Microsoft Corp. may be bruised by a flat personal computer market and massive investment losses, but the company signaled in its latest earnings release that such setbacks will not fell the software giant. Analysts agreed, predicting that shareholders will flock to Microsoft as other tech companies predict even bigger worries than the Redmond, Wash. software maker. ``I think what's likely to happen is that we'll see Microsoft ... become a safe haven for technology investors,'' said Brendan Barnicle, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities. ``It's got reliable earnings and it's a company that's not going to blow up even though PC growth has slowed.'' For its fiscal first quarter ended Sept. 30, Microsoft saw earnings drop by 42 percent, but still managed to beat Wall Street's reduced expectations.
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