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Dell sees stronger 4Q
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January 18, 2002: 11:28 a.m. ET
Strong consumer sales leads to upside in earnings, revenue.
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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Dell Computer said Friday it expects to report fiscal fourth-quarter sales and earnings that are above Wall Street's current expectations.
The No. 1 maker of personal computers said its expects to log a profit of 17 cents per share on $8 billion in revenue when it reports its results on Feb. 14. Wall Street recently had forecast a profit of 16 cents per share $7.7 billion in sales, according to First Call.
Dell (DELL: down $0.47 to $28.48, Research, Estimates) credited stronger-than-expected consumer sales for the upside surprise.
The Austin, Tex.-based direct seller of PCs has been something of a standout in the industry over the past year.
Recent industry reports show that year-over-year global PC shipments fell in 2001, with especially steep declines in the United States. Those same reports showed Dell as the only top-tier vendor to increase shipments on a year-over-year basis both in the United States and globally.
The company's performance was especially strong in the fourth quarter. By International Data Corp.'s count, Dell garnered 14.2 percent of the global PC market share, while its total unit shipments rose 13.5 percent from the same quarter in 2000.
At the same time, Compaq, which garnered 11.2 percent of the worldwide PC market, saw its total unit shipments decline 19.1 percent.
Analysts credited Dell's efforts to expanding its segment coverage and leveraging its direct business model to keep the pressure on its competitors.
Shares of Dell (DELL: down $0.45 to $28.50, Research, Estimates), which have risen about 9 percent over the past year, were trading lower on Nasdaq early Friday amid a broader downturn in technology stocks. 
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