Intel Q2 forecasts beat Street, shares jump

SAN FRANCISCO, USA:  Intel Corp delivered a current-quarter forecast for revenue and margins ahead of Wall Street expectations, boosting the chipmaker's stock by 4 percent.

Intel, bolstering expectations of a recovery in the tech sector after businesses and consumers drastically curtailed spending in 2009, said gross profit margin in the first quarter was 63 per cent and forecast a margin of 64 percent -- plus or minus "a couple percentage points" -- in the current quarter.

Intel forecast revenue for the current quarter of 10.2 billion, plus or minus $400 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, on average, expect $9.68 billion.

Shares in fellow chipmakers Advanced Micro Devices and Texas Instruments Inc rose about 2 percent after hours.

"Certainly a strong indication for the rest of technology as we move through earnings season," said Edward Jones analyst Bill Kreher. "The cost control during the downturn is helping set a new norm in terms of gross margins for the company moving forward."

The company said on Tuesday net income totaled $2.4 billion, or 43 cents a share, in the three months ended March 27, compared with net income of $629 million, or 11 cents a share, in the year-ago period. That exceeded average expectations for 38 cents a share.

Revenue rose to $10.3 billion, above the Wall Street target of roughly $9.84 billion.

Shares of the Santa Clara, California-based company rose 4.1 percent to $23.70 in after-hours trading after closing Tuesday's regular trading session at $22.76 on Nasdaq.