IT group Dassault Systemes raises 2012 sales target

French software design group Dassault Systemes raised on Thursday its 2012 sales target after posting a 22 percent jump in first-half profit to 156.4 million euros ($190 million).

"We are very pleased with these results and we see a much larger potential over the coming years," Dassault Systemes president and chief executive Bernard Charles said in a statement.

Owing in part to its acquisition of the Canadian firm Gemcom Software International, Dassault Systemes sales in the first six months of the year jumped by 10 percent from the same period in 2011 to 965.3 million euros.

For the second quarter of 2012, the company sales gained 17 percent to 502.9 million euros, while its operating profit was 35.7 percent higher at 126.5 million euros.

Charles said: "We are upgrading our revenue target for 2012, and reaching a new milestone - 2.0 billion euros in annual revenues."

Finance director Thibault de Tersant said the company's new business "came from a number of industries including aerospace, energy, high tech, industrial equipment, life sciences and transportation & mobility.

Dassault Systemes now expects a 31 percent increase in its operating margin this year and said earnings per share should gain 10-13 percent to 3.2-3.3 euros per share.

But de Tersant said the company remained prudent regarding its fourth quarter results, "as we believe our initial caution at the outset of 2012 continues to be appropriate."

(c) 2012 AFP