Intel’s sales forecast tops estimates

INTEL, the world’s biggest chipmaker, last night predicted fourth-quarter sales that beat analysts’ estimates, an indication that consumer demand for computers may be reviving.

Revenue this period will be $11.4 billion (€8.2bn), plus or minus $400m, Intel said. That compares with an average projection of $11.3bn, in a Bloomberg survey.

Consumers stepped up purchases of computers in September, helping Intel bounce back from the slump that forced it to cut its third-quarter revenue forecast in August. Renewed buying was driven by price cuts and may not last through year’s end, said Tristan Gerra, an analyst at Robert W Baird & Co.