:24pm 01/29/04 RealNetworks falls short of Q4 rev goals (RNWK, AAPL, ROXI, YHOO, AOL) By Bambi Francisco SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- RealNetworks (RNWK) said it lost $5.3 million, or 3 cents a share, in the fourth quarter. This compares with a loss of $2.45 million, or 2 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding certain items, such as $1.6 million in costs related to an antitrust suit against Microsoft (MSFT) , RealNetworks lost $3.8 million, or 2 cents per share. Analysts expected RealNetworks to lose 2 cents per share. RealNetworks had warned Dec. 18 that it expected to incur litigation costs in the quarter. But quarterly sales fell below expectations as they rose 17 percent to $54.1 million from $46 million. Analysts expected sales to reach $55 million. Real fell 12 cents to $6.02 in after-hours action.
4:24pm 01/29/04 Verisign reports Q4 loss (VRSN) By Matt Andrejczak WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Verisign (VRSN) reported a fourth-quarter loss of $22.2 million, or 9 cents a share, compared with a loss of $39.4 million, or 17 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue fell 8.5 percent to $251.6 million. Excluding $43 million in restructuring charges related to the sale of its Network Solutions business, Verisign said it earned 18 cents a share. Verisign, based in Mountain View, Calif., is an Internet services and Web address provider. The stock closed Thursday down 86 cents at $17.76
Kellogg profits slip on Q4 costs By William Spain, CBS.MarketWatch.com Last Update: 4:28 PM ET Jan. 29, 2004
CHICAGO (CBS.MW) - Heavy spending to support its brands nicked Kellogg's profits in the fourth quarter but the pride of Battle Creek, Mich. both met Street estimates for the period - and bumped up its outlook.. Company: Kellogg Company Early Thursday, Kellogg said that it earned $188 million, or 46 cents per share, in the last three months of 2003. That is down from the $191 million and 47 cents of a year ago but in line with the average estimate of 16 analysts polled by Thomson First Call.
The cereal company blamed the profit decline on a "significant increase in brand building investment," and the absorption of substantial asset write-offs and up-front costs related to cost-savings initiatives.
Total sales rose 8 percent to $2.14 billion, although without favorable currency conversions, the percentage rise would have been cut in half. Analysts were looking for sales of $2.07 billion.
Looking ahead, Kellogg (K: news, chart, profile) reiterated its hope to earn "on the high end" of a range between $2.05 and $2.09 per share this year, vs. analyst estimates of $2.09. The company said it expects momentum in all of its businesses to offset higher commodity and benefit costs, continued competitive pressure, and a weak cookie category.
Shares of Kellogg added 1.2 percent to $38.44 Thursday
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