HTC's first-quarter net profit rose 3% to 160 million

April 7, according to foreign media reports, HTC yesterday released its first-quarter fiscal year 2010 earnings.　　According to earnings, HTC's first-quarter net profit was 158.7 million U.S. dollars, up 3.1% from a year earlier, as consumer demand rose. In the first quarter of 2010, HTC's revenue was 37.7 billion NT dollars (about $1.191 billion), up 19% per cent from 31.59 billion NT dollars (about $998 million) over the same period last year, surpassing HTC's own expectations HTC had previously expected the company's first-quarter revenue to be 32 billion to 34 billion NT dollars.　　HTC's net profit was 5.03 billion NT dollars (about $158.7 million), up 3.1% per cent from the 4.88 billion NT dollar (about $154.2 million) over the same period last year. HTC declined to comment on the results.　　But Macquarie Capital Nomura analyst Lu Jialin said HTC's revenue exceeded expectations mainly because of strong sales growth, especially from North America. The analyst also noted that HTC's strategy of marketing spending to improve brand awareness seems to be beginning to come to fruition. HTC conducted a marketing campaign in North America and Europe in the fourth quarter of 2009, with operating expenses up to NT $7.05 billion, up 33% from the same period in 2008.　　He also predicts that HTC's revenues will grow in the next few quarters, driven by strong sales growth in North America and Europe. HTC last year exported 5.5 million to 6 million smartphones to the US market. HTC CEO Peter Chou expects the data to continue to grow this year, but has not disclosed any specific figures. HTC's partners in the United States include Verizon Wireless, Vodafone Group and the US subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom and so on.　　And HTC also for Google to produce its first mobile phone Nexus One, which makes HTC in North America market visibility. Author: Huan Huan