PC orders for the fourth quarter, Goldman, Sachs & Co. said in a report, citing unidentified industry officials. Reductions "are mainly from the U.S., with some from selected emerging markets, but so far no impact from Europe," Taipei-based analysts Henry King and Matthew Chuang wrote in a report dated Thursday. Liana Teo, a Singapore-based spokeswoman for Hewlett- Packard, declined to confirm or deny the report. The impact on Taiwan's Asustek Computer Inc. and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., which have "high exposure" to the order cuts, will be limited as the companies have other customers, the report said. Asustek is the world's largest maker of boards that connect computer parts, while Hon Hai is the world's largest maker of electronics sold under other companies' brands.
Nick Wu, a spokesman for Taipei-based Asustek, declined to comment on orders from Hewlett-Packard. Sales of computers under the company's own Asus brand are "stable and meeting expectations," he said. Edmund Ding, a spokesman for Taipei- based Hon Hai, didn't answer calls to his office and mobile numbers.
