HP writes down $8.8 billion on alleged improprieties - RTE.ie

HP says it has passed information to both the serious fraud office in Britain and to regulators in the US.

The revelation is another blow for HP, which is struggling to reinvent itself as PC and printer sales shrink.

Its shares hit a 10-year low in morning trading in the US.

Autonomy makes search engines that help companies find vital information stored across computer networks.

Acquiring the company was part of an attempt by HP to strengthen its portfolio of high-value products and services for corporations and government agencies.

The computer manufacturer is struggling to reinvent itself as PC sales shrink.

HP's net loss for the fiscal fourth quarter, which ended October 31, amounted to $6.85 billion, or $3.49 per share. That compares with net income of $239m, or 12 cents per share, in the same period last year.

It was the second mammoth loss in a row for HP. In the third fiscal quarter, it lost a record $8.86 billion, or $4.49 per share.

That was due to a charge for another acquisition - that of Electronic Data Systems, a technology consulting service that it bought for $13 billion in 2009.

In that case, HP did not blame improper accounting, just results that did not live up to expectations.

Excluding the charges in the latest quarter, HP earned $1.16 per share in the latest quarter, just above the average analyst forecast of $1.14 per share.

HP's revenue was $30 billion, down 7% from last year. That was below analyst expectations at $30.5 billion.