AMD Expecting Strong 1st-Quarter Sales

Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Intel Corp.’s main rival in PC microprocessors, said it expects sales in the current first quarter to be even with or slightly higher than the seasonally strong fourth quarter. AMD also is getting a boost from the success of its high-end Athlon processor. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company announced that its newest Athlon chip is the fastest mass-production microprocessor yet, running at 850 megahertz. That allowed it to temporarily recapture the speed crown from Intel, whose Pentium III chip runs at up to 800 megahertz, though Intel plans to introduce a 1-gigahertz chip later this year. AMD stock rose $3 to close at $45.50 on the NYSE.