Ericsson third-quarter operating profit lags forecasts

Operating profit was 5.1 billion Swedish crowns ($604 million) compared to 3.9 billion in the year-ago quarter and below a mean forecast of 5.4 billion crowns in a Reuters poll of analysts.

Sales at Ericsson, the world number one mobile network equipment maker, were 59.2 billion crowns, below a forecast of 60.9 billion. The gross margin was 33.9 percent against a mean forecast of 34.9 percent.

(Reporting by Sven Nordenstam and Olof Swahnberg; Editing by Alistair Scrutton)