14 DAY TRIAL // The Japanese computer hardware maker and system integrator Toshiba raised its profits and revenue forecasts for the coming months after the company enjoyed a very good quarter with strong sales that translated into high revenues. During the first quarter of 2007 the net profits of the Japanese company reached the mark of 126.8 million Euro from just 24.9 million Euro for the same period last year. Those rising profits were backed up by a 15 percent increase in sales (reaching 10.2 billion Euro) and by an operating profit rise to 130.5 million Euro.
According to the news site ENN the computer hardware and general electronics maker raised its expectations and forecasts for the net profit that may be achieved to 246.3 million Euro for the first half of the fiscal year. This means a considerable increase from the April projections and forecasts that were expecting only a net profit of 61.6 million Euro. At the same time, according to new projections, sales are expecting to surge from 21.6 billion Euro to more than 22.2 billion, while operating profits are expected to reach a solid 431.2 million Euro, much more than the initial estimate of 246.3 million.
According to Toshiba, responsible for these great increases in both net profits and operating profits are the semiconductor and the PC construction division. The PC business increased at an accelerating rate with the semiconductor division closely at its heels. Toshiba is currently on the fifth place in the top of the most computer hardware manufacturers and vendors, while HP is still the undisputed leader, according to analysts from IDC that saw Toshiba growing the number of PC shipments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "Toshiba's president Furnio Muraoka told a press conference that the full year figures may yet bet revised. We are reviewing and recalculating our full-year projections, and will announce new forecasts at a later date," said Muraoka, who was cited by the ENN site. Those high profits were caused - at least in part - by the sale of the Toshiba shares from the joint venture Toshiba-EMI Group, that brought a profit of 78.2 million Euro.