The glass is both half full and half empty at Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM).
The company behind the trendsetting BlackBerry smartphone is warning that it will be on the low end of earnings guidance, but it's also raising its subscriber count target.
Wall Street doesn't like the mixed fruit. Shares of RIM are getting slammed this morning, but I think Mr. Market is overreacting. At this point -- in this economy -- I'd rather see RIM gaining ground than fretting over its milking prowess.
Despite the onslaught of Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) earthshaking iPhone and the surprisingly aggressive push by Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) with its Android-powered invasion, market leader RIM is still growing nicely.
The company is now projecting that net new subscribers during the quarter that ends this month will clock in at roughly 3.5 million or better. It had originally targeted net BlackBerry growth of just 2.9 million users.
This is healthy burst for a company that began the quarter with an account base of just 21 million BlackBerry users, after wrapping up its fiscal third quarter by landing 2.6 million net new subscribers. Sure, we're also looking at the holiday quarter this time around, but since when did a corporate phone become a stocking stuffer?
Oh, that's right. BlackBerry has crossed over into the mainstream. And the better than expected addition of wireless jockey subscribers bodes well for the recently introduced BlackBerry Storm and Bold models.
We live in competitive times. Computer makers are jumping in. Beyond the evolution of Hewlett-Packard's (NYSE:HPQ) iPaq, ACER will introduce its first smartphone next week and keep a seat warm for Dell (NASDAQ:DELL). Also, don't forget that Palm (NASDAQ:PALM) is shaking off from its slumber and turning heads again.
Isn't growing its share of accounts more important than where RIM lands on its original profit projection of $0.83 a share to $0.91 a share for the current quarter? We're talking about the importance of not just landing new users, but locking them up with contracts as the competition heats up.
I'm not a RIM cheerleader. In fact, I suggested that investors dump the stock last summer. It was the right call then. The stock was way overpriced at more than $140. Now I'm going to switch gears and point out that the stock is a bargain, trading at a third of last year's highs yet clearly still growing. This morning's knee-jerk wave of selling is the perfect opportunity to snap up a niche leader, until proven otherwise, at a great price.
If Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) doesn't take RIM shares off your hands in a tactical buyout, you'll sleep well knowing that you are buying the BlackBerry tree at an earnings multiple in the teens.
Make the most of the half-empty glass that Wall Street sees today. Raise a toast and drink down the optimism that nobody sees.
Other smart smartphone connections:
- Those Androids are moving like handset hotcakes.
- BlackBerry Storm units also sold briskly.
- This Is the Opportunity You've Been Waiting For .
