A MEASURE OF COMFORT: Intel Corp.’s third-quarter results Tuesday offered some comfort for investors jittery about the weak state of the global computer market. Net income rose 17 percent and revenue rose 29 percent, topping Wall Street targets and sending shares up 4 percent.
THE CAVEAT: But the numbers don’t necessarily mean that there’s been a meaningful change in the underlying dynamics that threaten to keep computer demand sluggish into the foreseeable future.
THE WORRIES: Debt worries, stubborn unemployment and the popularity of smartphones and tablet computers have depressed the market.
