Wimm-Bill-Dann posts $7.9 mln Q4 net loss

* Above market expectations of a $10.2 mln loss

* Sales fall 7.4 pct to $629.4 mln

* EBITDA up 9.8 pct to $78.2 mln

(Adds details)

MOSCOW, March 18 (Reuters) - Wimm-Bill-Dann (WBD.N), Russia's largest dairy company, reported on Wednesday a fourth-quarter net loss of $7.9 million against net profit of $34.4 million in the same period of 2007.

The company, which also produces juice and baby food, said in a statement sales fell by 7.4 percent to $629.4 million from $680.0 million a year ago.

Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 9.8 percent to $78.2 million, while gross profit edged up 0.5 percent to $206.0 million.

Analysts polled by Reuters forecast net loss of $10.2 million, sales of $660.9 million, EBITDA of $81.3 million and gross profit of $208.5 million [nLH23287]

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

((maria.kiselyova@reuters.com, +7 495 775 12 42, Reuters Messaging: maria.kiselyova.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: WBD/

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