UPDATE 1-Weak economy, hurricanes hurt boat seller MarineMax
* Posts Q4 loss
* Q4 revenue nearly halves, misses estimates
* Weak economy, hurricanes hurt results
* Same-stores sales fall 45 pct
Nov 11 (Reuters) - MarineMax Inc (HZO.N), the No.1 U.S. boat retailer, was the latest recreational-products seller to be hit hard by economic woes and tighter lending conditions.
Recent hurricanes added more pain to MarineMax's agony, forcing it to report a fourth-quarter loss of $11.1 million, compared with a profit of $6.6 million a year earlier.
The company, whose core markets include Florida and California, has been witnessing sluggish retail trends, especially in markets plagued by the U.S. housing downturn.
Revenue at the Clearwater, Florida-based retailer nearly halved, reflecting a same-store sales fall of 45 percent in the quarter.
Boat and recreational vehicle retailers in the United States have struggled to weather an industry-wide slowdown in sales as some consumers hold off on big-ticket recreational items amid the housing market slump and credit crunch.
Earlier this year, General Electric Co's (GE.N) financing arm said it would stop offering loans for the purchase of consumer boats and motorhomes, dealing another blow to the recreational-products sector.
Shares of Brunswick Corp (BC.N), the world's largest maker of recreational boats, No. 1 motorhome maker Winnebago Industries Inc (WGO.N) and MarineMax are all down so far this year.
MarineMax's stock, which has fallen nearly 92 percent since the start of 2008, closed at $1.25 Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.
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For the press release, double-click [ID:nBw115606a] . (Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan in Bangalore; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)
