TORONTO – Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) reported a 33 percent jump in third-quarter profit on Wednesday as sales jumped 53 percent on surging demand for its popular BlackBerry wireless e-mail device.
RIM reported net income rose to $120.1 million, or 61 cents per share, in the quarter ended November 26, from $90.4 million, or 46 cents per share, in the corresponding period a year earlier.
Adjusted to exclude an intangible asset writedown, legal fees, and the related tax impact, its profit was 71 cents a share.
Revenue in the quarter rose to $560.6 million from $365.9 million.
Analysts had expected a profit of 65 cents per share before exceptional items, on revenue of $549 million, according to Reuters Estimates.
RIM said that during the quarter an additional 645,000 subscribers began using the thumb-operated BlackBerry, which helped popularize wireless e-mailing. Its subscriber base rose to 4.3 million, more than double the number of users it had a year earlier.
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