Fourth quarter numbers are in for HTC, but things arn’t as good as we had hoped. With stronger than forecast sales of the T-Mobile G1, we had expected HTC to post a very strong Q4, but analysts and the numbers chose not to agree with us. Analysts had predicted NT$7.78 billion in earnings for Q4, but HTC was able to beat those numbers by posting NT$8.14 billion in profits, net profit fell 19% from a year earlier. Revenue for the year rose 29% to NT$152.56 billion from NT$118.58 billion. HTC attributed the weak Q4 to a change in accounting practices and a new law that went info effect early last year which requited them to adjust employee bonuses every quarter. HTC said their net profit for Q4 would have been NT$9.81 without these adjustments.
The one thing to note in all this is that HTC finished the year with a 29% increase in revenue. We don’t have details on all their handset sale figures, but we know that the HTC G1, Diamond, and Touch Pro variants have sold really well. HTC is planning on ramping up production of several new phones over the next few months and I’d imagine they will launch 2-3 Android powered handsets in 2009. Lets just hope the numbers for 2009 turn out just as good.
