TAIPEI: Asustek Computer Inc yesterday said it expects its revenue and shipments this month to grow by a double-digit percentage from last month on the back of improving notebook and smartphone demand in Russia and eastern Europe.
The company’s forecast came after posting 1.7 percent year-on-year growth in revenue of NT$35.39 billion (US$1.07 billion) last month. The figure represented a 0.3 percent month-on-month growth.
In the first two months of this year, the company’s revenue totaled NT$70.68 billion, up slightly by 1.32 percent from the NT$69.76 billion made over the same period last year, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
“We saw improving demand in Russia and eastern Europe. The stabilizing international crude oil prices and foreign currencies also helped the company’s operations,” Asustek chief financial officer Nick Wu said in a statement.
As part of the company’s risk prevention measures, the company previously suspended shipments to Russia due to falling oil prices and volatile currency exchange rates, the company said.
Following stabilizing oil prices and currency rates in Russia, Asustek shipments to the nation were relatively “normal” in the past two months, Wu said.
“Normal shipments to Russia helped the company’s notebook and smartphone businesses,” Wu said, adding that such shipments last month were flattish from a month ago, despite fewer working days last month due to the Lunar New Year holiday.
The company said it expects growth momentum to extend to this month, with sales and shipments to both increase by a double-digit percentage from last month.
Asustek said operations are in line with the company’s previous estimate, with notebook shipments this quarter expected to be flattish from last year’s 4.8 million units.
The company said its smartphone shipments, which contributed 21 percent of the firm’s total revenue, are expected to grow by 33.33 percent annually to 4 million units this quarter.
In other news, contract notebook maker Compal Electronics Inc yesterday posted an annual decline of 6.65 percent in sales to NT$50.97 billion for last month.
On a monthly basis, the figure was a decline of 9.12 percent from NT$56.08 billion recorded a month earlier, according to a company filing with the stock exchange.
The company said it shipped 2.3 million notebooks last month, down 11.53 percent from last year’s 2.6 million units, due to extended softness in the notebook industry and fewer working days in the month.
Compal’s combined revenues dropped 13.2 percent year-on-year to NT$107.06 billion in the first two months of this year, the filing said.
