Personal computer shipments provided positive data points for HP Inc. (HPQ) and Microsoft (MSFT) for the March quarter, but showed Apple's (AAPL) Mac computer sales underperformed.
XMarket research firm IDC late Wednesday said worldwide shipments of PCs totaled 60.4 million units in the March quarter, unchanged from a year earlier. The results were better than the forecast 1.5% decline and marked the third consecutive quarter where PC shipments have hovered around flat growth year over year, IDC said.
PC shipments were boosted by renewed commercial computer sales and steady business uptake of Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system.
On the consumer side of the PC business, robust sales of premium gaming systems were a bright spot, the research firm said.
While overall PC shipments were flat, HP increased its PC unit volume by 4.3% in the quarter and Dell Technologies grew its shipments by 6.4%, IDC said. Meanwhile, Apple's Mac computer shipments declined 4.8% to 4 million units in the period.
Ahead Of The Pack
HP kept its PC industry crown, capturing 22.6% market share in the first quarter. Lenovo was second with 20.4% share, followed by Dell with 16.9%. Apple came in fourth with 6.6% market share, just behind Acer, which had 6.8% share, IDC said.
Rival market research firm Gartner put out first-quarter PC shipment data late Wednesday that conflicts with IDC's take. Gartner said PC shipments declined 1.4% year over year to 61.7 million units in the first quarter. It pegged PC shipment growth at HP and Dell at 2.8% and 6.5%, respectively.
Gartner estimates that Apple's Mac computer shipments lagged rivals but rose 1.5% to 4.26 million units in the quarter.
Apple will report its March-quarter Mac PC sales on May 1 when it posts fiscal second-quarter results.
The first-quarter PC figures are a good sign for HP, RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani said in a note to clients.
"We view the company's recent share gain momentum and market-leading position in PCs positively," he said.
HP Touts New PC Lineup
On Wednesday, HP announced a refreshed lineup of Pavilion desktop and notebook PCs. The new machines feature "refined materials and finishes, thin bezels, and stepped-up performance options that enhance the customer experience," HP said in a news release.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company also introduced a new line of HP Pavilion Gaming computers.
The first-quarter PC numbers were in line to slightly better than expectations for chipmaker Intel (INTC). Intel gets 50% to 55% of its revenue from central processing units for PCs, Daryanani said.
The Q1 PC data also are positive for Microsoft, Credit Suisse analyst Michael Nemeroff said in a report. The data point to continued uptake of Windows 10 software by enterprise and business customers, he said.
HP shares climbed 1.6% to close at 21.92 on the stock market today. Microsoft gained 1.9% to 93.58. Intel jumped 3.2% to 52.72. Apple was up 1% to 174.14.
RELATED:
Apple Mac Chip Switch's Impact On Intel Overblown, Analysts Say
