• Reuters, Thursday, October 20, 2011 12 AM

Forecast-topping results from Ericsson on Thursday showed the world's top mobile network gear maker can still outmuscle rivals even if global growth slows, reports Reuters. Smartphones and tablet computers have fuelled demand for faster, more efficient networks, driving sales for Ericsson in recent quarters. 

The result was better than consensus ... and sales were better," said Mats Nystrom, analyst at SEB Enskilda. "In that sense, there it a degree of relief that is driving the share."ther analysts believe Ericsson is aggressively targeting market share, giving it a better chance at longer-term growth at a time it is facing sharp competition from rivals like China's Huawei. Shares in Ericsson were up 6.3% at 1103 GMT against a 2.5 percent rise in the S&P European technology index .

Read the whole story at Reuters »