Hewlett-Packard is Doomed if This Happens

Hewlett-Packard (NASDAQ: HPQ) is on the cusp of losing its title as the world's largest manufacturer of PCs.

According to Reuters, Lenovo could be the firm that steals that crown.

The Beijing, China-based corporation, which acquired IBM's (NYSE: IBM) personal computer business in 2005, could become the new world leader as soon as this year.

"It's just a matter of time before Lenovo becomes No. 1 and it won't be surprising at all if it happens later this year," Frederick Wong, executive director at Avant Capital Management, told Reuters.

Lenovo became the number-two PC player in the third quarter of 2011. Citing research from IDC, Reuters said that during the April-June 2012 quarter, Lenovo held 14.9 percent of the global market share, while Hewlett-Packard held 15.5 percent. Gartner (NYSE: IT), another industry research firm, believes that the gap between Lenovo and Hewlett-Packard is even smaller.

The bad news does not end there. Hewlett-Packard hit a 52 week low today, with shares declining to $18.77. The stock is trading at its lowest levels since 2004.

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