IPG Photonics Q4 beats on China demand; sees Q1 beat
A woman walks by the "77 million paintings" interactive installation by artist Brian Eno at a digital art exhibition, part of Yota Space digital art and music festival, in St. Petersburg December 6, 2010. Five floors of a former supermarket, called "Frunzensky", hosted an exhibition displaying holographic 3D paintings, illuminated objects, a laser sculpture and interactive corridors, according to the exhibition representatives. REUTERS

Specialised laser maker IPG Photonics said growth in China resulted in better-than-expected quarterly results and forecast first-quarter results above expectations.

The company which makes fibre lasers for consumer electronics, medical and industrial markets, earned 56 cents a share on revenue of $101 million for the fourth quarter.

Analysts, on average, were looking for 53 cents a share in earnings on revenue of $98.8 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Fibre lasers have seen a spurt in demand recently as companies switch to the high-precision technology from conventional lasers.

For the first quarter, IPG projected earnings of 37-44 cents a share on revenue $89-$95 million against market expectations of 37 cents per share in earnings on revenue of $86.6 million.

Shares of the Oxford, Massachusetts-based company rose six percent in trading before the bell. They closed at $51.86 on Thursday on Nasdaq.

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