Compal expecting notebook sale rise of more than 10%

Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶電腦), the world's second-largest maker of notebook computers, said fourth-quarter laptop sales would rise more than 10 percent from the previous three months.

Shipments of notebooks will also gain 10 percent, Chang Chih-ming (張志銘), head of investor relations at Compal, said yesterday at a briefing in Taipei, where the company is based. Sales in the three months through September were NT$115.4 billion (US$3.6 billion), with shipments of 6.1 million laptops, the computer maker said.

RECORD PROFIT

On Wednesday, Compal posted record third-quarter profit on its highest sales and shipments of laptops to date. Larger rival Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦) said on Tuesday that industry shipments might rise as much as 30 percent next year.

Average notebook prices will increase this quarter from the previous three months, Compal's Chang said, without elaborating.

The company raised its laptop shipment forecast for this year to 23 million from 22 million, and forecast it would ship 30 million next year, Chief Financial Officer Gary Lu (呂清雄) said at the briefing.

NEXT YEAR

Notebook sales in the first three months of next year will fall from the current quarter, Compal president Ray Chen (陳瑞聰) said.

The company is targeting a share of 25 percent to 26 percent of the contract laptop market next year, from this year's 20 percent, he said.

Chen said Compal would raise liquid-crystal-display TV shipments fivefold next year to 1 million sets.