To: Kayaker who wrote (1498 ) 10/28/1999 7:57:00 PM From: Kayaker Respond to of 24042
JDS Uniphase Profit Flies Past Forecasts By Lydia Zajc TORONTO (Reuters) - JDS Uniphase Corp (Nasdaq:JDSU - news)., the hot fiber-optic equipment maker, extended its track record of exceeding analysts' predictions Thursday, reporting solid profit growth in its first quarter. The company, based in suburban Ottawa and in San Jose, California, posted net income of $51.4 million, or 29 cents a share, excluding charges, compared to a year-earlier $23.2 million, or 14 cents a share. The 24 brokers polled by research house First Call/Thomson Financial estimated, on average, that the company would earn 25 cents a share. The firm, the result of a merger this summer between U.S. firm Uniphase Corp. and Canada's JDS FITEL Inc., supplies components for the burgeoning fiber-optic network market. This quarter's figures were the first from the merged concern. The company's gear boosts the capacity and performance of those fiber-optic networks, which carry data on light wavelengths. Once merger-related and purchased intangibles amortization charges were factored in, JDS Uniphase lost $113.9 million, or 68 cents a share. The company recorded $172.9 million of purchased intangibles amortization in the quarter. ``Obviously we're delighted with the results, there's been no hiccup in the merger, and everything has been really rolling remarkably well,' Chief Executive Kevin Kalkhoven said in a conference call.Executives hiked their sales growth estimate for fiscal 2000 to 80-90 percent over the previous year , excluding results from its acquisition of EPITAXX Inc. JDS on October 4 uncloaked a $400-million deal to buy Trenton, New Jersey-based EPITAXX.The 80-90 percent, sky-high prediction took some analysts by surprise. Analyst Patrick Houghton at Sutro & Co., said his forecasts would need to be rejigged. ``They blew through the bottom line,' Houghton said. The company also is looking at expanding manufacturing to two to three times its current rate, across its whole product range, by the end of next calendar year. As a result of exploding Internet usage, JDS Uniphase can't supply companies like Lucent Technologies Inc (NYSE:LU - news). and Nortel Networks Corp (NYSE:NT - news). fast enough, said analyst Michael Urlocker at Scotia Capital Markets. ``The business is growing at an accelerating rate,' said Urlocker, who a month ago had raised his fiscal 2000 growth expectations to 85 percent. JDS shares rose C$10.10 to close at C$224.60 on the Toronto Stock Exchange Thursday and closed up 6-14/16 at 152-7/16 on Nasdaq. The company reported its results after those markets had closed. ($1-$1.47 Canadian)