Novell earnings fall short of estimates

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Novell Inc. of Waltham said fiscal first-quarter earnings slid to $1.87 million and profit this quarter will fall short of analyst estimates.

Earnings per share were break-even, compared with $395.2 million, or 90 cents, a year earlier, Novell said. Sales fell 5.4 percent to $274.4 million in the period ended Jan. 31, as cost-cutting eliminated some businesses. Novell had a $477.6 million gain in the year-ago quarter from a legal settlement.

Excluding some costs, profit for the first quarter was $18 million, or 4 cents a share, Novell said, beating the 3-cent estimate of analysts. (Bloomberg)

Talbots net rises 29%, sales 3.3%

Talbots Inc. said fourth-quarter net income rose 29 percent to $19.8 million, or 37 cents a share, from $15.4 million, or 28 cents, a year earlier. Sales at the Hingham retailer rose 3.3 percent to $486.1 million from $470.7 million a year earlier. Growth in women's plus-size and children's lines helped sales, chief executive Arnold B. Zetcher said.

Talbots said first-quarter profit may fall after February sales were hurt by a snowstorm. (Bloomberg)

Revenue declines 22% at Viisage

Viisage Technology Inc. posted a smaller loss for the fourth quarter, but revenue fell 22 percent.

Billerica-based Viisage reported a loss of $3 million, or 14 cents a share, compared with a loss of $5.3 million, or 28 cents a share, a year earlier.

Revenue declined to $15 million from $19.1 million.

Analysts expected Viisage to report a loss of 11 cents a share on revenue of $13.4 million. (AP)

Product demand lifts Kopin to profit

Kopin Corp. moved to a fourth-quarter profit on strong demand for its CyberDisplay and its transistor products used in cellphones.

The Taunton company posted earnings of $3.7 million, or 5 cents a share, reversing a year-earlier loss 10 cents a share, or $7 million. Analysts expected per-share profit of 4 cents.

Revenue grew to $24.9 million from $18.5 million in the prior-year period. (AP)

NitroMed Inc. loss widens in quarter

NitroMed Inc., maker of BiDil, a drug that combats cardiovascular disease in African-Americans, reported a wider fourth-quarter loss, hurt by a steep decline in sales.

The loss of $31.6 million, or $1.04 a share, compares with a loss of $9.7 million, or 36 cents a share, during the same period last year.

Sales fell 61 percent to $3.7 million from $9.5 million during the year-ago quarter. Analysts expected a loss of 94 cents on sales of $4.35 million.

The Lexington company said the revenue decline was mostly due to the termination of a contract with Merck & Co. (AP)