Staples Inc. Reveals 15% Drop In Q4 Profit

(RTTNews) - Staples Inc. (SPLS) revealed a profit for fourth quarter that lost ground compared to the same period last year.

The company said its bottom line declined to $168 million, or $0.26 per share. This was down from $198 million, or $0.31 per share, in last year's fourth quarter.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $0.28 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

The company said revenue for the quarter fell 6.9% to $5.27 billion. This was down from $5.66 billion last year.

Staples Inc. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q4): $168 Mln. vs. $198 Mln. last year. -Earnings Decline (Y-o-Y): -15.2% -EPS (Q4): $0.26 vs. $0.31 last year. -EPS Decline (Y-o-Y): -16.1% -Analysts Estimate: $0.28 -Revenue (Q4): $5.27 Bln vs. $5.66 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): -6.9%

-Guidance: Next quarter EPS guidance: $0.16 to $0.18