As expected by just about everyone, Yahoo released fairly lacklustre numbers late Tuesday — and also used a word that you should try never to use in an earnings outlook: “headwinds.” As Rob Hof notes at BusinessWeek, this is code for “results are going to suck until further notice.” The stock was off about 10 per cent in after-hours trading, and that took it down near $20, or 40 per cent lower than it was three months ago.
Henry “I used to be a famous Wall Street analyst” Blodget has a pretty good rundown of the numbers at Silicon Alley Insider (although I must admit that every time he does that kind of thing I wonder whether he isn’t getting a little close to the line, given his settlement with the SEC). The fact is that Yahoo is cutting 1,000 people — as was widely rumoured last week — and its future guidance was so-so at best.
Share of the search market flat or falling, profit margins lower, new deals with cable companies bringing in lower revenue — not a pretty picture. but Yahoo still has high hopes, according to Sue Decker. Unfortunately, Yahoo shareholders have had some pretty high hopes as well, and about all they have to show for them so far is a share price that has been sliding down the slippery slope for the past year.