ValueClick Shows Improvement in Q4

Online marketing service provider ValueClick Inc. fell short of having its revenues meet guidance expectations for the fourth quarter. Still, the Westlake Village-based firm showed marked improvement in the quarter when compared to a year ago with net income of $15.5 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, on revenues of $110.4 million. For the same period in 2008, the company had a net loss of $251.8 million, or $2.90 per diluted share, on revenues of $110 million. For the fiscal year, ValueClick had net income of $68.6 million, or $0.79 per diluted share, on revenues of $422.7 million. In the previous fiscal year, the company had a net loss of $214 million, or $2.32 per diluted share, on revenues of $455.4 million. The company had issued a guidance of revenues for the fourth quarter between $128 million and $138 million. Those guidance figures, however, did not take into account the sale of the Web Clients business for $45 million, which was included as a discontinued operation for 2009. ValueClick acquired Web Clients, a promotional lead generation business, in 2005. Mark R. Madler