New York, NY, Oct. 30--Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia on Thursday posted a quarterly loss as its core brand took a hit from the legal travails of its founder, Martha Stewart.
The company posted a third-quarter net loss of $3.8 million, or 8 cents a share, compared with a net profit of $2.8 million, or 6 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue fell to $51.2 million, from $70.9 million a year earlier.
Analysts on average forecast a third-quarter loss of 14 cents per share, according to tracking firm Reuters Research.
The company forecast earnings for the fourth quarter in a range of roughly five cents to seven cents a share. That compares with analysts' average forecast of three cents a share, according to Reuters Research.
Stewart is to go on trial in January on charges of obstructing justice in connection with a stock trading scandal.
