惠普公司（HP Inc.）的最新財報足以讓投資者感到滿意，他們迫切想知道面對施樂（Xerox）氣勢洶洶的收購要約，這家硅谷科技巨頭打算如何應對。

這家個人電腦和印刷公司于11月26日宣布今年第四財季的收入為154億美元，優于分析師預計的153億美元。公司還表示，第四季度的每股收益60美分也超出了分析師58美分的預測。

隨后，惠普的股價在盤后交易中上漲1.6%至20.37美元。

考慮到施樂表示他們將接觸惠普股東，從而“尋求他們的支持，敦促惠普董事會做正確的事情，并抓住這一無法拒絕的機會”。惠普的董事會在之前回絕了施樂收購公司的提議，表示他們希望從施樂公司得到“盡職信息”，從而評估交易，但這筆交易可能不涉及被一家規模更小的公司收購。

惠普公司的首席執行官恩里克·洛雷斯在收入電話會議上對分析師表示，在惠普的公開聲明之外，他不會對施樂有更多評論。不過很明顯，從他對惠普“為股東創造長期價值”的多次強調可以看出，他的確在考慮施樂的問題。

洛雷斯表示：“我們知道如何搞定當下的狀況，就像我們去年做的一樣。”

當一名分析師向惠普高管詢問公司董事會對施樂和公司短期內的財務規劃有何想法時，惠普的首席財務官史蒂夫·費勒表示，公司正在評估潛在的并購和收購，或向股東提供“額外的資本收益”。

費勒還表示，惠普在第四季度公布了一項自愿提早退休的計劃，這是公司重組計劃的一部分，已經有“超過1,000人”簽字參加。

盡管如此，惠普公司明年仍然面臨著許多挑戰，尤其是公司目前利潤最高的打印用品業務，這一點也得到了分析師的密切關注。談到惠普的該項業務時，洛雷斯表示惠普在印度遭遇了挑戰，尤其是因為“克隆競爭的侵略性”。他指的是亞洲油墨制造商對惠普展開了低價競爭。

今年第四季度，惠普的打印業務銷售額同比下滑6%至50億美元，印刷用品業務銷售額同比下滑7%至32億美元，凸顯了惠普在重振打印和印刷用品業務上的困境。

不過，盡管打印業務面臨挑戰，洛雷斯卻反復強調目前惠普公司的管理層知道如何帶領公司在充滿困難的個人電腦和打印市場前進。

洛雷斯表示：“我要強調，我們對自己的戰略和創造價值的多種方式充滿信心。”

但施樂的管理層似乎不這么認為。（財富中文網）

譯者：嚴匡正

HP Inc.’s latest quarterly results were good enough to please investors, who are eagerly watching how the Silicon Valley technology giant plans to deal with Xerox’s aggressive bid to take over the company.

The personal computer and printing giant said on November 26 it brought in $15.4 billion in its fiscal fourth quarter, beating analyst estimates of $15.3 billion. The company also said that fourth quarter earnings per share were 60 cents, topping analyst expectations that the company would report profits of 58 cents a share.

As a result, HP shares were up 1.6% in after-hours trading to $20.37.

It was a particularly important quarter for HP, considering Xerox on Tuesday said it would reach out to HP shareholders in order “to solicit their support in urging the HP Board to do the right thing and pursue this compelling opportunity.” HP’s board of directors previously rebuffed Xerox’s bid to take over the company, saying that they wanted “access to diligence information” from Xerox to evaluate a potential deal that would likely not involve being acquired by the smaller company.

HP Inc. CEO Enrique Lores told analysts during an earnings call that he would not comment further on Xerox, beyond what HP has already publicly stated. But it was clear from his multiple comments emphasizing HP’s plans to create “long-term value creation for shareholders” that Xerox is on his mind.

“We know how to manage through the current dynamic, which is exactly what we have been doing for the past year,” Lores said.

When an analyst asked HP executives about what the company's board is thinking about these days, in light of Xerox and what the company plans to use its finances for in the near future, HP CFO Steve Fieler said it is evaluating potential mergers and acquisitions or “additional return of capital” to shareholders.

Fieler also said that HP announced a voluntary early retirement program as part of a restructuring program in its fourth quarter, and has “more than 1,000 participants” signed up.

Still, HP faces some significant challenges next year, particularly the company’s important printing supplies business, which is its most profitable unit, and is closely watched by analysts. Commenting on HP’s printing supplies business, Lores noted that HP faces challenges in India, particularly due to “aggressiveness of the clone competition,” referring to Asian ink makers who have been undercutting HP on price.

HP’s overall printing sales dropped 6% year-over-year to $5 billion in the fourth quarter. The company’s printing supplies business declined 7% year-over-year in the fourth quarter to $3.2 billion, underscoring HP’s ongoing dilemma in reviving its ink and supply business.

But despite the printing challenges, Lores repeatedly emphasized that current HP management knows how to steer the company amid the challenging PC and printing market.

“I’d like to emphasize the confidence we have on our strategy and the multiple levers we have to create value,” Lores said.

Xerox management seemingly disagrees.