NBCi predicts profit within a year

NBC Internet hopes to break even by the end of the year.

The Web portal operator and online media company said Tuesday it expects break-even results in the fourth quarter of 2001 or early 2002. The company reiterated its previously stated estimate calling for 2001 revenue of $100 million, but added that it now expects first-quarter sales of $16 million.

Analyst consensus was predicting first-quarter revenue of $25 million, according to earnings tracking firm First Call.

Shares of NBC Internet traded at $2.88 in after-hours activity on the Island ECN, following the report. NBC Internet stock fell 16 cents to $2.60 in Tuesday's regular trading ahead of the news.

Assuming NBC Internet (Nasdaq: NBCI) hits the $16 million figure in the March period, the company has to roughly double its quarterly revenue by the fourth quarter to reach its full year sales target of $100 million, said Justin Post, analyst with Deutsche Banc Alex Brown.

"Their numbers in the quarters further out this year are going to be even more of a challenge than we thought," Post said. "The company is really going to have to execute."

NBC Internet now expects to lose 65 cents to 75 cents per share in the first quarter. Company executives predicted a loss of $2.05 to $2.25 per share in 2001. First Call consensus predicts a full-year loss of $2.17 per share on revenue of $112.35 million.

NBC Internet reported a fourth quarter loss of $46.9 million, or 74 cents per share, excluding special charges. The company generated fourth-quarter revenue of $31 million.

Analyst consensus predicted a loss of 81 cents per share on revenue of $32.96 million, according to earnings tracking firm First Call.

Few observers were surprised that NBC Internet's fourth-quarter revenue and first-quarter forecast came in lower than analysts' published estimates.

"It's not anything different from we've heard from Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) or iVillage (Nasdaq: IVIL) or any of those Internet advertising-based models," said Kathleen Heaney, analyst with BlueStone Capital Partners. "It's a macroeconomic call, really."

Fourth-quarter revenue increased 14 percent year-over-year. Advertising revenue was $26.1 million for the fourth quarter. E-commerce revenue was $4.9 million.

The company has been hit especially hard because of its client mix, Post said.

"It just shows how difficult the Internet economy has become for people with dot-com exposure and barter exposure," he said. "NBCi is definitely on the high end of that."

Barter business--an exchange of advertising for equity--was 46 percent of fourth-quarter revenue.

Pure Internet companies accounted for 59 percent of total advertisers, and 68 percent of total advertising revenue, CFO Anthony Altig said, during an afternoon conference call with analysts. Both percentages were down from the third quarter, and will continue to decrease, Altig said.

"Given the slowdown in the ad market, it's more important than ever for us to keep an eye on the big picture," CEO Will Lansing said. "Internet advertising today accounts for only a small fraction of total ad dollars, and long-term growth projections remain strong. By reaching break-even before non-cash charges and NBC promotion within the next year, NBCi will be in a solid position to be successful in the long run."

NBC Internet plans to cut unprofitable businesses such as product sales, Lansing told analysts.

Including amortization costs, equity-related losses and other one-time charges, NBC Internet in the fourth quarter lost $245 million, or $3.89 per share.

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