Acer Q3 2012 Earnings Show Measly Sum Pre-Windows 8 Launch

With a net profit of just T$68 million ($2.3 million USD) this current reporting quarter, Acer appears to be having some pre-Windows 8 jitters. In this PC market that's not doing particularly well no matter which way you spin it, it seems as though the imminent launch of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system is having more than just a tiny effect on sales across the PC universe. Sales figures will be expanded upon later this week – on Thursday, the 24th, mind you, perhaps well hidden behind the Windows 8 launch event taking place that same day.

This update comes from Acer itself, though they've not accompanied the drastically lower-than-estimated third quarter net profit. Analysts with Thompson Rueters I/B/E/S quoted by Rueters had a mean estimate of T$756 profit for Acer, this an undeniably different ballpark than the company is quite obviously playing in. KGI Securities analyst Angela Hsiang spoke on the subject as well, noting that in conversations with the company, it was tax rates and exchanges that had a lot to do with the less-than-fantastic quarter.

"The lower-than-expected net profit was due to a forex loss of over T$100 million and a higher tax rate at 34 percent; previous guidance was around 20 percent." – Hsiang

The second quarter of this year had Acer in at a net profit of T$56 million, while the third quarter of 2011 had them ringing in a net loss of T$1.1 billion. Needless to say, this business can be a little nerve-racking when it comes to reporting quarterly earnings to investors. Certainly an up-swing will be looked for in the near future with Acer's investors if they're not already pulling their hair out in patches.

Total revenue was also added to the report with a boost of 11.4 percent compared to a year ago in this 3rd quarter. Compared to the quarter before this one this year, consolidated revenue has gone down 5.6 percent, here now with T$104.4 billion. Now we must turn to Acer's Windows 8 lineup to see how the business will fare in the consumer sector – onward and upward!