New signs of trouble for the PC market, a new boss forMicrosoft's phone division, and new signs that the first half of 2012 may be tough for tech.
Let's have a look at what's driving the sector today:
Intel's warning yesterdayabout PC sales appears to be having a ripple effect: Ticonderoga lowered its price target on Microsoft from $34 to $31, though it's still rated a buy.
Microsoft switches bosses at its Windows Phone division: Steve Ballmer has replaced phone boss Andy Lees with phone engineering lead Terry Myerson. Lees isn't leaving the company, and will continue to report to Ballmer in an assignment driving adoption of Windows 8 and Windows Phone. You've got to think the move, promoting the engineering chief to lead Windows Phone, is designed to speed the development of features Microsoft needs to compete with Apple and Google .
And though gadget shopping season is in full swing, a cautionary tone: ARM, the chip design firm behind the mobile boom, has new ARM 8 core about to launch. But but after meeting with the company, analyst firm Benchmark still fears ARM's royalties will be under pressure in the first half, based on guidance warnings we've seen first from Texas Instruments , now Intel.
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