HP Investors Shrug Off Spying Scandal

Former Hewlett-Packard Co. Chairwoman Patricia Dunn sits in a courtroom Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006, in Santa Clara County Superior Court in San Jose, Calif. Hewlett-Packard Co. agreed Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006, to pay $14.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by state Attorney General Bill Lockyer accusing the company of unfair business practices in its crusade to unmask the source of boardroom leaks to the news media. The vast majority of the settlement, $13.5 million, will fund state and local investigations into privacy rights and intellectual property violations, Lockyer said in a statement as the lawsuit and settlement were filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Paul Sakuma - AP)

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Investors have largely shrugged off Hewlett-Packard Co.'s boardroom spying scandal, dismissing the brouhaha surrounding the company as immaterial to its day-to-day operations and stellar earnings growth in recent months.

That was true again on Thursday, when HP's stock price remained largely unmoved after the company and the state Attorney General Bill Lockyer announced that HP would pay $14.5 million to settle a civil claim centered on the dicey tactics used in the investigation.

HP stock gained just a penny during after-hours trading following the settlement announcement.

Analysts said the penalty was relatively minor and would go a long way toward assuaging fears among skittish investors.

"It looks like they got off pretty easy, and that this is actually going to be a good thing for HP," said Roger Kay, who follows the company as president of market research firm Endpoint Technologies Associates. "It looks like they're in control of their destiny and have put at least some of this behind them."

The lawsuit accused the company of unfair business practices in its crusade to unmask the source of boardroom leaks to the news media.

The vast majority of the settlement _ $13.5 million _ will fund state and local investigations into privacy rights and intellectual property violations, according to the lawsuit and settlement filed simultaneously in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

The lawsuit marks the first civil case brought by authorities against Palo Alto-based HP for the scandal that erupted in September and led to criminal charges against former chairwoman Patricia Dunn and four others.

"Fortunately, Hewlett-Packard is not Enron," Lockyer said. "I commend the firm for cooperating instead of stonewalling, for taking instead of shirking responsibility, and for working with my office to expeditiously craft a creative resolution."

The state likely would have recovered far less if the case were taken to court, based on the limited penalties it could claim for each phone number that was illegally accessed during the leak probe, Lockyer said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"It's a good example of the HP that we all grew up with, the old HP of Hewlett and Packard, the ethics and principles of corporate responsibility and good management practices," he said. "We see those re-emerging in the way they dealt with this matter."

The remainder of the settlement amount consists of $650,000 in civil penalties and $350,000 to cover the state's investigation and other costs.