4:25pm 08/19/03
Hewlett-Packard reports Q3 profit of $297 million (HPQ) By Rex Crum
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) posted a 2003 third-quarter net profit of $297 million, to turn around from a loss of $2.02 billion it reported during the same period a year ago. On a per-share basis, H-P reported net earnings of 10 cents a share, compared to a loss of 67 cents a share last year. Revenue totaled $17.35 billion, up from $16.5 billion last year, but short of the $17.5 billion forecasted by analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. On a pro forma basis, H-P earned 23 cents a share compared to 14 cents a share in the year-ago period. Analysts estimated H-P would earn 26 cents a share.