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San Francisco - Hewlett-Packard plans to cut as many as 16 000 more jobs in a major ramp-up of CEO Meg Whitman's years-long effort to turn around the personal computer maker and relieve pressure on its profit margins.
Whitman said the turnaround remained on track and her raised target reflected how HP continued to find areas to streamline across its broad portfolio, which encompasses computing, networking, storage and software.
But some analysts wondered whether it signalled a worsening outlook for the coming year, or if more jobs may be cut.
"The rationale makes sense," said RBC analyst Amit Daryanani. But "you do worry if there's a finality to this process, or if it's an ongoing thing that may affect morale at the end of the day. So far the trend has been worrisome."
HP, whose sprawling global operations employ more than 250 000, estimated about three years ago when it first hatched its sweeping overhaul that it would need to shed 27 000 jobs. That number rose to 34 000 last year.
On Thursday, it estimated another 11 000 to 16 000 more jobs needed to go, scattered across different countries and business areas. That took the grand total under Whitman's restructuring to 50 000.
The Silicon Valley company is trying to reduce its reliance on PCs and move toward computing equipment and networking gear for enterprises, part of Whitman's effort to curtail revenue declines and return the world's number one maker to growth.
But that goal remains elusive. The company posted a disappointing 1% drop in quarterly revenue, as it struggled to maintain its grip on the shrinking personal computer market and weak corporate tech spending.
That marked its 11th consecutive quarterly sales decline.
Shares in HP closed down 2.3% at $31.78, after the company inadvertently posted the results on its website more than half an hour before the closing bell.
