Nortel CEO Mike Zafirovski spilled the beans on the company’s first-quarter results a few weeks ago but Nortel-watchers should, nevertheless, be interested when the numbers are officially released next week. In particular, investors and analysts will want more details about Mike Z.’s strategic vision. It’s one thing to say that operating margins will rebound by 2009 but quite another to offer concrete plans on how that’s going to be done. Will Nortel remain in all of its current businesses or decide to focus on the ones with better prospects. What role will acquisitions play within Mike Z.’s 20% market share criteria? What’s Mike Z.’s take on mega-mergers and industry consolidation given the chatter about a deal with Siemens and Nokia? Plenty of questions that could be answered next week but it all depends on how forthcoming and transparent Mike Z. wants to be. So far, he has done a good job of talking the talk but investors are going to want more "meat" pretty soon.
Looking Forward to Next Week
Nortel CEO Mike Zafirovski spilled the beans on the company’s first-quarter results a few weeks ago but Nortel-watchers should, nevertheless, be interested when the numbers are officially released next week. In particular, investors and analysts will want more details about Mike Z.’s strategic vision. It’s one thing to say that operating margins will rebound by 2009 but quite another to offer concrete plans on how that’s going to be done. Will Nortel remain in all of its current businesses or decide to focus on the ones with better prospects. What role will acquisitions play within Mike Z.’s 20% market share criteria? What’s Mike Z.’s take on mega-mergers and industry consolidation given the chatter about a deal with Siemens and Nokia? Plenty of questions that could be answered next week but it all depends on how forthcoming and transparent Mike Z. wants to be. So far, he has done a good job of talking the talk but investors are going to want more "meat" pretty soon.