April 23 (Reuters) – Illumina Inc, which has fended
off a hostile takeover bid by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding
, on Monday reported a higher-than-expected
first-quarter profit and maintained its full-year forecast.
The maker of genetic sequencing equipment posted a net
profit of $26 million, or 20 cents per share, compared with a
profit of $24 million, or 16 cents a share, a year earlier.
Excluding special items, the company earned 36 cents per
share. Analysts on average expected 33 cents, according to
Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The company said it was still facing some uncertainty over
spending by academic and research customers in the second half
of the year, but with a backlog of orders Illumina reaffirmed
its 2012 forecast for revenue of $1.10 billion to $1.75 billion
and earnings of $1.40 to $1.50 per share.
