China’s Lenovo shrugs off concerns that global PC market is shrinking

Revenues for the world’s largest PC-maker Lenovo fell for a 3rd consecutive quarter as global demand for private computer systems proceed to hunch, however the firm is not fearful, says CFO Wong Wai-Ming.
“We are primary in PC. Clearly, when the market truly returns again to extra regular, we will certainly be rising,” Wong Wai-Ming, CFO of Lenovo, instructed CNBC.
He added that the corporate is truly seeing increased development in different companies comparable to infrastructure options and companies.
In its latest earnings report on Wednesday, Lenovo mentioned it expects “the PC market will return to development” within the second half 2023.
The firm posted a income decline within the January to March quarter. Revenue within the quarter amounted to $12.63 billion, down 24% from a 12 months in the past and marked the third consecutive quarter of year-on-year decline.
“Fiscal 12 months This autumn was probably the most difficult quarter of the 12 months given pressures from each the PC market and the global economic system,” mentioned Lenovo within the earnings report.
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But the CFO is optimistic that its non-PC companies — units, infrastructure options in addition to options & companies — can assist diversify the enterprise.
“Our income on a full 12 months foundation in truth did not truly drop that a lot as a result of the opposite two enterprise teams have been driving important development partly by the infrastructure enterprise. The margin has additionally been mitigated or compensated by our important development in our companies enterprise,” mentioned Wong.
Lenovo’s non-PC companies grew 7% and now include practically 40% of whole income for the complete 12 months by way of March. The different 60% of income nonetheless comes from the PC enterprise.
“Our non-PC companies’ income combine elevated to just about 40%. Our clear technique is working, and our operation is resilient, even within the face of global uncertainties,” mentioned Yuanqing Yang, chairman and CEO of Lenovo Group in the course of the earnings name. “Going ahead, we’ll proceed to put money into [research and development] to seize the subsequent wave of development alternatives, so we’re effectively ready for the long run.”
Pandemic increase
PC makers have been a beneficiary of a pandemic-led increase that noticed shoppers and companies snap up laptops, tablets and notebooks to transition from working in workplace to distant work. But as staff returned to the workplace, PC shipments fell.
Worldwide shipments of desktops and laptops contracted about 30% to 56.9 million items within the first quarter of 2023 as in comparison with a 12 months in the past, based on IDC knowledge.

Lenovo’s units income declined 33% year-to-year within the first quarter.
But Wong is optimistic about synthetic intelligence driving the agency’s units enterprise. The acceleration of digitization, AI and chatbots “truly require units” to leverage them, Wong instructed CNBC.
“Eventually we may have three main enterprise development driving the income reasonably than what we had prior to now — simply having PC as our major driver. We will over time have three enterprise teams driving profitability,” mentioned Wong.
Lenovo’s shares have been down 1.8% in Thursday morning commerce.