ATM Maker Raises Its Earnings Outlook for 2006

By Kristin McAllister, Dayton Daily News, Ohio

Jan. 18–DAYTON — NCR on Tuesday raised its earnings outlook for the fourth quarter, sending the stock of the ATM maker up nearly 3 percent by the last trade.

NCR said it expects to make 91 cents a share for the quarter ended Dec. 31 and $2.04 a share for 2006.

The company previously said it expected 2006 earnings of between $1.90 and $1.95, which included an expense of 4 cents a share from an early retirement program.

“The details of why will be disclosed Jan. 25,” said NCR spokesman John Hourigan, referring to when the company will report on its finalized fourth-quarter and full-year 2006 results.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial forecast a fourth-quarter profit of 80 cents per share and full-year earnings of $1.98 per share.

NCR expects to report fourth-quarter revenue of about $1.8 billion, an increase of 5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2005.

For all of 2006, NCR expects revenue of about $6.1 billion, an increase of about 2 percent from 2005.

NCR expects 2007 income of $2.40 per share to $2.50 per share. Analysts are looking for earnings of $2.46 per share.

NCR shares jumped $1.37 to $44.87 in trading Tuesday morning on the New York Stock Exchange, near its 52-week high of $45.42.

The low for the past year has been $31.64.

By day’s end, shares dropped slightly, with the last trade ending at $44.62.

NCR last week announced that it will spin off its data warehousing unit, resulting in one publicly traded company that makes the computers that store and analyze massive amounts of data and another that makes ATMs and checkout scanners for retailers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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