The increased guidance is due to early indications that overall capital spending for information technology may be improving, as well as the company’s continued streamlining of its operations and real estate portfolio.
An improved capital-spending environment could lead to revenue growth at the high end of previous revenue guidance for the company’s Teradata Data Warehousing and Financial Self Service businesses and lead to overall revenue growth for NCR of 1 percent to 2 percent in 2004.
A company spokesman confirmed that first-quarter results, while not finalized, are expected to exceed prior guidance. Revenue is now pitched to be roughly $1.27 billion to $1.29 billion, again led by strong performances in Data Warehousing and Financial Self Service specifically.
Including real estate gains of $0.04 per share, the company anticipates a $0.05 to $0.10 loss per share for the seasonally weak first quarter compared with a current First Call mean estimate of $0.27 loss per share.
The news came on the back of the company’s strategic alliance with BearingPoint, the business consulting, systems integration and managed services firm. The move targets businesses in the financial services, communications, insurance and healthcare, public services, manufacturing and retail industries.
Under the agreement, which includes NCR’s Teradata and Retail Solutions Divisions, the two companies will plan marketing and sales activities with the goal of providing their current and future joint customers with the broadest suite of enterprise and store-automation solutions.
