Paul Harris, CFANortel ASNTEL.TODON'T BUYMar 16, 2007
Has looked at this many times but has never owned it. It doesn't make any money. It is a company in restructuring. Their competitor, Cisco (CSCO-Q), has done a very good job making astute acquisitions and growing their businesses more effectively.
If you own the stock, you are playing that there is some value in the assets they own. The company is not a going concern. Have a huge deficit hole in their pension plan. Individual parts of the company may be better being sold off.
Has about $4 per share in cash. They are thinking of selling an asset that would raise about another $1 billion, which would add another $2 per share in cash. However, the overall quality of the balance sheet is as bad as he has ever seen it. Speculative.