Stock rally replay in the Hewlett-Packard hallways - HPQ, ORCL, AUTNF, CSCO & IBM

Northern, WI 02/25/2013 (avauncer) - There was a replay of sorts in the Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) stock rally. CEO Meg Whitman is being lauded for the stern measures she has been adopting as head of the world largest PC manufacturer and the headway that the company has made in the first quarter. Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) saw its shares soaring 12.3% which was the highest since the phenomenal Nov 2008, 14.5% rise. Whitman beat all Wall Street projections with this share price rise and the company is onto a good start in the first quarter.

An arduous road ahead

Though the company has gained initial momentum, critics have been quick to note that Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) is not out of the doldrums yet. Meg Whitman has made it clear that there will be no break up in the HP businesses. The current CEO is of the opinion that the company is stronger in its cohesive avatar and that it has been the most valuable franchise of the IT sector over the past decade. Five years ago, Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) was considered to be an unstoppable force with Mark Hurd at its helm and he was a definite favorite with the Wall Street crowd. Allegations of sexual harassment and criticism for excessive cost-cutting eventually saw him departing from HP and joining Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ:ORCL) as co-president.

A market rife with rumors

Leo Apotheker succeeded Hurd and his tenure was highlighted when HP acquired AUTONOMY CORP PLC ORD (PINK: AUTNF) but was tainted by fraud accusations. At this point Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) had stunned the market by announcing the possible separation of its PC division. The computer market is shrinking at a fast pace with the emergence of tablets and smartphones and Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) has been facing stiff competition from competitors such as Cisco Systems, Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) and International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM). But for now, Whitman is sticking to her guns and shooting down all media speculation about any break-up.

Shares of Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) went up by 12.28% to close at $19.20

Shares of Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ:ORCL) went up by 1.37% to close at $34.75

Shares of AUTONOMY CORP PLC ORD (PINK:AUTNF) were steady at $37.00

Shares of Cisco Systems, Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) went up by 0.67% to close at $20.90

International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM) went up by 1.39% to close at $201.09