Tech Wreck - Dell, Apple and HP: A Developing Story

Technology based firms like HP (transformational M&A), Dell (Management led LBO) and Apple (huge cash reserves) have generated plenty of recent headlines. What they have in common is a maturing industry, slower growth and increasing over capacity that is common to the creative destructive process is dynamic economies. The consequences of these developments are pressured margins and falling stock prices. This has created a strategy-value gap. Essentially, the current strategy no longer creates the highest and best results because it no longer fits evolving market opportunities. This presents a huge governance challenge for boards facing management teams unable or unwilling to change.

The competitive advantage period these firms previously enjoyed has shrunk to zero as their markets and products became commoditized. Thus, the source of value has shifted from growth opportunities to assets in place. The emphasis is no longer growth but returns and profitability. This shift gives rise to the following fundamental changes:

1) Increased emphasis on capital allocation as free cash flows rise due to falling investment requirements. This produces significant agency issues as management may be tempted to waste resources in over-priced acquisitions as occurred at HP.

2) Ownership and management changes in the areas of consolidation based M&A, LBOs by frustrated management and spin-offs and divestment of SBUs that no longer fit.

3) Increased shareholder distribution thru dividends and stock repurchases of excess free cash flow.

4) Higher leverage to maximize tax benefits and increase managerial discipline over cash flows and balances.

5) Improved focus reflected in the reduced number of SBUs. This reduces cross subsidies and improves capital allocation.

6) New incentives added to improve accountability.

7) Enhanced governance through new more active and experienced board members.

All of the above will be driven by heightened shareholder activism by investors,such as Einhorn at Apple, seeking to improve shareholder value. Some of this will be ugly-proxy fights, litigation, transaction challenges, and ultimately possible hostile take-over attempts.

The net result will be the tech industry as the new hotbed of deal activity going forward. Firms, management and boards will struggle to adapt to an evolving industry environment. Not everyone can succeed, but for those who can the rewards will huge. In the meantime, investment bankers, lawyers and bloggers will be busy. Much more to follow.

J