Earnings

SAP core profit up 8 percent on acceleration in cloud product sales

SAP AG logo.
Krisztian Bocsi | Bloomberg | Getty Images

SAP, Europe's largest software company, reported slightly lower-than-expected first-quarter core profit as it sold more of its cloud products, which are less profitable.

First-quarter operating profit, excluding special items, for the German software maker rose 8 percent to 1.198 billion euros ($1.30 billion), the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

That was slightly below the average of 1.229 billion euros in a Reuters poll of 13 analysts, with individual estimates ranging from 1.183 billion to 1.298 billion.

Revenues rose 12 percent to 5.285 billion euros, which was above average expectations of 5.179 billion.

SAP's customer base moved further to newer cloud-based and less profitable Internet platforms from classic high-margin packaged software products it has sold for decades.

New cloud bookings jumped 49 percent to 215 million euros during the first quarter. ($1 = 0.9206 euros)

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