July 29 (Reuters) – Dassault Systemes (DAST.PA) hiked 2010 earnings guidance on Thursday for the second time this year thanks to the weaker euro and the performance of assets acquired from IBM (IBM.N).
The French group, which specialises in three-dimensional modelling software for clients including Boeing (BA.N), now expects 2010 non-IFRS earnings per share of between 2.25 to 2.35 euros, up from 2.19 to 2.28. A weakening euro had pushed it to hike earnings forecasts when it reported first-quarter results.
The firm on Thursday reported a 24 percent rise in non-IFRS second-quarter revenue, to 385.6 million euros ($501.8 million), as well as an 82 percent rise in earnings per share, to 0.40 euros per share.
“Dassault Systemes had a very solid second quarter, with sales above the high end of our revenue target,” Dassault Systemes Chief Executive Bernard Charles said, citing new partnerships with Michelin (MICP.PA) and the aquisition of search specialist Exalead in June.
Dassault Systemes, which has a market value of 6.1 billion euros, has seen its shares rise 29.7 percent so far this year, buoyed by a resurgence in business spending on technology after the crisis.
(Reporting by Lionel Laurent, editing by Geert De Clercq)
((lionel.laurent@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 56 85; Reuters Messaging: lionel.laurent.reuters.com@reuters.net))
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