Novell reports quarterly loss as expenses rise

BOSTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Novell Inc (NOVL.O), the No. 2 publicly held maker of Linux software, reported on Thursday a quarterly loss versus a year-earlier profit on an increase in operating expenses.

The company reported a fourth-quarter loss of $17.9 million, or 5 cents per share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $19.9 million, or 5 cents a share. Net revenue rose to $245 million from $234 million a year earlier. (Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Gary Hill)