Dell Earnings Could Take a Hit on Taiwan-Related Supply Snags

The uncertainty factor is high in Round Rock, Texas as Dell (DELL Quote) readies for its fall analyst meeting Thursday morning. Dell's super-efficient supply chain could end up being its Achilles heel, leaving it with possibly the highest exposure of any computer company to the Taiwan earthquake.

The result may be that Dell will guide the Street to lower its earnings estimates for the company's third quarter, say analysts who follow the company.

Last week, Dell CFO Tom Meredith told anxious money managers during a break at the Banc of America investment conference that it was too early to gauge the impact of the Taiwanese earthquake on its third quarter, which ends at the end of this month, according to a money manager who was present. ...