Logitech sees third-quarter profit jump

Computer mouse-maker Logitech last night posted a 65 per cent rise in third-quarter earning oin strong sales to Sony, new products…

Computer mouse-maker Logitech last night posted a 65 per cent rise in third-quarter earning oin strong sales to Sony, new products and improved margins.

The figure, which was boosted by a one-time tax break, topped analysts' expectations.

The Swiss-American company also nudged its full-year sales forecast higher following record sales of cordless desktop products and strong growth in Webcams and games consoles products.

Net profit for the quarter to the end of December came in at $66.8 million, or $1.35 per share, compared with $40.4 million, or 80 cents, a year earlier.

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Excluding a one-time tax break of $13 million, Logitech International said it earned $53.5 million, or $1.09 per share. Sales rose 16 per cent to $410 million, and the company raised its full-year forecast to $1.24 billion, up 13 per cent over 2002-03, from a previous forecast of $1.21 billion.

Analysts on average had expected net income of $59 million on sales of $402.3 million, according to eight polled by Reuters Research.

The company reported retail sales up 12 per cent from a year ago amid record sales of cordless desktop products in the quarter, up 37 per cent over the prior year, as well as record growth for console gaming products, up 174 per cent.  Webcams, up 26 per cent, were another robust growth area, it said.