Avnet retains recipe for growth in EMEA

Revenue increases in the region

Goliath distributor Avnet has posted another quarter of growth in EMEA on the back of surging sales at its Electronics Marketing (EM) arm.

However, overall sales, as well as sales at its enterprise distribution arm, Avnet Technology Solutions, went backwards in the three months ending 2 January 2016.

For its fiscal Q2, group sales came in at the low end of Avnet's expectations, falling 9.3 per cent year on year to $6.85bn (£4.77bn), a 5.5 per cent drop in local currencies.

Chief executive Rick Hamada attributed this to weaker demand in its home US market.

"Our EMEA region continued its multi-quarter growth trend as revenue increased 3.5 per cent year over year in constant currency led by continued strength in our EM business," he said.

Global sales for IBM, Oracle and HP distributor Avnet Technology Solutions fell 12.3 per cent to $2.73bn, with EMEA sales falling 7.3 per cent to $794.4m.

On a constant currency basis, Avnet TS' EMEA sales rose 1.7 per cent, but stripping out the contribution of recent acquisitions constant-currency sales actually fell two per cent.

"While economic indicators suggest a slower growth environment as we enter calendar 2016, we continue to invest in our organic growth initiatives including the Internet of Things, embedded solutions, and third-platform technologies," Hamada said.