• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says

3

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says

3

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

Tech: Are happy days here again?

By
Jon Fortt
Jon Fortt
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jon Fortt
Jon Fortt
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 19, 2009, 7:00 AM ET

Is it time to dust off the party hats?

From the cheery headlines accompanying the latest round of tech earnings, you’d think so. Google (GOOG) CEO Eric Schmidt declared last week that, “the worst of the recession is behind us.” IBM (IBM) actually boosted earnings targets for the year. Taken along with the stimulus potential of Windows 7, Microsoft’s (MSFT) critically acclaimed PC operating system that launches this week, some say happy times are here again.

Not so fast. As we head into week two of this round of tech earnings, it’s important to keep in mind what these numbers show, and what they don’t.

What they show is this: we seem to have dodged the worst-case scenario. In those dark post-Lehman days at the beginning of the year it seemed the global economy was headed off a cliff, and nary a big tech CEO dared predict a recovery in 2009; as stock prices plunged and customers bolted, the sunniest forecast most would offer was carnage this year, followed perhaps by less carnage in 2010.

Now it’s a different story. Since the March market rebound and some calming statements from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the suits have changed their tune. Intel not only reported a blowout quarter, but also pointed to a healthy holiday season; even embattled Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) said it expects a modest rise in sales. No one knows exactly what Apple (AAPL) will say when it reports earnings this week, but it probably involves an obscene volume of iPhones. In a turnabout from a year ago, all across Silicon Valley executives are whispering about an upbeat Q4.

So what’s not to like? Well, what these numbers don’t show is sustained revenue growth – the stuff that healthy earnings, stock prices, and economies are built on. IBM’s quarterly sales were down from a year ago, as were Intel’s. Other companies saw modest increases, but it’s too soon to tell whether the credit belongs more to a mounting recovery or to easier comparisons with last year – remember, things got bad right at the end of the third quarter, making these reports look impressive by comparison. Even the holiday season numbers won’t shed much light on whether this is a strong tech recovery or a weak one; last year’s Q4 numbers were so horrible that it won’t take much to blow them away.

No, to get a true read on the strength of this recovery, we’ll have to wait until April, when the big techs start reporting Q1 numbers. By then the euphoria of averted disaster will have worn off, and we’ll see if consumers and businesses have anything left to spend after the holiday season.

If sales slow down dramatically, we could be in for something like the uninspiring “L-shaped recovery” that Oracle (ORCL) CEO Larry Ellison predicted last month. If they continue chugging along despite high unemployment and foreclosures, then those party hats might be in order.

About the Author
By Jon Fortt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Marvell Technology, Flex to join S&P 500 later this month
InvestingS&P 500
Marvell Technology, Flex to join S&P 500 later this month
By Isabelle Lee and BloombergJune 6, 2026
2 hours ago
Ukraine targets St. Petersburg after Putin refuses talks
EuropeRussia
Ukraine targets St. Petersburg after Putin refuses talks
By BloombergJune 6, 2026
2 hours ago
Why oil’s not at $200 after the biggest supply shock in history
EnergyOil
Why oil’s not at $200 after the biggest supply shock in history
By Devika Krishna Kumar, Alex Longley, Yongchang Chin, Mia Gindis and BloombergJune 6, 2026
2 hours ago
Natisha Hiedeman, wearing a black and green jersey, celebrates on court.
North AmericaSports
The Seattle Storm used to be the ‘tail’ on the ‘dog’ of its NBA counterpart. Now the WNBA team is leading the city’s basketball revival
By Sasha RogelbergJune 6, 2026
3 hours ago
‘That’s the way life goes’: Trump tells Knicks fans who can’t afford tickets to ‘watch it on television’
Arts & EntertainmentDonald Trump
‘That’s the way life goes’: Trump tells Knicks fans who can’t afford tickets to ‘watch it on television’
By Michelle L. Price, Will Weissert and The Associated PressJune 6, 2026
3 hours ago
Trump issues pardon to former Republican congressman who made $350,000 in illegal gains from insider trading
LawInsider trading
Trump issues pardon to former Republican congressman who made $350,000 in illegal gains from insider trading
By The Associated PressJune 6, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
Economy
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
By Nick LichtenbergJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
Success
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
By Sydney LakeJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 5, 2026
1 day ago
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
Cybersecurity
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
By Sasha RogelbergJune 3, 2026
3 days ago
Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
Real Estate
Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
By Sydney LakeJune 6, 2026
7 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.