Nokia Q4 sales, profits rise, shares jump

Helsinki, Jan 25: Robust demand for phones in emerging markets lifted fourth-quarter sales and profits at Nokia Oyj, the world's biggest maker of mobile phones, sending its shares higher.

Nokia's earnings per share rose to 0.32 euros from 0.25 a year ago, which compared with an average forecast of 0.28 euros given in a Reuters poll of 37 analysts, where estimates ranged from 0.25 to 0.33 euros. The EPS includes 0.02 euros of one-off gains, which were not expected by analysts.

Sales at the Finnish company, which makes more than one in every three phones sold globally, rose 13 percent to 11.7 billion euros (.22 billion), beating the average forecast of 11.57 billion.

Forecasts ranged from 11.14 billion to 12.4 billion euros.

Nokia said the average sales price of its phones fell to 89 euros in the three-month period covering Christmas, which compared with the analysts' average forecast of 92 euros and a forecast range from 87 to 95 euros.

Shares in the company gained 4.5 percent after the results announcement.

REUTERS