Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: John Higdon Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Moving Information (was Re: FCC & Modem Charges) Message-ID: <3468@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 2 Feb 90 07:04:01 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: John Higdon Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 20 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 72, message 1 of 16 Marvin Sirbu writes: > Typical utility profits are 12 - 14% return on equity. Microsoft > makes at least twice that, and IBM traditionally has earned 19-20%. But don't overlook that that humble 12-14% is guaranteed. No matter what happens, the company will make that return on equity. And, of course, this doesn't take into account some of the creative paperwork the accounting departments at the various utilities (see previous posts) can generate. Microsoft, on the other hand, could lose its (investors') shirt tomorrow, and not one PUC would step in to save it. To some people, that security is worth many points of return. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !