With HTC Corp. set to hold its quarterly investors conference this Friday, participants are expected to put their focus on the firm's sales prospects for the third quarter and its litigation with Apple, experts said. HTC recently announced its second-quarter consolidated sales of NT$124.398 billion (S$5.2 billion), a quarter-on-quarter increase of 19.4 per cent and year-on-year increase of 104.06 per cent. For the first half, the firm had combined revenue of NT$228.555 billion, a rise of 131.08 per cent from the same period last year. Net profit for the period totaled NT$32.35 billion, a rise of 137.22 per cent year-on-year and translating into earnings per share of NT$38.12, based on the firm's market capitalisation after its ex-dividend. According to SinoPac Securities, HTC shipments are expected to hit 13.5 million in the third quarter and 16.3 million in the fourth. The firm should be able to hit its shipment target of 50 million for 2011, SinoPac said, adding the firm's continued growth will hinge on business generated in the Asia Pacific region. Deutsche Securities, meanwhile, cited forecasts by supply chain partners that HTC will receive 13 million to 15 million orders for the third quarter. However, given the firm's low order visibility, recent sales performances and competition in the market, Deutsche Securities' own forecast puts HTC's Q3 shipment figure at about 11.9 million. Royal Bank of Scotland said HTC's estimated sales growth of five per cent for the third quarter may be less than satisfactory, yet for long-term investors, they should take comfort in the fact the firm is expected to ship out 80 million phones next year and post sales growth of 37 per cent. Another topic of interest to investors will be the ongoing litigation between HTC and Apple, which has achieved the first round of victory after the US International Trade Commission (ITC) gave an initial ruling that HTC has infringed on two of Apple's patents. While the lawsuit targets HTC, analysts have said that it is a battle between Apple and Google, whose Android operating system is found in handsets made by a variety of manufacturers including Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson. Google has already thrown its support behind HTC and has expressed its willingness to split the bill with manufacturers, which may have to pay royalties to Apple. It's likely this will be HTC's first investors conference without its "stock king" title, which it had clinched to for quite sometime. HTC, which closed at NT$922 Friday, lost its most expensive stock status earlier this month to Largan, whose share price closed at NT$981. | 
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