DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
Worldwide PC shipments grew slower than expected in the second
quarter as higher emerging-market sales helped offset soft demand
in the U.S. and Western Europe, according to data released
Wednesday.
Market researcher Gartner Inc. (IT) said shipments climbed 2.3%,
well below its earlier 6.7% projection. Peer researcher
International Data Corp. pegged the growth rate at 2.6%, still
below its May estimate of 2.9%.
"These preliminary results continue to reflect pressure from
competing consumer and business products as well as cautious
spending," IDC analyst Jay Chou said. "Nevertheless, product
refreshes and promotions in the second half of the year as well as
easier year-ago data should boost growth in the second half of the
year."
Growing demand from emerging markets is forcing many vendors to
shift their resources and product mix as sales slow in more mature
markets. Gartner had projected 6.7% growth for the quarter.
"The slow overall growth indicates that the PC market is still
in a period of adjustment, which began in the second half of 2010,"
Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa said.
Among vendors, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) remained the leader in
market share with 17.5% of worldwide PC shipments, which grew 3%
overall despite weak performance in the Asia Pacific region.
Dell Inc. (DELL) beat Taiwan's Acer Inc. (ACEIY, 2353.TW) to
claim second place with a 12.5% market share, largely on growth in
the Asia Pacific market. Lenovo Ltd. (0992.HK) was No. 3 with 12%
of worldwide shipments, while Acer dropped to the No. 4 spot with a
10.9% market share, according to Gartner.
-By Drew FitzGerald, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2909;
Andrew.FitzGerald@dowjones.com