Dassault Systèmes reported a 6% increase in first-quarter sales at constant exchange rates on Thursday, boosted by growth in its software business, but slightly below analysts' forecasts.

The French software maker posted total sales of 1.50 billion euros between January and March, slightly below the 1.51 billion euros expected by analysts according to an LSEG consensus.

The Group's software sales rose by 7% to 1.35 billion euros, driven by sales of its flagship product 3DEXPERIENCE, a software package offering 3D modeling, data management and project management tools.

"While 2024 looks set to be a year of concentrated activity at the end of the financial year, the first quarter offers better visibility on the commercial pipeline for 3DEXPERIENCE, mainly due to the adoption of the platform by our customer base," commented Rouven Bergmann, Group Executive Vice President Finance, in a statement.

The Group also maintained its sales growth targets of between 8% and 10% at constant exchange rates, and a non-IFRS diluted earnings per share of between 1.29 euros and 1.31 euros for 2024. (Written by Stéphanie Hamel, edited by Kate Entringer)