Dell Computer Corporation yesterday reported a 43 per cent jump in its first-quarter net earnings to $434 million (€406.48 million) compared with the same quarter last year.

Earnings per share were $0.16, up 45 per cent and in line with market expectations, while sales gained 41 per cent to more than $5.5 billion. A company statement attributed the quarterly performance to strong sales of servers and personal computers. "Industry demand was solid during the first quarter and we once again achieved industry-leading results," said chairman Mr Michael Dell. Sales in North and South America grew 45 per cent, European revenue rose 29 per cent and revenue in the Asia-Pacific region, led by "exceptional results in China", expanded 48 per cent.