Alcatel-Lucent reported a fifth straight quarterly loss and braced investors for a bleak 2008, saying the telecom equipment market will be flat, an Associated Press report said.
The report quoted the firm saying it lost €181 million (US$282 million) compared with a loss of €8 million a year earlier, when results were boosted by an asset sale.
Revenues fell to €3.86 billion (US$6.02 billion) from €3.88 billion a year earlier.
For the full year, Alcatel-Lucent said it expects revenue to decline 2% to 5% due to the weak dollar and lower spending by telecom operators, it's biggest customers, the Associated Press report said.
It scaled back its outlook, saying 2008 will be a flat market compared with February expectations of 'flat to slightly up.'
CFO Hubert de Pesquidoux, speaking in a conference call, blamed the worsening economic climate.
Rival wireless equipment maker LM Ericsson of Sweden last week predicted 'flattish development in the mobile infrastructure market' this year, but good growth in the professional services market.