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H-P better-than-feared, analysts say; shares up

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Shares of Hewlett-Packard Co. were up late Wednesday as the company's generally in-line results - highlighted by a slight beat on adjusted earnings per share and a full-year revenue guidance at the low end of a previous outlook - eased worries over a bad quarter. ISI Group analyst Brian Marshall said people were "expecting a miss" and a cut in guidance, especially following Dell Inc.'s disappointing results and lowered outlook. Sterne Agee's Shaw Wu also said H-P's guidance was "essentially in line with consensus." "To sum it up: better than feared," he added. H-P was last trading up 2.4% after hours, after falling nearly 4% in regular trading.