International success boosts Dell results

Non-US sales top US sales for the first time in PC vendor's history as Q1 results beat expectations

Dell has smashed sales and profit targets for its fiscal first quarter thanks to strong international sales and a surge in notebook shipments.

Revenues for the three months to 2 May leapt 9 per cent to $16.08bn (£8.15bn), topping Wall Street estimates of about $15.7bn, while net profits rose 4 per cent to $784m.

Dell also announced that its headcount has been reduced by 7,000 over the past year as it ploughs on with its cost cutting drive.

For the first time in its history, US revenues were topped by international revenues. Sales in the fast-growing countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China now account for 9 per cent of total sales.

Notebook shipments also impressed, hiking 43 per cent on an annual comparison.
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