Tablet computer sales growth has stalled in the U.S. But tablet users are still driving “postpaid” subscriber additions at wireless phone companies. If wireless firms continue to make tablets more affordable through aggressive promotions, they may be able to sustain a newfound source of subscriber growth. Market research firm IDC says worldwide tablet computer shipments rose just 4% year-over-year in the first quarter. In the U.S., tablet
Applied Materials, the largest producer of chip-making equipment, late Thursday reported quarterly earnings that met Wall Street estimates. Its in-line guidance for sales and earnings for the current quarter cheered investors. For its fiscal second quarter ended April 27, Applied Materials (AMAT) reported earnings per share minus items of 28 cents, meeting the consensus estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. That was up 75% from the
Cisco Systems stock jumped more than 6% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the computer networking giant posted better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter sales and earnings. It also gave current quarter guidance that was ahead of estimates. The San Jose, Calif.-based company said Q3 sales fell 5.4% to $11.54 billion vs. the $12.2 billion reported in the same quarter last year. But analysts had expected sales to decline 7% to $11.35 billion.