IBM's 3% sales growth may not seem like much but it's the biggest it's had in three years

IBM on Monday reported better than anticipated revenue for Q2 2021, sending its shares up in after-hours trading. Big Blue, evidently unfazed by a multi-week email disruption that's still not entirely resolved, delivered sales totaling $18.7bn for the quarter, an increase of three per cent year over year. It's the strongest …

[Anonymous Coward]

Hybrid Vigor

Kyndryl: A merger of Amazon's Kindle and the dating app Tinder, now adopted by IBM.

[Anonymous Coward]

Probably because all those emails cancelling deals haven't been received?

Or maybe conveniently 'lost' and blamed on the EMAIL debacle?

I may joke, but a part of me wouldn't be surprised!

[Krassi]

going backwards still

Putting this in context: I've seen reported this morning an estimate of the Q2 growth in US GDP of 8-9% year on year, and the inflation rate estimated around 5-6 %. So IBM are lagging the general economy and going backwards in real (inflation adjusted) terms.

[Snake]

Re: infinite growth

It's the Wall Street delusion, the brass ring, that keeps the Street existing. Between it and the fellow delusion of the Prefect Market, business-types keep themselves running on the treadmill to Hell in the attempt to make their pipe dreams a reality.

[DS999]

Re: going backwards still

IBM didn't see as much of a hit as the overall GDP so they wouldn't see as much of gain now. The GDP number is very uneven - sectors hit hard by covid like travel, restaurants and commercial real estate fell much further than others, and stand to gain far more than the rest as things return to normal.

IBM's business wouldn't be affected all that much by covid, so expecting to see 8-9% growth just because the GDP does is not at all reasonable.

[trevorde]

What IBM did next

Cue Resource Actions in 3.. 2.. 1...

[quxinot]

Re: What IBM did next

See? All those layoffs worked!

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: What IBM did next

Layoff 10% of your staff for 3% growth - now if they can only keep doing this another 30 times they could double their growth with no staff.

[DS999]

Re: What IBM did next

Hey 3% growth compounded 30 times is nothing to sneeze at. Where can I subscribe to your newsletter?

[Dan 55]

You'd be surprised at just how much more productive you are once you uninstall Lotus Notes.