Sykes Enterprises 1st-qtr profit leaps, beating estimates

Sykes Enterprises Inc., which provides outsourced customer service, said Monday its first-quarter profit rose 33 percent on solid demand, beating Wall Street's expectations and sending shares up in after-hours trading.

For the three months ended March 31, the company earned $15.7 million, or 38 cents per share, up from a profit of $11.8 million, or 29 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue rose 21 percent to $203.7 million from $168 million.

Analysts, on average, expected a profit of 26 cents per share on sales of $201.6 million, according to a poll by Thomson Financial.

Sykes said sales grew in both its Americas and Europe, Middle East and Africa segments amid growing demand for its services.

Shares jumped $1.28, or 7.2 percent, to $19 in after-hours electronic trading. The stock earlier closed up 6 cents at $17.72. The stock has traded between $14.96 and $20.85 over the past year.