Downers Grove, February 13, 2006--ServiceMaster Co., said its quarterly earnings fell sharply from a year earlier, when a tax settlement boosted results.
The company posted fourth-quarter profit of $27 million, or $0.09 a diluted share, compared with $182 million, or $0.60 a share, a year earlier.
Earnings from continuing operations were $0.08 a share, up from $0.07 a share a year ago.
Analysts, on average, expected the company to earn 10 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates.
Sales rose 14 percent to $720 million, compared with forecasts for $912 million in revenue.
ServiceMaster's Terminix pest control business reported a 5-percent increase in quarterly revenue and a 10-percent increase in operating income.
Its TruGreen ChemLawn business reported a 4-percent sales increase and 8-percent higher operating income during the quarter. Sales also rose at the company's American Home Shield division, but that unit had lower operating income.
Looking ahead, the company said it expected earnings-per-share to grow by low double digits in 2006 from 2005's profit from continuing operations of 61 cents a share. It estimated mid- to high-single digit growth in 2006 revenue.
