| ||
  | ||
| ||
| ||
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Software maker SAP lifts sales
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) -- Germany's SAP defied a slump in global software spending to beat its full-year 2002 targets, lifting sales and widening its operating margins. Europe's largest software maker said on Thursday it had increased 2002 sales by one percent to 7.4 billion euros ($8.05 billion). Rigorous cost-cutting helped lift operating margins to 22.7 percent, surpassing the company's target of at least 21 percent. Operating profit before charges for stock-based compensation programmes and acquisitions rose by 15 percent to 1.7 billion euros. The group said it expected to gain market share and increase profitability in 2003 despite an unpredictable environment. It forecast 2003 earnings per share, excluding charges for stock-based compensation and other charges, in a range between 3.45 and 3.60 euros. SAP, which supplies business planning and Web-based e-business software to almost 20,000 customers worldwide, has been hit by slower spending on information technology. But it confirmed the picture painted on January 9, when it reported preliminary sales figures that were well ahead of market expectations.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
