Sun Suffers From Competition And Delayed Rollout

Analysts blame Sun Microsystems' (SUNW-Nasdaq) sluggish sales on fewer orders from companies in the telecom, Internet, and financial markets, along with a delayed rollout of its new processor and increased competition from Hewlett-Packard and IBM. In its fiscal first quarter ended Sept. 30, Sun posted $2.86 billion in revenue, compared with $5.05 billion in the year-ago quarter, and a net loss of $158 million, down from a $456 million profit a year ago. Some analysts expect recovery to start by mid-2002.