MarketWatch.com (Nasdaq: MKTW) led the latest round of Internet earnings with a smaller-than-expected first quarter loss.
MarketWatch reported a first quarter domestic pro forma net loss of $9.4 million, or 67 cents a share, excluding amortization of goodwill and intangibles. The loss included $4.4 million of CBS non-cash advertising expense. Including costs related to a London-based joint venture with the Financial Times, FT MarketWatch.com, the company lost 68 cents a share.
First Call Corp. consensus estimates called for a loss of 68 cents a share.
Including charges, MarketWatch lost $22.7 million, or $1.62 a share, on sales of $12.4 million. Sales were up 300 percent from $3.1 million a year ago.
MarketWatch Web properties served 771 million page views, up 47 percent sequentially. Unique users, as measured by DoubleClick, averaged 10.3 million per month during the quarter.
Among other Internet earnings reports Tuesday morning:
Online banker NetB@nk (Nasdaq: NTBK) reported its eighth consecutive profit with first quarter earnings of $4.62 million, or 15 cents a share. The results include a gain from the early retirement of debt. First Call forecasted a profit of 10 cents a share. The company had $1.4 billion in assets. Internet services firm Xpedior (Nasdaq: XPDR) reported a first quarter loss of $2.5 million, or 5 cents a share. The results exclude stock compensation charges. Including one-time items, the company lost $3 million, or 6 cents a share. First Call consensus called for a loss of 6 cents a share. Revenue for the first quarter jumped 83.6 percent to $51 million from $27.8 million a year ago.
E-marketing company Netcentives (Nasdaq: NCNT) reported a first quarter loss of $9.4 million, or 29 cents a share, excluding non-cash charges. Wall Street expected a loss of 36 cents a share. Including charges, the company lost 40 cents a share. Sales were $4.6 million, up 65 percent sequentially. ESpeed (Nasdaq: ESPD), which provides business-to-business marketplaces, reported a first quarter loss of $4.9 million, or 10 cents a share. The results beat estimates by a dime a share. Revenue for the quarter was $24.2 million, up from $1.9 million in the same period a year ago. IBasis (Nasdaq: IBAS), which provides Internet communications services, reported a first quarter loss of $10.66 million, or 33 cents a share, on sales of $9.73 million. The results topped estimates by 4 cents a share.
