Visual Data misses 4Q targets

Visual Data posted a wider-than-expected loss in its fourth quarter Tuesday, dropping $3.4 million, or 40 cents a share, on sales of $1.16 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected the creator of original broadband content for the Internet to lose 38 cents a share in the quarter.

Visual Data (Nasdaq: VDAT) shares closed up 3 cents to $1.13 ahead of the earnings report.

For the fiscal year, it posted a loss of $11.4 million, or $1.35 a share, on sales of $5.87 million compared to a loss of $7.16 million, or $1.20 a share, on sales of $4.46 million.

The stock moved up to a 52-week high of $14.50 in February before slumping to a low of $1 a share in December.

The two analysts following the stock rate it a “buy.”

Analysts are expecting a loss of $1.34 a share in fiscal 2001.