EMC's first-quarter forecast misses estimates; shares fall
(Reuters) - EMC Corp, the world's largest data storage equipment maker, forecast current-quarter results below analysts' estimates, sending its shares down nearly 3 percent in trading before the bell.
The company, which said it would cut jobs in the first quarter, forecast adjusted earnings of 35 cents per share on revenue of about $5.39 billion (3.25 billion pounds).
Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 43 cents per share on revenue of $5.8 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The company said it approved a restructuring plan consisting of job cuts that would be "substantially" completed by the end of the first quarter and result in a charge of $100-$120 million.
EMC unit VMware Inc reported a slightly better-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday, helped by higher revenue from license sales.
EMC's net profit rose 17 percent to $1.02 billion, or 48 cents per share, in the fourth quarter from $870 million, or 39 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, the company earned 60 cents per share.
Revenue rose 11 percent to $6.7 billion.
Analysts on average had expected earnings of 59 cents per share on revenue of $6.63 billion.
EMC shares were down about 2 percent at $24.80 in premarket trading on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Neha Alawadhi in Bangalore; Editing by Don Sebastian)
