Flextronics which makes mobile phones for Sony Ericsson and video game consoles for Microsoft Corp among other products, also stuck to its earlier guidance for its fourth quarter.

The Singapore-based company expected adjusted earnings of between 22 and 24 US cents (31 and 34 Singapore cents) per share on revenue of between US$7.5 billion and US$7.9 billion. Wall Street analysts were looking for an adjusted profit of 23 US cents per share on revenue of US$7.81 billion.

'At the end of the previous quarter, what we said was that there had been a little slowdown in the industrial segment and telecoms, and that slowdown I would say has stabilized,' Chief Financial Officer Thomas Smach said.

'Consumer is probably the only market segment we see continued slowing in. For Flextronics, I think we can still grow through that because we are still winning new programs and new products like LCD TVs, digital cameras and MP3 players.'

For its third fiscal quarter ended Dec 31, Flextronics said its profit excluding acquisition costs and other charges was US$250 million, or 30 US cents a share, beating the 26 US cents expected by Wall Street.

In the first quarter including results from its Solectron purchase, Flextronics said net sales were US$9.07 billion, up 67 per cent from US$5.42 billion a year earlier and ahead of the US$8.61 billion that was the average analyst estimate.

Flextronics shares rose as much as 4.6 per cent to US$10.78 after the results were announced, before settling back at US$10.60. -- REUTERS