Why Did HP's Second-Quarter PC Sales Lag the Competition?
Sales of personal computers remained rather brisk in the recently ended second quarter, up 4.6% compared to the second quarter of last year when demand was surging due to the advent of the pandemic. But not every computer manufacturer saw strength last quarter. Sales of PCs made by HP actually fell year over year during its fiscal second quarter, making it the only major computer name to lose ground.
That's the assessment from technology market research outfit Gartner anyway, which estimates shipments of PCs every quarter based on delivery channels it monitors. Gartner's presumed weakness from HP, however, was mirrored by rival research from IDC.
It's a concerning disparity for HP shareholders for the obvious reason -- the company's upcoming quarterly report could be disappointing. Then, there's the less obvious, more philosophical worry being fleshed out here. That is, HP may well be feeling the brunt of the chip shortage more than its peers.
Source Fool.com
