A look at recent tech-industry earnings

Technology companies have begun releasing their earnings reports for the latest quarter. The reports come as consumers shift their spending toward tablets. Here is a summary of recent earnings and reports for selected technology companies and what they reveal about the state of spending and the overall economy.

— April 5: Estimates from Samsung Electronics Co. show that operating profit for the first quarter grew 53 percent from a year earlier to 8.7 trillion won ($7.7 billion), outpacing expectations for what’s normally a slow time for consumer electronics sales. Revenue grew 15 percent to 52 trillion won. Analysts say Samsung benefited from smartphone sales and shortages in memory chips for personal computers.