EL --- $43 per share at earnings... The following is unbelievable---
MAR 8, 1999, M2 Communications -
Packard Bell NEC in Q4 1998:
* Number 1 in the UK home PC market:
Market share of 27.9% - UP from 20.7% market share in Q3
* Number 1 in the European home PC market
Market share of 14.0% - UP from 11.8% market share in Q3
* Fastest growth again in Europe's fastest growing PC market 330% in
Sweden - more than any other Top 10 manufacturer
* Continued solid performance in the total European PC market (Q3
98/97): Overall market share in UK up to 6.7% in UK from 5.4% in 03
Overall market share in France up from 13.7% to 15%
Over a quarter of all home PCs sold in the UK in the last three
months of 1998 were made by Packard Bell NEC, according to figures just
issued by Dataquest Market Analysts. Packard Bell NEC UK's share of
sales during the quarter - at 27.9% more than double that of the
second-placed vendor - means it supplied a stunning 21.5% of all home
PCs bought by the nation during 1998.
The strong UK performance is the result of the success enjoyed by
Packard Bell NEC's latest range of home PCs, which sold 121,132 units
during the quarter. This includes more than 16,000 sold in a one-week
period during the Christmas season - a selling-rate in the order of
five computers per minute during shop opening hours.
The home PC market is intensively competitive, price and brand being
the key battlegrounds for vendors. Susan Lazareff, Packard Bell UK
marketing director, said: "Price will always be an issue but, when
everyone is selling at near-Identical price- points, brand is king. The
results suggest that Packard Bell is getting both the price and the
bundles right, with the quality expected of a trusted brand. In turn,
this grows the value of the brand."
Michel Fromont, president and CEO of Packard Bell NEC Europe, said:
"Q4 has been a successful quarter for Packard Bell NEC, with growth in
line with the overall European PC market. After the Q3 results we
expressed confidence that Q4 would confirm our position as a key global
player in the European PC market, and we have delivered on that."
About Packard Bell NEC Europe
Packard Bell NEC Europe is the International PC entity of NEC Corp.,
a fortune 100 company. Packard Bell NEC Europe was created in 1996
following the merger of the PC operations of Packard Bell, Zenith Data
Systems and NEC. The company designs, manufactures and markets a broad
range of product for the Consumer and Corporate markets: desktops,
notebooks, notebooks, portable computers, network servers and Net PCs.
The group's headquarters and the Service and Support centre are based
in Vijchen, Holland. The marketing, production, distribution and R&D
divisions are based in Angers, France.
Packard Bell NEC Europe is located in 13 countries throughout Europe
with Sales offices in the Asia Pacific, Australia, Israel (also
managing Eastern Europe) and in South Africa. The company's
manufacturing sites are located in Angers (France), Livingston
(Scotland), Penang (Malaysia), Sydney (Australia), Johannesburg (South
Africa) and Tel Aviv (Israel).
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