Dell Inc. shares dropped about 6 percent Thursday after market research indicated a steep drop in the company"s third-quarter shipments. The market-share decline allowed rival Hewlett-Packard Co. to reclaim the title of the world"s biggest personal computer seller, research firm Gartner Inc. said late Wednesday.
Another researcher, International Data Corp., said Dell and H-P were statistically tied with about 17 percent of the global market. Dell has led the market for much of the last three years. Shares of Dell, based in Round Rock, Texas, fell $1.58 to $23.12. California-based H-P"s shares rose 55 cents to $39.56.
Dell declined to comment Thursday on the research firms" reports. The company is scheduled to report earnings for its fiscal third quarter, which ends in October, on Nov. 16.