IBM yesterday accompanied announcement of fourth quarter figures that were right at the bottom end of analysts forecasts – net profit down 27% at $1,390m, turnover down 1.2% at $16,945m – with a warning that it would be difficult to match last year’s first quarter performance in the current period: for the first quarter of 1986, the company reported net up 3.1% at $1,017m on turnover up 3.7% at $10,127m. The full IBM figures are given in page five.
IBM QUARTER NET OFF 27%; FIRST QUARTER LIKELY DOWN
