Q3 revenue up for PeopleSoft and Siebel

PeopleSoft and Siebel Systems have each turned in preliminary third-quarter results showing higher-than-forecast revenue.

PeopleSoft, whose board fired chief executive Craig Conway last week, said it expects revenue of between $680m (£381m) and $695m, an increase on last year's $624m.

PeopleSoft said settlement costs for Conway's departure will reduce its per-share earnings by two cents. Costs related to Oracle's takeover attempt will shave another one cent per share off earnings.

PeopleSoft also plans to take charges for a sublease settlement, for restructuring costs, for deferred maintenance write-down and for amortisation of capitalised software and intangible assets.

Siebel said its revenue for the quarter ended 30 September was between $315m and $317m, ahead of the $306m consensus analyst estimate but behind the $321m it reported in the third quarter last year.

Revenue from software licence sales was between $104m and $105m, up from the previous quarter's $95m, which was Siebel's lowest quarterly licence revenue total in several years but below last year's third quarter total of $110m.

Stacy Cowley writes for IDG News Service