Dell Computer has raised its third-quarter revenue guidance to $9.1 billion and expects per-share earnings to come in at the upper end of a previous forecast, the personal computer maker says.
The news from Dell, which made the announcement ahead today's meeting with analysts in Austin, Texas, sent shares in the PC heavyweight higher by more than 4 per cent in after-hours trade and boosted shares in other technology stocks.
Dell said it raised its revenue outlook for the quarter ending November 1st by $200 million from $8.9 billion due to "broad-based" momentum with customers as well as growth in shipments of servers and storage systems.
Analysts said the company, which has managed to grow despite weak corporate technology spending, will keep trying to gain market share in PCs both in the United States and abroad even as it introduces new products, such as computer printers.
Overseas operations was another issue that analysts were talking about.
"They've had some big success in the UK and Germany. They've got operations everywhere, but they haven't been able to mirror their successes in those countries elsewhere," said Martin Reynolds, an analyst at Gartner Inc. "They may see that as an opportunity or a challenge."
Dell employs over 3,500 people in Ireland at its manufacturing facility in Limerick and service centre in Dun Laoghaire.
In addition to its expansion into other countries including China, Texas-based Dell has been trying to diversify its revenue, which comes primarily from sales of PCs and larger server computers used by businesses.
Dell executives have said that the company intends to take its low-cost model into other areas and will begin selling Dell-branded printers, Dell handheld computers and unbranded, white-box computers.