Nokia profits up

Nokia profits up

PRE-TAX profits at Nokia surged 74 per cent last year, to 14.6bn markka ($2.8bn), while sales jumped a record 51 per cent to 79.2bn markka - leaving it in position to become the world's number one mobile phone maker, the Finnish group said yesterday. Nokia's results outstripped those of its two key rivals - Motorola, whose 1998 sales eased, and Ericsson, which posted 10 per cent sales growth on Thursday.