TAIPEI: Taiwan's Foxconn reported a better-than expected quarterly profit on Thursday due to strong demand for technology products from clients, such as Apple Inc, as people continued to telecommute amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

       The world's largest contract electronics maker reported April-June net profit of T$29.779 billion ($1.07 billion), up 30% from a year earlier. That compared to a Refinitiv consensus estimate of T$25.98 billion drawn from 12 analysts.

       Foxconn said the stronger-than-expected figures were driven by its key consumer products, mainly smartphones, as more people work and study from home globally due to the pandemic.

       Formally called Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, Foxconn had in May forecast a 15% rise in second-quarter revenue, buoyed by demand for consumer devices such as the iPhones that Foxconn assembles for Apple.

       Its second-quarter revenue rose 20% from a year earlier to T$1.35 trillion.

       In the third quarter, Foxconn expects overall revenue to gain by 3-15% and revenue from the consumer electronics division to rise more than 15% from a year earlier.

       Foxconn's shares have risen about 16% this year. They ended flat on Thursday, in line with the broader market.- Reuters