HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp. reported a strong quarter for mobile phone sales and offered a rosy outlook for the business, numbers that helped prop up a sagging infrastructure division. The news sent the company’s stock up about 6 percent to about $16 per share.
Nokia reported a pro forma operating profit of $1.3 billion, down 8 percent from the same quarter a year ago. Sales in the company’s mobile phone business rose by 1 percent from last year, while sales in its gear division dropped 15 percent.
For the coming quarter, Nokia said it expects to increase mobile phone sales between 4 and 12 percent year on year, and that “strong profitability” in its phone business is expected to continue. The company said the market for network infrastructure is not expected to improve.
The numbers come in contrast with No. 2 mobile phone company Motorola Inc., which said it expects phone sales to come in the lower range of its previous expectations.
