Intel raises its forecast for fourth quarter

Intel [Nasdaq:INTC] , together with fellow chipmaker Advanced Micros Devices [NYSE:AMD] said on Thursday said, in a revised forecast, that sales for Q4 would be better than expected.

It is now estimated that sales of new personal computers over the holiday period will be up on forecasts. Intel now forecasts its sales for Q4 as being at the high end of its previously forecasted sales of $6.2bn to $ 6.8bn and may even exceed $6.8bn.

In comparison with previous years, the performance of Intel could be viewed as disappointing. Typically, Intel's sales have increased by 10% from Q3 to Q4 but Intel's revised forecast for Q4, 2001 is only in the range of 2% to 5%.

AMD, which had forecast sales to be only slightly up from Q3 sales of $765.9m, now expect sales to be up 10% on that figure for Q4.