Continued weakness in Asia has put a dampener on HewlettPackard's progress. The group has warned that earnings will drop below analysts' forecasts in the third quarter with signs of economic uncertainty in other regions also kicking in. The downturn was expected and shareholders should be prepared to take a long-term view on the stock.

Commenting on the impact of the "Asian flu" on Hewlett-Packard, one US-based analyst said the underlying condition has now worsened to "pneumonia". He suggests the company has already begun a course of "antibiotics" in the form of continued cost-cutting, salary cuts and hiring freezes, but it will take some time for these measures to boost earnings. Basically it is seen as a good company going through a bad patch.