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Xiaomi revenue surges 55per cent in Q1, fills market gap left by Huawei

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp reported first-quarter revenue growth of 55per cent on Wednesday, above analyst expectations, as it nabbed market share from one-time market leader Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

FILE PHOTO: People wearing protective face masks visit Xiaomi brand's store in Kyiv
FILE PHOTO: People wearing protective face masks visit Xiaomi brand's store, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Kyiv, Ukraine October 22, 2020. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo
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SHANGHAI -Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp reported first-quarter revenue growth of 55per cent on Wednesday, above analyst expectations, as it nabbed market share from one-time market leader Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

Revenue rose to 76.88 billion yuan (US$12 billion) in the quarter ended March 31, from 49.70 billion yuan a year earlier. Analysts expected revenue of 74.5 billion yen, according to Refinitiv data.

Adjusted net profit rose to 6.1 billion yuan, versus market estimates of 3.97 billion yuan.

Xiaomi's share of the smartphone market in China increased 75per cent year-on-year in the quarter ending late March, according to research firm Canalys, as Huawei retreated from the market following U.S. trade restrictions that crimped its ability to source key components for its handsets.

Revenue from smartphone sales jumped 69.8per cent year-over-year to 51.5 billion yuan, while revenue from internet services increased 11.4per cent year-over-year to 6.6 billion yuan.

Despite the revenue growth, Xiaomi and other electronics brands remain hampered by the global chip shortage.

A number of causes such as stockpiling, surging demand for personal computers during COVID-19, and mishaps at factories caused a range of hardware makers to scramble for semiconductors late last year.

Speaking on a call with investors, Xiaomi CFO Alain Lam said that the company's chip inventories remain at "healthy" levels and did not expect major impact on the company's business this year, though the broader shortage may not end until mid-way through 2022.

This quarter Xiaomi also announced it would formally begin producing electric cars, with a new division to be led by Xiaomi founder Lei Jun.

The U.S. government also removed the company from a blacklist that would have barred U.S.-based investors from owning shares in the company, reversing one of former U.S. president Donald Trump's last maneuvers against China's tech sector before leaving office.

(US$1 = 6.3930 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Josh Horwitz, editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Bernadette Baum)

Source: Reuters