Passage 2Dell Inc. rose as much

Passage 2
Dell Inc. rose as much as 6.7 percent after its profit topped analysts' estimates, marking the second straight quarter that the company's results outshined those of rival Hewlett-Packard Co.
Net income surged to $945 million, or 49 cents a share, from 341 million, or 17 cents, a year earlier, Dell said yesterday. Excluding certain costs, eamings were 55 cents in the period,which ended April 29. Analysts estimated 43 cents on average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Dell's emphasis on business customers, bolstered by an expansion into corporate data centers,is helping it withstand a slump in consumer demand. A slowdown in home-computer sales has roiled industry leader Hewlett-Packard, which cut its annual sales forecast eadlier yesterday. While Dell also saw its consumer revenue drop, the company said it was able to squeeze more profit out of each sale.
"They executed much better than expected despite strong headwinds,"said Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee& Leach Ine. in San Francisco. Dell gets about20 percent of sales from consumers, compared with about 30 percent at Hewlett-Packard, said Wu, who has a neutral rating on Dell shares.
Dell, based in Round Rock, Texas, gained 85 cents, or 5.4 percent, to $16.75 at 4 p.m.New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. The shares have risen 24 percent this year.
50.Hewlett-Packard forecast a drop in its annual sales due to the slowdown in home-computer sales.
A、True
B、False
【正确答案】：A
【名师解析】:题目中提到Hewlett-Packard由于家庭电脑销售放缓而预计年度销售会下降。这与选项A的描述相符，因此选项A是正确的。Hewlett-Packard的年度销售预测下调是由于消费者需求的下降，而Dell通过专注于企业客户和扩展到企业数据中心，能够更好地抵御消费者需求的下滑。尽管Dell的消费者收入也有所下降，但它表示能够从每笔销售中获得更多利润。因此，Hewlett-Packard的年度销售预测确实受到了家庭电脑销售放缓的影响。