Unisys Corp has been meeting analysts and told them that one of its main near-term financial goals is to achieve full year profitability, after the payment of preferred dividends, this year, after losing $49.7m or $0.41 per share, after the payment of said dividends. The company also said they see slight growth in profit margins in 1997, compared with total gross margins of 33.3% in 1996. We are not uncomfortable with the range of estimates that exist out there, but that’s all I can tell you, chairman James Unruh said in response to one analyst’s question about the company’s current financial outlook. According to First Call Wall Street is looking for anything between $0.28 and $0.50 a share. Unisys also said its capital spending in 1997 will decline to $250m from $280m in 1996. The computer systems group is expected to see flat revenues in 1997, compared with $2.4bn in 1996. Its computer unit revenue growth will also see an impact from an expected decline in revenues of its ClearPath system, which will offset the growth in personal computer revenues. It also expects its Information Services Group to achieve operating profitability in the second half, but it is having to reduce further its sales, general and administrative expenses in this business unit, because expenses were at unacceptable levels in 1996.
