Sounding an upbeat note at an analysts meeting here, the company, which makes telecommunications equipment and computer chips, also said it was working toward a goal of delivering double-digit annual sales growth across all of its sectors. "As we look forward into 2001, we see enormously exciting market opportunity," said Robert Growney, Motorola's president and Chief Operating Officer.

"We believe present consensus estimates for 2001 of earnings per share of $1.43 and sales of $47 billion are achievable," he said.

Motorola shares closed up 1-5/8 at 34-11/16 on the New York Stock Exchange, off a March peak of 61-9/16.

The cheery forecast from Motorola contrasted with the outlook given by rival Nokia, whose shares plunged 25 percent at one point after the company warned last week that third quarter earnings would lag second quarter results.

Nokia also postponed the introduction of its newest model phones until late in the third quarter. Motorola, based in Schaumburg, Illinois, also repeated its forecast for full-year 2000, for which it sees earnings per share at $1.05 and revenues of $39.5 billion.

Motorola chairman and chief executive Christopher Galvin said the company is now in a growth phase after a two-year restructuring effort and remains committed to improving operating performance going forward.

"There is not one segment we're in that we don't believe we'll grow at least, as an industry at 15 per cent a year, and most of them are growing 20 to 25 per cent a year, some significantly more," Galvin said. Overall revenues from ongoing operations are expected to rise 23 per cent in full-year 2000 after rising 20 per cent in the first quarter and 22 percent in the second quarter, compared with growth of just 8 per cent in 1999 and a 1 percent decline in sales in 1998.

In the personal communications sector, which includes wireless handsets, operating margins are expected to reach 10 percent by the fourth quarter 2000, boosted by roll-outs of new low-tier telephones that are expected to be completed by the fourth quarter. "We are very confident we will be growing (market) share in both units and dollars in the second half," said Mike Zafirovski, president of the unit, the company's largest.

Motorola projected industrywide cellular subscribers would top 730 million by the end of 2000 and hit the one billion mark in 2001. The company's semiconductor products sector is on target to achieve double-digit profit margin gains in the fourth quarter and expects sequential improvements in each quarter of 2001, Motorola executives said.

Revenues for broadband communications, which includes television set-top boxes, are seen growing by more than 25 per cent to top $3 billion in fiscal 2000, with operating margins expected to exceed 15 per cent. The network solutions sector expects revenue growth in the 20-25 per cent range in 2000 after a flat year in 1999. In the commercial, government and industrial solutions segment, sales growth is expected to be 15-20 per cent in 2000 and operating margins are seen as comparable to last year at 10-11 per cent.

-- Reuters