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UPDATE 3-R.H. Donnelley posts Q2 loss on charge

Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:30pm IST
 
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(Adds details, conference call details, updates share movement)

July 30 (Reuters) - Yellow pages directories publisher R.H. Donnelley Corp RHD.N posted a quarterly loss on a goodwill charge, and said that deteriorating consumer sentiment and the uncertain economy forced it to trim its fiscal ad sales view.

The company, however, maintained its fiscal earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization view and said it refinanced over $3 billion in debt.

It lowered net debt by over $230 million in the quarter, reducing leverage to 6.8 times at June 30th.

"While a vast majority of advertisers are maintaining or increasing their investment with us, they are unable to increase at levels we historically see. New business sales are also off," Chief Executive David Swanson said on a conference call with analysts.

The company now expects 2008 revenue of at least $2.6 billion on a 7 percent to 8 percent fall in advertising sales. Its earlier view was for revenue of $2.6 billion to $2.7 billion with a mid single-digit fall in advertising sales.

Analysts expect revenue of $2.6 billion for the year, according to Reuters Estimates.

The revised guidance would mean that the remaining quarters of the year would "look a lot like" the second quarter, said the company on the call.

R.H. Donnelley posted a second-quarter loss of $338.9 million, or $4.93 a share, including a goodwill impairment charge of $660.2 million. The company earned a profit of $24.9 million, or 34 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter.  Continued...

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