VIENNA -(Dow Jones)- Austrian postal service provider Oesterreichische Post AG (POST.VI), or Austrian Post, Thursday said its net profit for the third quarter fell 38% on the year, due mainly to negative one-off effects and the loss of its two largest corporate customers.
Net profit for the three months ended Sept. 30 came to EUR17.4 million, down from EUR28.2 million a year earlier, and EUR20 million below the average estimate of seven analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires.
For the full year, Austrian Post said it expects to see sales rise by 5%, while earnings before interest and taxes, or EBIT, is predicted to come in level with 2007.
The firm had previously said it expected sales to grow by up to 3%, with EBIT slightly below the 2007 level.
Austrian Post furthermore said it expects its 2009 EBIT to surpass the level of previous years.
In the third quarter, sales rose 6.4% to EUR585.8 million, from EUR550.5 million, as the inclusion of several smaller acquisitions abroad more than offset the loss in 2007 of Austrian Post's two largest corporate parcels customers, the company said.
Analysts had seen sales significantly lower, at EUR571 million.
Company Web site: www.post.at
-By Flemming E. Hansen and Herbert Dietrichstein, Dow Jones Newswires; +43 1 513 69 22 10; flemming.hansen@dowjones.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 13, 2008 02:48 ET (07:48 GMT)

Publié le 13 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones