Nokia says fourth-quarter profit to fall

Nokia reported flat core earnings today as fierce competition and a weak dollar pressured handset prices.

Nokia reported flat core earnings today as fierce competition and a weak dollar pressured handset prices.

Nokia reported July-September earnings excluding exceptional items and goodwill amortisation of €0.18 per share, topping expectations of €0.17.

The result and outlook confirm global handset demand is once again running at a steady clip and follows a string of recent positive comments on market growth from nearest rivals Motorola, Samsung and Siemens.

But top-line growth at the company's key mobile phones unit remains under pressure, as the demand is heavier for lower-end phones that generate less profits than models offering fancier features such as built-in cameras.