Sun Microsystems Inc. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based server and software maker returned to a loss in its fiscal second quarter on higher costs and accounting charges Tuesday, but the company saw a 17 percent jump in revenue from recent acquisitions. Shares of Sun lost 5 cents in after-hours trading. Earlier, they closed at $4.37, down 2 cents, in regular trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
For the three months ended Dec. 25, the company lost $223 million, or 7 cents per share, compared with a profit of $4 million, or break-even per share, in the same period of its previous fiscal year.
Cooper Industries Ltd. The Houston-based electrical-products and tool manufacturer had a higher profit in the latest quarter from a year earlier despite rising costs. The company on Tuesday said it earned $104 million, or $1.10 a share, on revenue of $1.19 billion in the fourth quarter.
The New York Times Co. The company said Tuesday its fourth-quarter earnings fell 41 percent from the same period a year ago, weighed down by charges for staff reductions and an accounting change. The Times, which also publishes The Boston Globe and the International Herald Tribune, earned $64.8 million, or 45 cents per share, in the three months ending in December, compared with $110.2 million, or 75 cents per share, a year ago.
Netflix Inc. The Los Gatos, Calif.-based company’s fourth-
quarter profit surged almost sevenfold after it added about 600,000 subscribers and posted a tax gain. The shares rose 9.8 percent as the company raised its sales and subscriber forecasts for the year. Net income at the largest mail-order movie-rental service climbed to $38.1 million, or 57 cents a share, from $5.57 million, or 9 cents a share, a year earlier. Sales for the quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 36 percent to $195 million, the company said Tuesday in a statement.
DuPont Co. Blaming hurricanes and higher costs for raw materials, chemical maker DuPont Co. reported a 45 percent drop in fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday and predicted a decline in first-quarter earnings as well. Shares of Wilmington, Del.- based DuPont fell 29 cents to close at $39.26 on the New
York Stock Exchange. DuPont earned $153 million, or 16 cents per share, in the quarter, down from $278 million, or 28 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2004. Revenue rose 3 percent to $6.24 billion from $6.03 billion, although volume declined 4 percent and net sales declined 3 percent to $5.8 billion.
Lucent Technologies Inc. The Mount Laurel, N.J.-based company on Tuesday reported a $104 million loss for its fiscal first quarter, reflecting a large litigation charge and a 12 percent sales decline at the telecommunications-equipment maker. For the three months ended Dec. 31, Lucent’s loss amounted to 2 cents per share, compared with a profit of $174 million, or 4 cents per share, a year earlier. The loss included a charge of $278 million, or 6 cents per share, for a bankruptcy-court judgment related to litigation with Winstar Communications.
Texas Instruments Inc. Shares of Texas Instruments Inc. traded lower Tuesday after the company reported a 34 percent jump in its quarterly income while offering a tepid outlook for the start of 2006. Its shares fell on the news. Dallas-based Texas Instruments, the largest maker of chips for mobile phones, said Monday it earned $655 million, or 40 cents per share, up from $490 million, or 28 cents per share, a year earlier.
Cingular Wireless LLC The Atlanta-based company’s position as the nation’s largest cellphone company is threatened by the growth of rival Verizon Wireless, despite strong subscriber and revenue gains that led Cingular to report Tuesday it had a profit in the fourth quarter. The company said it earned $204 million in the three months ending Dec. 31, compared with a loss of $495 million in the same period of 2004. Revenue from October through December increased more than 24 percent to $8.85 billion, compared with $7.12 billion a year earlier.
