Thomson said third quarter sales declined to 2.008 billion eurosbillion dollars) from 2.323 billion posted in the same period a year earlier.

Analysts polled by AFP's financial news subsidiary AFX News said they expected sales in the range of 1.987-2.058 billion euros.

The company reiterated a forecast announced with interim results in July, giving a full-year operating margin of 6.5 percent and free cash flow of 500 million euros by year-end.

Thomson said it is continuing with strategic initiatives and has made "important progress" in its search for a new partner for its television operations.

Over the first nine months sales fell by 9.9 percent on a comparable basis to 5.831 billion euros from 7.302 billion a year earlier.

The company said overall activity improved in the third quarter compared with the first half. Sales during the quarter were above last year's levels in the European and Asian regions.

It said that although sales in the Americas were still below last year's level, the trend was considerably improved compared to the first half, particularly in September.

Thomson's Content and Networks division posted third quarter sales of 892 million euros compared with 963 million last year.

Growth in the former Digital Media Solutions activity offset a decline in Broadband sales.

SPACE.WIRE