Dell sees sales above estimates on booming demand for remote-work tools

Dell Technologies Inc forecast current-quarter sales above market expectations as a pandemic-driven shift to remote work and learning powered demand for its desktops and notebooks, helping it post a surprise rise in third-quarter revenue.

The company said, on an earnings call with analysts on Tuesday, that it expects fourth-quarter revenue to rise 3% to 4% sequentially, implying a range between $24.18 billion and $24.42 billion, compared with analysts’ average expectation of $23.09 billion.

The PC maker’s shares were last up marginally in volatile after-market trading, as adjusted earnings matched Wall Street expectations of $2.03 per share.

Consumers and businesses are spending on notebooks at a rate Dell has not seen in over a decade, according to an earnings presentation, helping its client solutions group rake in a record $12.29 billion in revenue, up about 8% from a year earlier.