PC Sales Slide for Fifth Straight Quarter

Photo of Paul Ausick
By Paul Ausick Updated Published

122595358

Thinkstock
Late last month research firm Gartner Inc. (NYSE: IT) forecast that PC sales would fall by 10.6% in 2013. Right on on plan, the firm said today that second-quarter shipments fell by 10.9%. For the year, Gartner forecasts total PC sales of 305 million units.

Lenovo was the leading seller in the second quarter with a 16.7% share, slightly ahead of Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ), with 16.3%. U.S. sales fell 1.4% in the quarter, compared with a drop of 11.5% in Asia and 16.8% in Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

The continuing decline in sales is down to the surge in sales for tablets, which are displacing low-end PCs in mature and developed markets, and are becoming the first computing device for many people in emerging markets. Tablet sales are also having a negative impact on the mini-notebook market.

According to Gartner, 76 million PCs were sold in the second quarter.

Anyone want to persuade Michael Dell to raise his bid for Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL)? Carl Icahn? Anybody?

Photo of Paul Ausick
About the Author Paul Ausick →

Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.

Featured Reads

Our top personal finance-related articles today. Your wallet will thank you later.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

KMX Vol: 7,330,419
GLW Vol: 22,800,969
INTC Vol: 233,719,006
SMCI Vol: 68,465,534
ENPH Vol: 13,978,376

Top Losing Stocks

ACN Vol: 41,744,333
EPAM Vol: 5,636,587
CTSH Vol: 61,311,400
CTRA Vol: 73,319,495
KR Vol: 26,704,230