobe Systems develops desktop publishing software. Per-share consensus estimate for the fiscal first quarter: profit of 28 cents.

  • Alloy Online operates a Web site for teenagers. Per-share consensus estimate for the fiscal fourth quarter: profit of 2 cents.

  • Oracle makes database software. Per-share consensus estimate for the fiscal third quarter: profit of 10 cents.

  • Tektronix manufactures test and measurement equipment for the communications and semiconductor industries. Per-share consensus estimate for the fiscal third quarter: profit of 32 cents.

Economic Reports

Tuesday, March 13

  • Retail Sales for the month of February are expected to rise 0.3 percent compared with January's gain of 0.7 percent as reported by the Commerce Department. Excluding automobile sales, Wall Street expects retail sales to climb 0.1 percent vs. 0.8 percent the previous month.

Wednesday, March 14

  • Business Inventories represents the percentage change in the amount of goods in inventory in the United States as reported by the Department of Commerce. Wall Street predicts that this number will remain flat for January vs. a 0.1 percent jump in December.

Thursday, March 15
  • Initial Claims refers to the number of people who filed for unemployment benefits each week as reported by the Department of Labor. Claims will be reported for the week of March 10.

  • The import and export price index from the Department of Commerce indicates the percentage change in import and export prices for any given month. No estimates were available for what these numbers will be for February.

  • The Current Account is a measure of all the import and export transactions for a given quarter as reported by the Commerce Department. A negative number means the United States bought more foreign goods than it sold and a positive current account indicates the country exported more goods. Wall Street expects the current account deficit to increase to $117 billion for the fourth quarter, compared with a deficit of $113.8 billion for the third quarter.

Friday, March 16
  • The Producer Price Index is expected to rise to 0.1 percent in February from the previous month's rise of 1.1 percent. The core PPI, which excludes food and energy prices, is expected to tick up 0.1 percent from January's 0.7 percent. This Labor Department index tracks the cost of what manufacturers pay for raw goods to make products.

  • Housing Starts are expected to reach 1.6 million for February, down from 1.65 million in January, as reported by the Department of Commerce.

  • The monthly Capacity Utilization report from the Federal Reserve indicates the percentage of industrial capacity in use. Wall Street expects the number to fall to 80 percent in February from the previous month's 80.2 percent.

  • The Industrial Production index tracks the monthly change in output in U.S. manufacturing, mining, and electric and gas utilities as reported by the Federal Reserve. The number measures the physical quantity of items produced, as opposed to sales value, which combines quantity and price. Wall Street expects production to fall 0.2 percent in February from the previous month's drop of 0.3 percent.

  • The Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index is a measure of consumer confidence as reported monthly by the University of Michigan. Experts expect a preliminary reading of the index to slip to 87 in March from February's 90.6.