Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday reported its fiscal first-quarter earnings, which fell short of Wall Street’s expectations. Analysts expected the computer giant to pull in $30.75 billion and $0.87 per share, and while HP’s first-quarter earnings of $0.92 per share beat the Street’s consensus, revenue dipped 7% to $30 billion and missed estimates. “In the first quarter, we delivered on our Q1 outlook and remained focused on the fundamentals to drive long-term sustainable returns,” said HP president and CEO Meg Whitman. “We are taking the necessary steps to improve execution, increase effectiveness and capitalize on emerging opportunities to reassert HP’s technology leadership.” HP anticipates its second-quarter EPS to fall between $0.88 and $0.91, below Wall Street’s consensus of $0.95 per share. Read on for HP’s press release.

HP Reports First Quarter 2012 Results

PALO ALTO, CA–(Marketwire – Feb 22, 2012) – HP (NYSE: HPQ)
First quarter non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.92, down 32% from the prior-year period and above previously provided outlook of $0.83 to $0.86 per share

First quarter GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.73, down 38% from the prior-year period and above previously provided outlook of $0.61 to $0.64 per share

First quarter net revenue of $30.0 billion, down 7% from the prior-year period

Returned $1.0 billion in cash to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases
HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2012. For the quarter, net revenue of $30.0 billion was down 7% from the prior-year period, and down 8% when adjusted for the effects of currency.

GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) was $0.73, down 38% from the prior-year period. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.92, down 32% from the prior-year period. First quarter non-GAAP earnings information excludes after-tax costs of $364 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, related to amortization of purchased intangible assets, restructuring charges and acquisition-related charges.

“In the first quarter, we delivered on our Q1 outlook and remained focused on the fundamentals to drive long-term sustainable returns,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer. “We are taking the necessary steps to improve execution, increase effectiveness and capitalize on emerging opportunities to reassert HP’s technology leadership.”

Earnings highlights

Q1 FY12 Q1 FY11 Y/Y
GAAP net revenue ($B) $30.0 $32.3 (7%)
GAAP operating margin 6.8% 10.5% (3.7 pts)
GAAP net earnings ($B) $1.5 $2.6 (44%)
GAAP diluted EPS $0.73 $1.17 (38%)
Non-GAAP operating margin 8.6% 12.4% (3.8 pts)
Non-GAAP net earnings ($B) $1.8 $3.0 (40%)
Non-GAAP diluted EPS $0.92 $1.36 (32%)
Information about HP’s use of non-GAAP financial information is provided under “Use of non-GAAP financial information” below.

Trends and regional performance

In the Americas, first quarter revenue was $13.2 billion, down 9% year over year and down 8% when adjusted for the effects of currency. Europe, the Middle East and Africa revenue of $11.7 billion was down 4% year over year and down 5% when adjusted for the effects of currency. Revenue in Asia Pacific was $5.2 billion, representing a 10% decrease year over year and down 12% when adjusted for the effects of currency.
Revenue from outside of the United States in the first quarter accounted for 66% of total HP revenue. BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) generated revenue of $3.1 billion, down 13% from the year-ago period, and representing 10% of total HP revenue.

Revenue in HP’s commercial businesses declined 4% year over year. Revenue in HP’s consumer businesses, within PSG and IPG, was collectively down 23% year over year.
Business group results

Personal Systems Group (PSG) revenue declined 15% year over year with a 5.2% operating margin. Commercial client revenue declined 7%, Consumer client revenue declined 25% and Workstations revenue was flat. Total units were down 18%, with a 19% decline in desktop units and an 18% decline in notebook units.

Services revenue of $8.6 billion grew 1% year over year with a 10.5% operating margin. Technology Services revenue grew 2%, Application and Business Services revenue was flat and IT Outsourcing revenue grew 2% year over year.

Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) revenue declined 7% year over year with a 12.2% operating margin. Commercial hardware revenue was down 5% year over year with commercial printer units down 10%. Consumer hardware revenue was down 15% year over year with a 15% decline in printer units.

Enterprise Servers, Storage and Networking (ESSN) revenue declined 10% year over year with an 11.2% operating margin. Networking revenue was flat, Industry Standard Servers revenue was down 11%, Business Critical Systems revenue was down 27% and Storage revenue was down 6% year over year.

Software revenue grew 30% year over year with a 17.1% operating margin, including the results of Autonomy. Software revenue was driven by 12% license growth, 22% support growth and 108% growth in services.

HP Financial Services revenue grew 15% year over year driven by an 8% increase in net portfolio assets and flat financing volume. The business delivered a 9.6% operating margin.
Asset management

HP generated $1.2 billion in cash flow from operations in the first quarter. Inventory ended the quarter at $7.3 billion, with days of inventory up 3 days year over year to 28 days. Accounts receivable of $15.9 billion was up 2 days year over year to 48 days. Accounts payable ended the quarter at $12.4 billion, down 2 days from the prior-year period at 48 days. HP’s dividend payment of $0.12 per share in the first quarter resulted in cash usage of $244 million. HP also utilized $780 million of cash during the quarter to repurchase approximately 29 million shares of common stock in the open market. HP exited the quarter with $8.2 billion in gross cash.
Outlook

For the second quarter of fiscal 2012, HP estimates non-GAAP diluted EPS to be in the range of $0.88 to $0.91 and GAAP diluted EPS to be in the range of $0.68 to $0.71.
Second quarter fiscal 2012 non-GAAP diluted EPS estimates exclude after-tax costs of approximately $0.20 per share, related primarily to the amortization of purchased intangible assets, restructuring charges and acquisition-related charges.

There is no change to HP’s previously provided full year fiscal 2012 outlook of non-GAAP diluted EPS of at least $4.00 and GAAP diluted EPS of approximately $3.20.
Full year fiscal 2012 non-GAAP diluted EPS estimates exclude after-tax costs of approximately $0.80 per share, related primarily to the amortization of purchased intangible assets, restructuring charges and acquisition-related charges.

As part of its annual financial review process, HP implemented several organizational realignments effective Q1 FY12. To provide improved visibility and comparability, HP has reflected these realignments in prior financial reporting periods on an as-if basis. These realignments resulted in, among other things, the transfer of revenue within and among various financial reporting segments and business units. The changes do not impact HP’s previously reported consolidated net revenue, earnings from operations, net earnings or earnings per share at the company level. To reflect these changes, HP released modified quarterly and annual consolidated condensed statements of earnings, segment financial results and statements of business unit revenue for fiscal 2010 and 2011, which are available on HP’s Investor Relations website at www.hp.com/investor/home.

Qualcomm on Wednesday reported record earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2012. The company took in $4.68 billion in revenue, up 40% year-over-year and 14% sequentially, beating Wall Street’s estimate of $4.58 million. Qualcomm’s net income of $1.4 billion was up 20% year-over-year and 25% over the fourth quarter. The firm also managed earnings of $0.97 per share, up 18% year-over-year and ahead of the Street’s EPS estimate of $0.90. Qualcomm boosted guidance for the full year, saying it expects to report between $18.7 billion and $19.7 billion in revenue for 2012. It had previously said revenue would likely fall between $18 billion and $19 billion. “I am pleased to report another record quarter with revenues, earnings and MSM shipments reaching all-time highs, driven by our industry-leading chipset portfolio and the continued strong demand for smartphones around the world,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. “We are raising our revenue and earnings guidance as our broad licensing partnerships and extensive chipset roadmap, led by our integrated Snapdragon processors, position us well for strong growth in fiscal 2012. We continue to invest in innovative wireless technologies, products and services, and we are excited about the opportunities ahead as 3G and 4G continue to expand across new device types and geographies.”

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Susquehanna issued a note to its clients on Wednesday in which the firm said it is increasing its iPhone shipment forecast for Apple’s first fiscal quarter. The company originally expected Apple to ship 27.1 million iPhones during the quarter but has revised that figure up to 30.3 million units. “The revisions are based on positive sell-through data combined with recent supply-chain checks, which suggests that earlier component constraints have largely been resolved and build plans have increased for the fourth and first quarter,” the company explained in a note to clients. Susquehanna also said demand for the iPhone 4S remains strong and that the device continues to ship in 1-2 weeks from Apple’s website while retail stores are still “sold out for in-store reservation and pickup.” The firm’s predictions are certainly bullish; Apple sold 17.1 million iPhones during its fourth fiscal quarter. Still, other firms such as UBS predict that Apple will ship as many as 42.5 million iPhones during the December quarter. 

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Microsoft announced its fiscal first-quarter 2012 earnings on Thursday, the best first quarter the company has ever recorded. The Redmond-based software giant reported revenue of $17.37 billion, up 7% from the first quarter of 2011 and on a par with analyst estimates of $17.26 billion. Operating income for the quarter was $7.2 billion, up 1% from the same quarter last year and net income was $5.74 billion, or $0.68 per share, up 6% from the first quarter of 2011. “We saw customer demand across the breadth of our products, resulting in record first-quarter revenue and another quarter of solid EPS growth,” said Microsoft CFO Peter Klein. “Our product portfolio is performing well, and we’ve got an impressive pipeline of products and services that positions us well for future growth.” Microsoft’s Business division reported $5.62 billion in revenue, up 8% from the same period last year and above analyst estimates of $5.4 billion. The company’s Server & Tools team reported $4.25 billion in revenue, up 10% from last year’s first quarter and a hair below analyst expectations of $4.3 billion. Its Windows and Windows Live Division reported a revenue increase of 2% up to $4.87 billion. In addition, Microsoft said it has now sold 450 million Windows 7 licenses since the platform’s launch. Read on for the full press release from Microsoft. 

Microsoft Reports Record First-Quarter Results 

$17.37 billion of revenue driven by solid business and consumer demand

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 20, 2011 — Microsoft Corp. today announced record first-quarter revenue of $17.37 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2011, a 7% increase from the same period of the prior year. Operating income, net income, and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $7.20 billion, $5.74 billion, and $0.68 per share, which represented increases of 1%, 6%, and 10%, respectively, when compared with the prior year period.

“We saw customer demand across the breadth of our products, resulting in record first-quarter revenue and another quarter of solid EPS growth,” said Peter Klein, chief financial officer at Microsoft. “Our product portfolio is performing well, and we’ve got an impressive pipeline of products and services that positions us well for future growth.”

Since July, Microsoft reported a number of product and business highlights, including:

• The Microsoft Business Division reported $5.62 billion in first quarter revenue, an 8% increase from the prior year period which included the launch of Office 2010. Revenue from Microsoft’s productivity server offerings – including Lync, SharePoint, and Exchange – grew double-digits, and the Dynamics business grew 17% in the quarter.
• The Server & Tools segment posted $4.25 billion in first quarter revenue, a 10% increase over the prior year period and the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth. Microsoft also unveiled a developer preview of “Windows Server 8” at the BUILD developer conference in September.
• Windows and Windows Live Division revenue was $4.87 billion, a 2% increase over the prior period, in line with the PC market. Windows 7 momentum continued with over 450 million licenses sold since launch. At the BUILD conference, Microsoft showcased and released a developer preview of the next major release of Windows, “Windows 8.”
• Windows Phone 7.5 released with a broad array of new features, and received favorable reviews.
• Bing organic US market share grew 350 basis points year over year to 14.7% while Bing-powered US market share, including Yahoo! properties, was approximately 27%. The company also showcased the increasing integration of Bing across other products such as Xbox and Windows Phone.
• Xbox was the top-selling gaming console in the US for the ninth consecutive month. The company launched the Gears of War 3 game with over three million copies sold in the first week, and announced plans to roll out the next generation of TV entertainment on Xbox LIVE with nearly 40 content providers starting this holiday season.
• Microsoft completed its acquisition of Skype.

“We had another strong quarter for Office, SharePoint, Exchange, and Lync, and saw growing demand for our public and private cloud services including Office 365, Dynamics CRM Online, and Windows Azure,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft. “With a great set of consumer products like Windows 7 PCs, Windows Phone 7.5, Xbox and Kinect, we are excited about the holiday buying season.”

Business Outlook

Beginning in the second fiscal quarter, Microsoft’s results will include the results of Skype. The company offers updated fiscal 2012 operating expense guidance, including Skype and the associated acquisition-related expenses, of $28.6 billion to $29.2 billion.

Tablet shipments following the 2010 holiday season dropped by more than a quarter according to market watcher IDC, but the firm still raised its full-year forecast in its latest Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker report. First-quarter 2011 tablet shipments were down by 28% sequentially according to IDC, due to iPad shipments that were “well below expectations.” Yet the firm has high hopes for Apple’s iPad 2 tablet in 2011, and it raised its full-year shipment estimates to 53.5 million units from 50.4 million units as a result. Apple isn’t the only company finding success with tablets, however, as Android tablets were up 8.2 points sequentially to 34% of total shipments in the first quarter according to IDC. ”Like the PC market, Media Tablets had a bit of a challenging quarter in Q1, as concerns about general macroeconomic issues and the post-holiday letdown took a toll on demand,” said IDC’s VP of Clients and Displays Bob O’Donnell in a statement. “We expect the rest of the year to be much stronger, but we believe vendors who continue to focus on the telco channel for distribution will face serious challenges.” O’Donnell’s colleague Jennifer Song, IDC Research Analyst, added, “Although media tablet sales were not as high as expected in 1Q11 due to slower consumer demand, overall economic conditions, and supply-chain constraints, we believe with the entrance of competitive new devices in second half of 2011, the market will sell close to 53 million units for the year and continue to grow long-term.” IDC’s full press release follows below.

Media Tablet Sales Lag Optimistic First Quarter Targets, But Forecast Remains Strong, According to IDC

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., July 8, 2011 – Worldwide media tablet shipments into sales channels fell by 28% on a sequential basis in the first calendar quarter of 2011 (1Q11) to 7.2 million units worldwide, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker. Looking forward, however, IDC raised its shipment forecast for 2011 to 53.5 million units from a previous projection of 50.4 million units.

For 1Q11, the seasonal trends typically found in more mature consumer electronics and computing categories had a notable impact on the burgeoning media tablet market, suggesting that demand for the category may not be quite as strong as recent media hype suggests. The eReader market (which IDC counts separately) experienced similar seasonality, undergoing a sequential decline in shipments to 3.3 million units as the post-holiday season proved to be challenging for that category. However, eReaders enjoyed 105% year-over-year growth as the devices continue to grow in overall popularity, particularly with the introduction of color devices, such as Barnes & Noble’s Color Nook. (Note: Media tablets have been shipping less than a full year and year over year growth comparisons are not yet available.)

Apple’s iPad and the recently introduced iPad 2 continue to dominate the media tablet market, as other vendors have had a more difficult time finding market acceptance for their products. But even Apple’s shipments for the quarter were well below expectations. Some supply-chain hiccups on screens as well as the pre-release announcement of the iPad 2 several weeks before its actual availability combined to have a noticeable impact on the company’s shipments for the quarter.

Mobile phone vendors, such as Samsung and Motorola, who have focused their distribution through the telco carriers, found moderate success with their media tablets, but sales were largely stymied by many consumers’ unwillingness to sign up for the 3G/4G data plans that the carriers typically require along with these devices. As an operating system, Android-based devices grew to 34% of the total, a share increase of 8.2 points over the previous quarter.

For eBooks, Barnes & Noble’s Color Nook helped the company to take the lead in the eReader market for the first time. Amazon’s Kindle was second, but the lack of a color offering has clearly impacted the company’s previous dominance in the eReader market. IDC forecasts the worldwide eReader market to ship 16.2 million units in 2011, a 24% increase over 2010.

“Like the PC market, Media Tablets had a bit of a challenging quarter in Q1, as concerns about general macroeconomic issues and the post-holiday letdown took a toll on demand,” said Bob O’Donnell, IDC Vice President, Clients and Displays. “We expect the rest of the year to be much stronger, but we believe vendors who continue to focus on the telco channel for distribution will face serious challenges.”

“Although media tablet sales were not as high as expected in 1Q11 due to slower consumer demand, overall economic conditions, and supply-chain constraints, we believe with the entrance of competitive new devices in second half of 2011, the market will sell close to 53 million units for the year and continue to grow long-term,” said Jennifer Song, IDC Research Analyst.

Research In Motion on Thursday reported earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2012. After cutting its first-quarter outlook at the end of April, RIM’s May quarter came in below analyst estimates. First quarter revenue came in at $4.9 billion versus the Street’s estimate of $5.5 billion, and device shipments totalled 13.2 million versus expectations of 13.5 million. Net income for the quarter was $695 million, down from $769 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Earnings per share in the first quarter beat estimates by a penny at $1.33. RIM’s revenue for the quarter breaks down as 78% hardware, 20% service, and 2% software and other revenue. In the second quarter, RIM trimmed its outlook to $4.2-$4.5 billion in revenue, significantly under the Street’s consensus of $5.46 billion. RIM’s second-quarter EPS forecast is just $0.75-$1.05 versus $1.40 consensus. For the full year, RIM cut its EPS outlook from $7.50 to between $5.25 and $6 per share. “Fiscal 2012 has gotten off to a challenging start,” RIM Co-CEO Jim Balsillie said in a statement. “The slowdown we saw in the first quarter is continuing into Q2, and delays in new product introductions into the very late part of August is leading to a lower than expected outlook in the second quarter.” RIM also said it would soon begin a “program to streamline operations” that will involve job cuts. Shares of RIM stock opened down 15% in after-hours trading. RIM’s full press release follows below.

RESEARCH IN MOTION REPORTS FIRST QUARTER FISCAL 2012 RESULTS AND REVISES FULL YEAR GUIDANCE

ANNOUNCES PLANS TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS AND ACCELERATE NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVES SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion Limited (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM), a world leader in the mobile communications market, today reported first quarter results for the three months ended May 28, 2011 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP).

Highlights: • Revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 grew 16% over the same quarter last year • International revenue1 in Q1 grew 67% year over year • Gross margin in the quarter was approximately 44%, slightly higher than expected due to product mix • RIM launched the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in North America and shipped approximately 500,000 units in the first quarter

Q1 Fiscal 2012 Results:

Revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 was $4.9 billion, down 12% from $5.6 billion in the previous quarter and up 16% from $4.2 billion in the same quarter of last year. The revenue breakdown for the quarter was approximately 78% for hardware revenue, 20% for service and 2% for software and other revenue. During the quarter, RIM shipped approximately 13.2 million BlackBerry handheld devices and approximately 500,000 BlackBerry Playbook tablets.

“Fiscal 2012 has gotten off to a challenging start. The slowdown we saw in the first quarter is continuing into Q2, and delays in new product introductions into the very late part of August is leading to a lower than expected outlook in the second quarter.” said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “RIM’s business is profitable and remains solid overall with growing market share in numerous markets around the world and a strong balance sheet with almost $3 billion in cash. We believe that with the new products scheduled for launch in the next few months and realigning our cost structure, RIM will see strong profit growth in the latter part of fiscal 2012.”

Net income for the quarter was $695 million, or $1.33 per share diluted, compared with net income of $934 million, or $1.78 per share diluted, in the prior quarter and net income of $769 million, or $1.38 per share diluted, in the same quarter last year.

The total of cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments was $2.9 billion as of May 28, 2011, compared to $2.7 billion at the end of the previous quarter, an increase of approximately $170 million from the prior quarter. Cash flow from operations in Q1 was approximately $1 billion. Uses of

1 Includes revenue outside of the U.S. and Canada

June 16, 2011cash included intangible asset additions of approximately $560 million, capital expenditures of approximately $220 million and business acquisitions of approximately $30 million.

Cost Optimization Program:

The company also announced that it will begin a program to streamline operations across the organization, which will include a headcount reduction. This realignment will be focused on taking out redundancies and a reallocation of resources to allow us to focus on the areas that offer the highest growth opportunities and align with RIM strategic objectives, such as accelerating new product introductions. We expect to implement this program beginning in the second quarter with the benefits impacting results primarily in Q3 and beyond. Any one-time charges associated with this initiative are not included in our Q2 and full year outlook but will be identified and disclosed when we report our second quarter results.

Share Repurchase Program:

RIM’s Board of Directors today also approved a share repurchase program to purchase for cancellation through the facilities of the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ) or by way of private agreement up to 5% of RIM’s outstanding common shares. The share repurchase program may commence after July 10, 2011 and will remain in place for up to 12 months or until the purchases are completed or the program is terminated by RIM.

The price that RIM will pay for any shares purchased over NASDAQ will be the prevailing market price at the time of purchase. The share repurchase program will be effected in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which contains restrictions on the number of shares that may be purchased on a single day, subject to certain exceptions for block purchases, based on the average daily trading volumes of RIM’s shares on NASDAQ. Any purchases made by way of private agreement may be at a discount to the prevailing market price at the time of purchase, and would be subject to regulatory approval.

RIM’s Board of Directors believes that a share repurchase program at this time is in the best interests of RIM and its shareholders, and will not impact RIM’s ability to execute its growth plans. Any shares purchased under the program will increase the proportionate interest of, and may be advantageous to, all remaining shareholders of RIM.

The actual number of shares purchased, the timing of purchases, and the price at which the shares would be bought under the share repurchase program will depend on future market conditions and upon potential alternative uses for cash resources. There is no assurance that any shares will be purchased under the share repurchase program and RIM may elect to suspend or discontinue the program at any time.

Q2 and Full Year 2012 Outlook:

Revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 ending August 27, 2011 is expected to be in the range of $4.2-$4.8 billion. Gross margin percentage for the second quarter is expected to be approximately 39%. Earnings per share for the second quarter are expected to be $0.75-$1.05 diluted, excluding any one-time charges. Earnings per share for the full year fiscal 2012 are now expected to be between $5.25-$6.00 diluted, excluding any one-time charges or share repurchases.

Shares of Best Buy stock jumped by as much as 7% Tuesday morning as the company reported results for the first fiscal quarter of 2012 that beat Wall Street’s expectations. In the quarter ending May 28th, Best Buy reported revenue of $10.9 billion, up 1% from the same quarter last year thanks to a 12% increase in online revenue. Gross profit slid 1% year-over-year to $2.77 billion and net income dropped 12% to $136 million, but the Street was expecting more of a hit as competition from online retailers like Amazon picked up. “We’re pleased that our actions improved sales trends within the quarter, with continued double-digit growth online and strong growth of mobile phones and connections,” Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said in a statement. The company also reaffirmed its fiscal 2012 guidance, saying it expects revenue to fall between $51 billion and $52.5 billion and net income of between $3.30 to $3.55 per share. Analysts expect revenue to total $51.8 billion and EPS to reach $3.46 for the full year. Best Buy’s full press release can be seen below.

Best Buy Reports Fiscal First Quarter Results

Improved sales performance delivered 1.4 percent revenue growth
Share repurchases exceeded $500 million during the quarter
Company’s full year guidance outlook unchanged

Fiscal First Quarter Financial Summary	Three Months Ended
(U.S. dollars in millions, except per share amounts)	May 28, 2011		May 29, 2010		Change YOY
Revenue	$10,940		$10,787		1%
Gross profit	$2,768		$2,793		(1%)
SG&A	$2,484		$2,480		0%
Operating income	$282		$313		(10%)
Diluted EPS	$0.35		$0.36		(3%)
Key Metrics:
Comparable store sales % change(1)	(1.7%)		2.8%
Gross profit as % of revenue	25.3%		25.9%
SG&A as % of revenue	22.7%		23.0%
Operating income as % of revenue	2.6%		2.9%

Fiscal First Quarter Highlights

• Strong Domestic mobile phones comparable store sales growth of 28 percent
• Domestic online revenue growth of 12 percent
• Domestic connections growth of 20 percent
• International segment operating income increased significantly year-over-year to $48 million
• Operating cash flow increased to $1.3 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion over the prior-year period
• Share repurchases totaled $505 million (16.6 million shares)

MINNEAPOLIS, June 14, 2011 — Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY), a leading multi-channel global retailer and developer of technology products and services, today reported net earnings of $136 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, for its fiscal first quarter ended May 28, 2011, compared with $155 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, for the prior-year period.

“I’d like to thank our employees around the world for their continued efforts to serve our customers and focus on profitable returns for our shareholders,” said Brian J. Dunn, CEO of Best Buy. “We’re pleased that our actions improved sales trends within the quarter, with continued double-digit growth online and strong growth of mobile phones and connections. We also made progress on our goal of enhancing returns by continuing strong share repurchasing activity.”

Revenue

	Three Months ended May 28, 2011						Prior-Year Period
($millions)	Revenue		Change YOY		Comp. Store Sales		Comp. Store Sales
Domestic	$7,859		(0.8%)		(2.4%)		1.9%
International	3,081		7.6%		0.4%		6.3%
Total	$10,940		1.4%		(1.7%)		2.8%

Total Company revenue was $10.9 billion during the quarter, representing a revenue increase of 1.4 percent and included a modest comparable store sales decline of 1.7 percent versus the prior-year period. Within the Domestic segment, areas of comparable store sales growth included mobile phones, mobile computing (including tablets), eReaders, appliances and services. The online channel was key in driving growth, delivering a 12 percent revenue increase in the Domestic segment during the quarter. These sales gains were offset by declines in television, digital imaging, and physical media. Growth in the International segment was led by the continued strong performance of the Five Star business in China, which delivered comparable store sales gains during the period, while Europe and Canada each had modest comparable store sales declines.

Gross Profit

	Three Months ended May 28, 2011
($millions)	Gross Profit		Change YOY		% of Revenue
Domestic	$1,970		(3%)		25.1%
International	798		6%		25.9%
Total	$2,768		(1%)		25.3%

Total Company gross profit dollars declined 1 percent during the quarter, with the Domestic segment gross profit declining 3 percent, largely offset by International segment growth of 6 percent. The Domestic segment gross profit dollar decline was primarily driven by a rate decline of 60 basis points. The primary factors influencing the rate included: increased promotions to drive improved revenue, industry-wide product supply interruptions of digital imaging products due to the events in Japan, higher transportation costs, and the impact of lapping a large annual vendor rebate that occurred in fiscal first quarter 2011. Partially offsetting these factors was the continued favorable mix impact from the strong growth of mobile phones. The International segment gross profit dollar growth of 6 percent during the quarter was driven by revenue and rate strength in the Five Star business, as well as rate improvements in Canada.

Selling, General and Administrative expenses (“SG&A”)

	Three Months ended May 28, 2011
($millions)	SG&A		Change YOY		% of Revenue
Domestic	$1,736		(0%)		22.1%
International	748		1%		24.3%
Total	$2,484		0%		22.7%

Total Company SG&A spending was essentially flat during the quarter, as the net addition of new stores over the past 12 months was offset by timing of project-related costs. SG&A rate improved 30 basis points versus the prior-year period, as the International segment delivered rate improvement of 150 basis points due to cost savings on the European business and the Domestic segment rate was unfavorable 10 basis points.

Operating Income

	Three Months ended May 28, 2011
($millions)	Op. Income		Change YOY		% of Revenue
Domestic	$234		(21%)		3.0%
International	48		220%		1.5%
Total	$282		(10%)		2.6%

Share Repurchases, Dividend, and Operating Cash Flow
During the first quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company repurchased $505 million, or 16.6 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $30.43 per share. The Company has approximately $800 million remaining capacity under its existing share repurchase authorization as of the end of the fiscal first quarter. On May 5, 2011, the Company paid a dividend of $0.15 per common share outstanding, or $58 million in the aggregate. As anticipated and noted within the Company’s fiscal 2011 fourth quarter earnings release, operating cash flow for the first fiscal quarter improved significantly, totaling $1.3 billion versus $169 million in the prior-year period, primarily driven by the timing of several working capital items.

Company Affirms Fiscal 2012 Annual Guidance
The Company reiterated its fiscal 2012 outlook, including its annual net earnings per diluted share guidance of $3.28 to $3.53 and adjusted net earnings per diluted share of $3.30 to $3.55 as provided on March 24, 2011. As stated on March 24, 2011, adjusted diluted EPS guidance excludes the impact of the previously announced restructuring charges and fiscal 2012 share repurchases. The Company expects revenue towards the higher end of its guided range of $51.0 to $52.5 billion. The Company also noted that it continues to expect annual operating income dollars of flat to growth of 7 percent, and expects that first half operating income dollars will be in line with its original expectations. More details regarding Best Buy’s fiscal 2012 guidance is available on the Company’s Web site at www.investors.bestbuy.com.

Conference Call
Best Buy is scheduled to conduct an earnings conference call at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (9 a.m. Central Time) on June 14, 2011. The call is expected to be available on its Web site www.investors.bestbuy.com both live and after the call. More details regarding historical store counts and square footage are available on the Company’s Web site at www.investors.bestbuy.com.

(1) Best Buy’s comparable store sales is comprised of revenue at stores, call centers, and Web sites operating for at least 14 full months as well as  revenue related to other comparable sales channels. Relocated, remodeled and expanded stores are excluded from the comparable store sales calculation until at least 14 full months after reopening. Acquired stores are included in the comparable store sales calculation beginning with the first full quarter following the first anniversary of the date of the acquisition. The portion of the calculation of the comparable store sales percentage change attributable to the International segment excludes the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The method of calculating comparable store sales varies across the retail industry. As a result, Best Buy’s method of calculating comparable store sales may not be the same as other retailers’ methods.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements:
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that reflect management’s current views and estimates regarding future market conditions, company performance and financial results, business prospects, new strategies, the competitive environment and other events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “project,” “plan,” “outlook,” and other words and terms of similar meaning. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the potential results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements are the following: general economic conditions, changes in consumer preferences, credit market constraints, acquisitions and development of new businesses, divestitures, product availability, sales volumes, pricing actions and promotional activities of competitors, profit margins, weather, changes in law or regulations, foreign currency fluctuation, availability of suitable real estate locations, the Company’s ability to react to a disaster recovery situation, the impact of labor markets and new product introductions on overall profitability, failure to achieve anticipated benefits of announced transactions and integration challenges relating to new ventures.  A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in the company’s annual report and other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Best Buy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 25, 2011. Best Buy cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not complete and assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement that it may make.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, LG CEO Koo Bon-Joon said it would be difficult to turn around the company’s current struggle in the handset business during the second quarter. LG reported poor handset sales during the first quarter of the year — phone sales were down 9.2% year-over-year and 14.3% quarter-over-quarter, and shipments were down 10% year-over-year. Gartner also recently noted that LG’s share of the mobile phone market dropped two percentage points to 5.6% year-over-year. LG’s CFO has said that the firm is banking on the success of its Android-powered Optimus smartphones.

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Does the number 36 mean anything to you? If you’re an Android fan it should. A report from analytics firm Gartner indicates that 36.3 million Android handsets were sold during Q1 of 2011 giving the mobile operating system a 36% share of all smartphones sold during that same period. An impressive figure on its own, but even more-so when considering that Android saw sales of 5.2 million units and held a 9.6% share of sales in Q1 just one year prior. Nokia’s Symbian operating system sold 27.6 million units in Q1 and Apple’s iOS accounted for 16.9 million of the 100.8 million total smartphone units sold. Moral of the story: Android is killing it. The full report is after the break.

Gartner Says 428 Million Mobile Communication Devices Sold Worldwide in First Quarter 2011, a 19 Percent Increase Year-on-Year

Apple, Samsung and HTC Reported Strongest Results in an Increasingly Smartphone-Dominated Market

Egham, UK, May 19, 2011—

Worldwide mobile communication device sales to end users totaled 427.8 million units in the first quarter of 2011, an increase of 19 percent from the first quarter of 2010, according to Gartner, Inc. Smartphones continued to outpace the rest of the market, and a newly competitive mid-tier smartphone market will drive smartphones into mass adoption and accelerate this trend.

“Smartphones accounted for 23.6 percent of overall sales in the first quarter of 2011, an increase of 85 percent year-on-year,” said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner. “This share could have been even higher, but manufacturers announced a number of high-profile devices during the first quarter of 2011 that would not ship until the second quarter of 2011. We believe some consumers delayed their purchases to wait for these models.”

Overall, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan will have a smaller effect on the mobile communication devices market than initially anticipated. There is currently about six to seven weeks worth of inventory of finished products in the channel and about four weeks worth of inventory for components. Gartner estimates that manufacturers’ sales into the channel will drop in the second quarter of 2011, while sales through to consumers will be flat.

Nokia sold 107.6 million mobile devices in the first quarter of 2011 (see Table 1). Its market share declined 5.5 percentage points year-on-year, and its share has reached its lowest since 1997. Nokia will aggressively lower average selling prices (ASPs) in markets where communications service providers (CSPs) control the sales channels, in order to maintain shipments of Symbian devices while waiting for its first Windows Phone 7 devices to reach the market. However, Nokia will face challenges from Android competitors and from some Japan-induced supply constraints.

Table 1
Worldwide Mobile Terminal Sales to End Users in 1Q11 (Thousands of Units)

Company	1Q11 Units	1Q11 Market Share (%)	1Q10 Units	1Q10 Market Share (%)
Nokia	107,556.1	25.1	110,105.4	30.6
Samsung	68,782.0	16.1	64,897.1	18.0
LG	23,997.2	5.6	27,190.1	7.6
Apple	16,883.2	3.9	8,270.1	2.3
RIM	13,004.0	3.0	10,752.5	3.0
ZTE	9,826.8	2.3	6,104.3	1.7
HTC	9,313.5	2.2	3,378.4	0.9
Motorola	8,789.7	2.1	9,574.5	2.7
Sony Ericsson	7,919.4	1.9	9,865.7	2.7
Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.	7,002.9	1.6	5,236.1	1.5
Others	154,770.9	36.2	104,230.3	29.0
Total	427,846	100.0	359,605	100.0

Source: Gartner (May 2011)

Samsung experienced its strongest first quarter ever. The shift to higher end smartphones, such as the Galaxy line, led to an increase in ASPs. This helped to offset an increase in materials costs. Samsung made numerous product announcements during the first quarter of 2011. These included numerous Galaxy smartphone announcements (such as the Galaxy S II), a bada device (Wave 578), and new models of the Galaxy Tab tablets (10.1 and 8.9). These new devices, along with the effects of seasonality and expansion into emerging markets with touch and dual-SIM devices, should help improve Samsung’s performance in the second quarter of 2011.

Apple sold 16.9 million units to end users worldwide, more than doubling its sales of iPhones year-on-year. This market-beating growth came from all regions: the iPhone is now available in 90 countries from 186 CSPs. “This strong performance helped Apple consolidate its position as the fourth largest brand in the mobile communication market overall,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. “Considering the higher than average price of the iPhone this is a remarkable result and highlights the impact that a strong aspirational brand can have on a product.” Inventory levels at the end of the first quarter of 2011 were slightly higher than usual, as Apple not only continues to expand in markets such as China, where distribution is more fragmented, but also extends its reach with new CSPs.

HTC recorded a very strong first quarter with 9.3 million mobile communication devices sold and moved to the No. 7 position. Strong high-end products helped HTC perform well with all major US CSPs, and in the first quarter of 2011 it became the No. 2 smartphone manufacturer in the region, overtaking Research In Motion.

Although in mature markets the shift from feature phones to smartphones is accelerating, smartphones overall moved down-market in the first quarter of 2011. Several manufacturers, including HTC, Sony Ericsson, Alcatel and ZTE, announced a broader portfolio of mid-tier devices, mainly based on Android, which will reach the market in the second quarter of 2011.

Android and Apple’s iOS continued to dominate the smartphone operating system (OS) wars (see Table 2). However, the big news in the first quarter of 2011 was Nokia’s strategic alliance with Microsoft on Windows Phone 7, and the retirement of Symbian. “This will precipitate a competitors’ rush to capture Symbian’s market share in the midtier,” said Ms. Cozza.

Table 2
Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Operating System in 1Q11 (Thousands of Units)

Company	1Q11 Units	1Q11 Market Share (%)	1Q10 Units	1Q10 Market Share (%)
Android	36,267.8	36.0	5,226.6	9.6
Symbian	27,598.5	27.4	24,067.7	44.2
iOS	16,883.2	16.8	8,359.7	15.3
Research In Motion	13,004.0	12.9	10,752.5	19.7
Microsoft	3,658.7	3.6	3,696.2	6.8
Other OS	3,357.2	3.3	2,402.9	4.4
Total	100,769.3	100.0	54,505.5	100.0

Source: Gartner (May 2011)

In the first quarter of 2011, RIM announced that it would transition its BlackBerry portfolio to the QNX platform in 2012. This should make its smartphones more competitive in graphics, performance and touch, and unify RIM’s tablet and smartphone user experience.

Windows Phone saw only modest sales that reached 1.6 million units in the first quarter of 2011, as devices launched at the end of 2010 failed to grow in consumer preference and CSPs continued to focus on Android. In the long term, Nokia’s support will accelerate Windows Phone’s momentum.

Gartner analysts said that the shift toward an ecosystem focus, application and services is the critical success factor for device manufacturers. “Every time a user downloads a native app to their smartphone or puts their data into a platform’s cloud service, they are committing to a particular ecosystem and reducing the chances of switching to a new platform. This is a clear advantage for the current stronger ecosystem owners Apple and Google,” said Ms. Cozza. “As well as putting their devices in the context of a broader ecosystem, manufacturers must start to see their smartphones as part of a computing continuum.”

“The 13.3 million-unit growth in channel inventory, along with some softness in demand from users in emerging markets registered at the start of the second quarter of 2011, is leading us to be cautious about sales in the reminder of the year,” said Ms. Milanesi. “We are currently revising down our 2011 sales estimate as a result of these trends, and expect it will likely drop to between 1.790 billion and 1.795 billion units.”

Additional information is in the Gartner report “Market Share Analysis: Mobile Devices, Worldwide, 1Q11″ The report is available on Gartner’s website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1688625.

According to research firm Gartner, although Microsoft shipped 2 million Windows Phone units during Q4 of 2010, it sold 1.6 million units during Q1 of 2011.”Windows Phone saw only modest sales that reached 1.6 million units in the first quarter of 2011,” wrote Gartner. “Devices launched at the end of 2010 failed to grow in consumer preference and CSPs continued to focus on Android.” Gartner is, however, predicting big things for Microsoft’s smartphone operating system. By 2015, the analytics company predicts that Windows Phone will see shipments in excess of 215 million units — thanks in large part to its partnership with Nokia. This would put Microsoft in second place in global market share — behind the open-source smartphone-overlord Android and ahead of the not-so-open-source iOS.

[Via WinRumors]

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According to new data from IHS iSuppli, Apple’s smartphone market share increased 14.9% during the first quarter of this year — more than any other phone maker. The Cupertino-based company had a 19.2% grip on the smartphone market and shipped 18.6 million units during the first quarter. Nokia, the global smartphone leader, shipped 24.2 million units during the quarter and maintained a 24.9% share of the smartphone market, down 14.5% sequentially. RIM outperformed the market and shipped 14.8 million smartphones, placing it in third place with a 15.2% share, up 4.2% sequentially. It was followed by Samsung (13% share, 12.6 million units shipped), and HTC (9.9% share, 9.6 million units shipped). “Apple’s smart phone market share in the first quarter was boosted by the introduction of its first iPhone model with [CDMA] as well as by the addition of Verizon Wireless as a carrier in the United States,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications, for IHS. “Not only did this allow Apple to expand its target market and boost shipments, it also placed additional pressure on rival smart phone brands—including Motorola, Samsung, LG and HTC—that focus on Verizon Wireless as a major customer.” Hit the jump for the full release.

Apple Defies Decline in Smart Phone Market, Posts Best Growth Among Top Brands in Q1

May 9, 2011
Tina Teng

Bucking a rare downturn in the burgeoning smart phone business, Apple Inc. in the first quarter achieved double-digit-percentage growth in iPhone shipments and posted the best performance among the Top 5 competitors, new IHS iSuppli (NYSE: IHS) research reveals.

No. 2-ranked Apple in the first quarter of 2011 shipped 18.6 million iPhones, up 14.9 percent from 16.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2010. Apple’s increase represented the highest percentage growth among the world’s Top 5 smart phone brands, with No. 5-ranked HTC coming in a distant second given its 6.2 percent growth. It also marked a standout performance in a smart phone market that suffered a 1.5 percent sequential decline in shipments during the first quarter.

“Apple’s smart phone market share in the first quarter was boosted by the introduction of its first iPhone model with code division multiple access (CDMA) as well as by the addition of Verizon Wireless as a carrier in the United States,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst, wireless communications, for IHS. “Not only did this allow Apple to expand its target market and boost shipments, it also placed additional pressure on rival smart phone brands—including Motorola, Samsung, LG and HTC—that focus on Verizon Wireless as a major customer.”

With its concentration on the U.S. market, Motorola was the one most impacted by Verizon’s addition of the iPhone, a factor contributing to Motorola’s 16.3 percent decline in shipments in the first quarter.

Gunning for No. 1
With shipments from Nokia, the No. 1 smart phone brand, declining by 14.5 percent during the first quarter, Apple made major strides toward achieving market leadership. Apple in the first quarter trailed Nokia by just 5.7 percentage points, compared to 12.2 points in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Nokia’s smart phone shipments declined to 24.2 million units in the first quarter, down from 28.3 million in the fourth quarter.

The company’s agreement with Microsoft Corp. to make Windows Phone 7 its principal operating system over the long term is having a negative near-term impact on its smart phone shipments. With the announcement of the deal, Nokia eliminated the incentive for consumers to buy its existing smart phone products, which are based on its Symbian and MeeGo operating systems. Meanwhile, the Microsoft deal is unlikely to yield any products for nearly one year.

A Bump in the Smart Phone Road
The decline in smart phone shipments in the first quarter represents the first sequential decrease since the beginning of 2009. While many electronic products typically suffer a sales slump during the beginning of the year following the peak selling sales season in the fourth quarter, the fast-growing smart phone has been immune to this phenomenon during most years.

However, IHS iSuppli does not believe the first-quarter results represent a long-term trend for the smart phone market.

“The reduction of shipments reflects inventory control efforts in the smart phone market, rather than weakening consumer demand,” Teng said. “This decline does not change the IHS iSuppli forecast of 60 percent growth in worldwide smart phone shipments for the entire year of 2011.”

Research in Motion Outperforms the Market
No. 3 smart phone brand Research in Motion (RIM) in the first quarter outperformed the overall market, with its shipments rising by 4.2 percent. The company benefited from success by expanding sales in regions outside North America. It also capitalized on the trend toward cell-phone-based monetary transactions with the announcement of several smart phone models that integrate near-field communications (NFC) technology. Furthermore, RIM continues to appeal to business customers who value the company’s focus on its service package and security as the key selling points.

Despite RIM’s above-average performance, the company lost ground on the No. 2 smart phone ranking to Apple. RIM in the first quarter trailed Apple by 4 percentage points, up from 2.1 points in the fourth quarter of 2010.

T-Mobile USA has just posted its first-quarter 2011 earnings report, and the results aren’t all that hot. While the nation’s fourth largest carrier did increase contract APRU to $52 — up $1 year-over-year — it posted a decline in virtually all other business vitals. T-Mobile posted 99,000 net customer losses — 471,000 contract net customer losses paired with 372,000 prepaid additions. T-Mobile’s 33.63 million customers generated $5.16 billion in revenue and $135 million in net income — down from $5.28 billion and $362 million respectively year-over-year. A link to the full report is after the break.

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Market research and analysis firm Canalys on Wednesday released its global country-level smartphone market share data for the first quarter of 2011. According to the firm’s report, Android continued to dominate the worldwide smartphone market as global shipments grew to 37.5 million units, giving Google’s mobile OS a market-leading 35% share of smartphone sales in the quarter. Nokia’s market share fell dramatically year-over-year from 39% in the first quarter of 2010 to just 24% last quarter, according to the report, and Apple’s share grew to 19%. Though the smartphone market outgrew Nokia at an alarming pace, the Finnish company did manage to increase shipments 13% year-over-year to 24.2 million units last quarter. Global smartphone shipments grew 83% from 55.2 million units in the first quarter of 2010 to 101 million units in the same quarter this year. The Asia Pacific region showed the most growth over the first quarter last year — 98% — while first-quarter smartphone shipments in the U.S. grew 85% from 13.3 million in 2010 to 24.7 million units in 2011. Hit the break for the full press release.

Android increases smart phone market leadership with 35% share

–Asia Pacific becomes largest smart phone region in Q1 with 37% of shipments

Palo Alto, Singapore and Reading (UK) – Wednesday, 4 May 2011

Canalys today released its worldwide country-level smart phone market data for Q1 2011, revealing that Android led the market for the second quarter running, and, with 35.7 million units shipped, increased its share to 35%. At the same time, Canalys confirmed that Asia Pacific (APAC) became the largest smart phone market region, with year-on-year growth of 98% to 37.3 million units, putting it ahead of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for the first time since Q3 2007. On a country basis, mainland China, South Korea and India delivered strong volumes and registered triple-digit growth.

Overall, worldwide smart phone shipments grew 83% to 101.0 million units. Though its market share shrank from 39% a year ago to 24% in Q1 2011, Nokia held onto its worldwide leadership position with 24.2 million units shipped – a 13% year-on-year rise – despite the current realignment of its platform strategy, staying ahead of RIM in EMEA and Apple in APAC. APAC became the largest region for Nokia, accounting for 53% of its overall shipments, overtaking EMEA by more than 3 million units.

‘Nokia is under considerable strain in the smart phone market as it transitions strategy, platforms and people,’ said Canalys Principal Analyst Pete Cunningham. ‘Its worldwide reach, however, should never be underestimated. Canalys’ country-level data shows that the vendor remains number one in 28 countries, including mainland China, where it grew 79% to 8.9 million units, thanks in part to Chinese New Year shipments.’

At a platform level, Android’s continued dominance was boosted by good performances by a number of key vendors. ‘HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson drove Android shipments in the first quarter, with each vendor shipping well over 3 million devices,’ said Cunningham. ‘Samsung also shipped nearly 3.5 million bada operating system-based smart phones, outperforming total shipments of Windows Phone devices by more than a million units.’

‘Samsung’s own operating system development, combined with the branding and investment in its Wave smart phones at mid-tier prices, has led to good uptake in developed markets, such as France, the UK and Germany,’ continued Cunningham. ‘This achievement shows that there is still room for multiple operating systems, and that vendors can benefit from maintaining control of device development to hit the right markets and price points.’

Nokia, Apple, RIM, Samsung and HTC were the top five global smart phone vendors, as in Q4 2010. Apple continued to make market share gains, reaching 19%. RIM’s share, however, dropped in Q1, as its portfolio awaited a refresh and the vendor focused on the PlayBook launch. Overtaking Motorola, LG moved into sixth place, with its Optimus series of Android smart phones doing well in all regions.

The US remained the largest country for smart phone shipments, with Apple substantially extending its lead, achieving a share of 31% and growth of over 150% year on year. Volumes were boosted significantly by shipments of the iPhone 4 with Verizon Wireless. Android remained the leading smart phone platform in the US for the third consecutive quarter, with a 49% share. Growing by well over 200%, HTC became the leading Android vendor in the US and the second-place smart phone vendor in the country overall.

‘Shipments of its EVO series, Inspire 4G and Thunderbolt enhanced HTC’s strong performance in this quarter,’ said Canalys Vice President and Principal Analyst Chris Jones. ‘The vendor has a wide and regularly refreshed portfolio, covering multiple network technologies, which puts it in a strong position both in the US and worldwide.’

The popularity of 4G-branded models, such as the Samsung Galaxy S 4G, HTC EVO Shift 4G and the T-Mobile myTouch 4G, heavily influenced US market shipments this past quarter. Q1 also marked the first full quarter of LTE smart phone shipments, following Verizon’s 4G network launch in December 2010. Canalys estimates that shipments of these devices reached over 600,000 units.

‘We are starting to see some significant benefits from marketing high-speed networks to consumers in the US, as end users become more familiar with the performance and technical aspects of their smart phones,’ said Jones. ‘It’s a trend that will inevitably spread around the world over the coming years as carriers upgrade their network infrastructures.’

HTC is getting the job done. The company reported Q1 earnings this morning, and the Taiwanese handset maker saw staggering growth in nearly all metrics. During the first-quarter of 2011, the company shipped 9.7 million units, a 192% increase from the same quarter last year and a 6% increase from the previous holiday quarter. The company also posted revenues of NT$104.16 billion, up 174% year-over-year and 0.1% quarter-over-quarter. Gross profits and total assets also jumped 162.2% and 75.1% respectively year-over-year. Not a bad little quarter for HTC. The company expects shipments to be between 11 million and 11.5 million units in Q2, which would represent a 100+% increase year-over-year.

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The mobile phone market grew almost 20% year-over-year during the first quarter of 2011, IDC has stated. The reason? Smartphones, smartphones, and more smartphones. The firm reports that worldwide smartphone growth was particularly fast in the Asia/Pacific region, as well as in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. As far as hard numbers, it’s stated that 371.8 million units were shipped in the first quarter of this year, contrasting with 310.5 million units in the first quarter of last year. Nokia remains the world’s largest mobile handset maker, however, the company’s market share dropped over 5% YoY. Apple maintained the number four spot while also posting the highest rate of growth amongst the top 5 worldwide leaders, with over 5% of the market share and 114.9% growth year-over-year. White iPhones not included.

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