VerticalNet Bests Estimates, but Misses Whisper Number for Revenue

VerticalNet (VERT) showed them the money. It just wasn't enough money.

The B2B firm said Wednesday that its second-quarter revenue grew by more than 1,400% over the comparable period last year, to $53.6 million. The company said its loss, excluding acquisition costs and other one-time items, reached 23 cents a share, compared with 10 cents a share last year. The forecast among analysts was 30 cents a share.

VerticalNet's 95% sequential revenue growth was impressive, even within the surging B2B space. With that increase, the company can boast similar gains to Ariba (ARBA) and PurchasePro.com(PPRO), which saw sequential revenue growth of 101% and 109%, respectively.

But with a signal of how high expectations in the B2B sector have become again, VerticalNet did not beat its whisper numbers for revenue, which stood around $55 million. Thus, while VerticalNet's results were impressive, they didn't bolster the stock. After ending the regular session down 5/8, or 1%, to 56 3/4, VerticalNet shares continued to sell off slightly in after hours trading. They were down 1, or 2% to 55 3/4.

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