Amdocs earnings up 2.6%

Newer, faster telecommunications services drove another strong quarter for Amdocs Ltd., the telecom back-office service provider that has its North American headquarters in Chesterfield.

Revenue jumped to $742.3 million, in the first quarter, up 7.4 percent from the same period last year. Net income was $95.7 million, or $0.44 a share, up from $93.3 million, or $0.42 a share in the fourth quarter, 2006. Those earnings were in line with estimates.

In a statement, chief executive Dov Baharav attributed the gains to expanded contracts with AT&T, new work with Sprint and the continued rollout of new products and services over next-generation networks.

“While we recognize that there are some macro-economic indicators that cause uncertainty, we continue to see demand for Amdocs products and services and expect that we will continue to expand our business in 2008,” Baharav said.

For the second quarter, Amdocs predicted revenue between $757 and $767 million, with earnings per share, after certain costs, of $0.44 to $0.47. For the year, it expects revenue of $3.05 to $3.15 billion and EPS of $1.82 to $1.95.