Business outlook — stable forecast despite turbulent times

Many factors have come into play in the last six to eight months, affecting GNSS company stock prices, earnings, and shareholder value. Acquisitions and mergers over a two-year period have reshaped the playing field, as current GPS/LBS players seek to expand their offerings and major new players hunt a piece of the action. To be sure, the pure-play PND consumer market is down due to economic factors and limited disposable income; this affects the chip sector as well. Surveying sales have slowed due to housing slump in the U.S. and abroad. Precision agriculture use of GNSS products seems to hold steady, thanks to the widescale upswing of biofuel production. Fleet tracking is enjoying a come-back as GPS navigation and routing are clearly viewed as must-haves to economize on transportation fuel costs.