China's ZTE first-quarter profit triples; meets estimate

HONG KONG (Reuters) - ZTE Corp, China's second-biggest telecommunications equipment maker, said first-quarter profit matched its estimate after benefiting from the country's introduction of fourth-generation mobile networks. Net profit rose 204 percent to 622.2 million yuan ($100.01 million) in January-March compared with an estimated range of 425 million yuan to 637 million yuan, the Shenzhen-based company said on Thursday. Operating revenue rose 5.5 percent from a year earlier to 19.05 billion yuan. Shares of ZTE closed 1.6 percent higher in Hong Kong ahead of the earnings release, compared with a 0.3 percent rise in the benchmark Hang Seng Index. ($1 = 6.2214 Chinese Yuan) (The story is refiled to clarify profit growth in the headline) (Reporting by Yimou Lee and Paul Carsten; Editing by Christopher Cushing)