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Mar 22, 2012
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HP creates PC-printing power, Wall St waits and sees

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Hewlett Packard Co will merge its printer and PC businesses, combining two of its largest divisions as Chief Executive Meg Whitman tries to jumpstart growth at the technology company.

The combined unit, with $65 billion in annual sales, will account for about half the company’s revenue and be headed by PC chief Todd Bradley, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Reuters had reported on the plans on Tuesday.

Wall Street cautiously welcomed the move as one that will simplify HP’s notoriously complex structure. But some analysts said it remains to be seen whether Whitman can revive growth at the $120 billion corporation, which has seen its shares slide over the past two years.

HP’s move will “facilitate decision-making and improve productivity,” but the issues around growth and margin expansion will take more time to resolve, said UBS analyst Um Maynard, who cut his 12-month target price on HP’s stock to $26 from $30.

“While we believe there may be synergies, we believe they may be modest,” Maynard added.

The company is also planning to unify other functions, such as marketing and communications, across the business to promote a stronger brand and improve efficiency.

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    • About Poornima

      "Poornima Gupta writes about technology out of San Francisco, covering consumer and enterprise device makers Apple, HP and Dell. She previously spent five years in Detroit covering the crisis-ridden U.S. automotive sector that resulted in two of the biggest bankruptcy filings in the industrial world. She won a SABEW award for reporting on the failed merger between GM and Chrysler, and their negotiations with the federal government."
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