HPQ HP Inc

By Maria Armental 

Personal-computer shipments showed the first quarterly increase in six years, driven by stronger demand from business customers, said research firm Gartner Inc.

While the latest report may serve as a positive sign for industry, the firm stopped short of declaring a recovery for the PC market.

"In the business segment, PC momentum will weaken in two years when the replacement peak for Windows 10 passes," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.

Business growth, Ms. Kitagawa said, offset sustained weakness in the consumer segment as smartphones continue to gain ground on PCs in completing daily tasks from shopping to using social media.

Over all, the research firm said, world-wide PC shipments totaled 62.1 million units in the second quarter, up 1.4% from a year earlier. It was the first quarter-over-quarter increase since the first quarter of 2012.

Gartner's data shows Lenovo as the No. 1 vendor, slightly ahead of HP Inc. by shipments though roughly equal by market share.

Lenovo's results include Fujitsu's units for the first time, reflecting the joint venture that closed in May.

Dell maintained its third spot, according to Gartner.

Write to Maria Armental at maria.armental@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 12, 2018 17:55 ET (21:55 GMT)

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