Telecom equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent, which is set to be bought by larger rival Nokia, improved profit margins in the first quarter despite a marked sales slowdown in its biggest market, the United States.Although it reported a net loss, higher software sales, a weak euro, and strong demand for its Internet routing products - which help telecom operators handle heavy broadband traffic from online video - helped the French firm post a better quarter than Nokia and mobile market leader Ericsson.Both those competitors saw steep drops in their shares after missing profit targets, and Nokia's misstep prompted some Alcatel shareholders to say the takeover deal terms should be renegotiated.Alcatel-Lucent Chief Executive Michel Combes dismissed the idea on Thursday, saying there was no need to change the deal since both companies were sticking to their annual targets.
Alcatel Lucent SA is a France based company that proposes solutions used by service providers, businesses, and governments worldwide to offer voice, data, and video services to their own customers. Shares of ALU traded higher by 3.17% or $0.11/share to $3.58. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $2.28 and as high as $4.96. On average, 11508300 shares of ALU exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 24368977.
Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Ericsson) is an information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Shares of ERIC traded higher by 0.46% or $0.05/share to $10.91. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $10.81 and as high as $13.28. On average, 4469570 shares of ERIC exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 11652980.
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