Acer Inc aims to become the world's third-largest personal computer (PC) vendor and double its annual revenues over the next two to three years, a company executive told investors yesterday.
Acer was the world's sixth largest PC vendor last year, International Data Corp (IDC) reported last month.
"We plan to double our revenue to NT$400 billion by 2006 or 2007 at the latest," Acer president Wang Jen-tang (
Acer posted consolidated revenue of NT$49.4 billion in the first quarter, a decline of 8 percent from the previous quarter but 63 percent up from a year ago. Net income soared 110 percent year-on-year to about NT$1.4 billion, or NT$0.71 per share, in the January-March quarter.
The company forecast annual revenue of NT$202 billion and net income of NT$7.3 billion this year.
Philip Peng (
Acer's operating income reached around 2 percent, or NT$976 million, of its revenue in the first quarter. The company plans to keep a similar level of operating profit while endeavoring to boost its sales in the future through closer collaboration with its suppliers and sales channels, Wang said.
"The set level in operating margin is too low," said Stephanie Chien (
The margin should keep pace with business expansion; otherwise, it may be eaten by unexpected losses such as foreign exchange fluctuations or price rises of components, Chien said.
Wang said Acer would keep emphasizing its IT products in the future, which made up around 85 percent of the company's revenue.
"We will refocus on the desktop PC sector, especially the do-it-yourself computer market that accounts for 40 percent of the global PC market, to achieve our goal to be the No. 3 vendor within the next three years," he said.
The company is expected to ship 3.5 million laptops and 3 million desktops this year, according to figures by Capital Securities Co.
Acer will continue trying to expand in the US market after its re-entry last year, Wang said.
China is another target market this year for Acer. Wang predicted the company would grow by 30 percent to 40 percent in the current quarter and up to 60 percent in the third quarter after adjusting distribution channels.
Acer shares rose 1.91 percent to NT$47.9 on the TAIEX yesterday. Capital Securities' Chien said Acer is good for middle to long-term investment, but Jih Sun Securities Investment Trust Co (日盛投信) suggested Acer should be priced between NT$30 and NT$40 a share.
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