DOW JONES NEWSIRES Xilinx Inc.'s (XLNX) fiscal third-quarter profit rose 42% as revenue grew in all geographies and segments and margins improved. The programmable chip maker slashed its already cautious sales outlook last month on weaker-than-expected sales to a few large communications customers, specifically in the wireless segment. It projected a sequential drop of 7% to 9% from the prior quarter's $619.7 million, compared with its October estimate of flat to a 4% decline. The measure came in at $567.2 million, in line with the forecast. At that time, Xilinx--which makes chips used on cellphone base stations, network routers, DVD players and cable modems--said sales growth should return to the communications segment in the March quarter based on backlog and forecasts from its large customers. But on Wednesday, the company said it expects sales for the current quarter to be flat to up 5% sequentially, meeting Wall Street's forecast for $572 million. For the period ended Jan. 1, earnings rose to $152.3 million, or 58 cents a share, from $106.9 million, or 38 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were looking for 52 cents. Gross margin rose to 65.7% from 64.1%, in line with the outlook for about 65%. By geography, revenue rose in the double-digits in all groups, led by a 38% increase in Asia Pacific. Meanwhile, revenue in the communications segment climbed 45%, outperforming other segments, all of which posted an increase. Shares slipped 0.3% to $30.94 in recent after-hours trading and are up 30% in the past year. -By Lauren Pollock and Lee Roberts, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2356; lauren.pollock@dowjones.com
