Intel raises full year revenue, profit forecast

(Reuters) - Intel Corp (INTC.O), the world’s largest computer chipmaker, raised its full-year revenue and profit forecasts, helped by strong growth in its data center business.

For the full year, the company said it expects to earn, on an adjusted basis, $3.25 per share on revenue of $62 billion, beating analysts’ estimate of $3.01 per share on revenue of $61.4 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

“The combination of a solid quarter and healthy guidance will be something the bulls can hang their hat on tomorrow,” Daniel Ives, chief strategy officer at GBH Insights said.

Revenue from Intel’s higher-margin data center business rose 7 percent to $4.9 billion in the third quarter, beating analysts’ expectation of $4.79 billion, according to financial data and analytics firm FactSet.

Intel, which has been switching its focus to the data center business, is also venturing into newer areas such as artificial intelligence and driverless cars to reduce its reliance on the traditional PC market.

In March, the chipmaker said it would buy Israeli autonomous vehicle technology firm Mobileye MBLY.N to compete with peers such as Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) and tap the fast-growing market of driverless cars.

Last year, Goldman Sachs said the market for advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles would grow from about $3 billion in 2015 to $96 billion in 2025 and $290 billion in 2035.

“With cloud, Internet of Things, and self-driving cars creating newer growth areas, now is the time for Intel to lay the seeds of growth in these key areas,” Ives said.

Revenue from client computing, as Intel calls its PC chip business, remained flat at $8.9 billion. Analysts had expected revenue of $8.68 billion, according to FactSet.

The company's net income rose to $4.52 billion, or 94 cents per share, in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, from $3.38 billion, or 69 cents per share, a year earlier. (bit.ly/2zRIW6x)

Excluding items, the company earned $1.01 cents per share, beating analysts’ estimate of 80 cents per share.

Revenue rose 2.4 percent to $16.15 billion, beating estimates of $15.73 billion.