LaBranche posts profit on big investment gain
Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:53am EDT
(Refiling to fix typographical error in 2nd bullet point)
* EPS 24 cents
* Pre-tax gain on NYSE Euronext shares $29.3 million
* Increases share repurchase program
NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - LaBranche & Co (LAB.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), one of the New York Stock Exchange's largest specialist firms, reported a quarterly profit on Tuesday, compared with a year-earlier loss, thanks to a big gain on its NYSE Euronext Inc (NYX.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (NYX.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) shares.
Second-quarter net income was $13.3 million, or 24 cents per share, compared with a loss of $21.3 million, or 34 cents, for the year-ago period.
Earnings included a $29.3 million pre-tax unrealized gain on the NYSE Euronext shares, and income of $1 million related to an early debt repayment.
Revenue rose 74 percent to $64.6 million.
Analysts, on average, had expected profit of 10 cents per share on revenue of $55.5 million, according to Reuters Estimates.
The company said it had increased its share repurchase program by $25 million, to $65 million.
LaBranche shares closed Monday at $4.16 on the New York Stock Exchange. They are down nearly 37 percent in the last year. (Reporting by Chavon Sutton; Editing by John Wallace)