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UPDATE 3-GT Solar 2nd-quarter profit falls by two-thirds

Mon Nov 9, 2009 6:10pm EST

Stocks

   

* Q2 EPS 6 cents/share vs 7 cents/share estimate

Stocks  |  Media  |  Technology

* Q2 revenue at $104.2 mln vs view of $101.82 mln

* Company backs FY '10 revenue, EPS outlook

* Shares fall 5 pct to $5.25 in after hours trading (Adds chief executive comments, updates shares)

LOS ANGELES, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Solar equipment maker GT Solar International Inc (SOLR.O) reported on Monday that its profit fell by two-thirds but it maintained its previous outlook for the fiscal year.

GT Solar's new chief executive Tom Gutierrez said the company will develop new products and enlarge the company's footprint in the solar industry.

"We will rely on internal development and consider external acquisition of key technologies as necessary," Gutierrez said on a conference call with analysts.

Like other solar companies, GT Solar has been hit by the credit crisis, which has dried up financing for new projects, and by a fall in prices.

Net income in the fiscal second quarter fell to $9.4 million, or 6 cents per share, compared with $27.9 million, or 19 cents per share, a year ago.

The profit narrowly missed Wall Street analysts' average forecast of 7 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue was $104.2 million, topping analysts' estimate of $101.82 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The company backed its previous outlook for the fiscal year of revenue of $450 million to $550 million and earnings per share of 45 cents to 60 cents.

For the full fiscal year, analysts are looking for $502.69 million in revenue and earnings of 51 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

GT Solar said it received $30.7 million in new orders during the period and its backlog was $1.03 billion at the end of the quarter. In a call with analysts, executives said the company expects to convert about 30 percent of that backlog to revenue, while 20 percent of it could be at risk.

GT Solar shares fell about 5 percent to $5.25 per share in after-hours trading after closing up 5.7 percent at $5.54 on the Nasdaq. (Reporting by Laura Isensee; editing by Andre Grenon)



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