NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Dell Inc., the world's top manufacturer of personal computers, reported Thursday solid gains in both profits and revenues that it said were fueled by overseas sales and strong demand from U.S. companies.
The Round Rock, Tex.-based company said it earned 33 cents a share in the third-quarter ended Oct. 30, compared to 26 cents a share a year ago.
Sales were $12.5 billion, an 18 percent jump from $10.6 billion in the comparable period a year ago.
The company also reported it is on track to meet Wall Street estimates for fourth-quarter sales and profits.
In addition to reporting strong gains from markets around the world, Dell said its results benefited from a drop in prices for components, which include flat panel displays and semiconductor chips.
"Dell's disciplined focus on profitable growth around the world and across businesses continues to differentiate us in the market," CEO Kevin Rollins said in a statement.
"An improving component-cost environment further favors Dell, with customers and shareholders the primary beneficiaries."
On top of its bread-and-butter desktop and notebook computer business, Dell sells storage, servers, software, printers and consumer electronics.
In the quarter sales of notebook computers grew as a percentage of total company revenue. Sales in Dell's enterprise business -- which includes storage and servers -- were relatively flat, which some analysts said reflected fierce market competition.
In after-hours trading, Dell shares were unsteady, initially falling, then climbing, then falling again. Year-to-date the stock price is up about 8 percent while the tech-heavy Nasdaq is up 2 percent and its chief rival, Hewlett-Packard, is down more than 17 percent.
One possible explanation for the after-hours volatility: some Wall Street analysts had predicted that Dell would beat earnings estimate by one or two cents a share.
But Ali Irani, an analyst with CIBC World Markets Corp., said Dell's gross margins improved nicely, helped by the drop in component prices.
At 18.5 percent, Dell's gross margins are "the best Dell has had in a very long time."
O Clubeinvest.com informa que nenhuma da informação
aqui facultada deverá ser entendida como conselho ou recomendação
de qualquer tipo de transacção ou investimento.
