Stocks in Motion: Flowers Foods

Shares of Integrated Alarm Services(IASG Quote) were among Nasdaq's losers Thursday, falling 30% after the security alarm company posted lackluster third-quarter results.

The company reported a loss of $5.4 million, or 22 cents a share, on sales of $24.5 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call were expecting a smaller loss of 14 cents a share and sales of $25 million. For last year's third quarter, the company reported a loss of $2.1 million, or 9 cents a share, on sales of $21.9 million.

"Third quarter residential attrition was very disappointing," the company said in a statement. "The causes for this performance were several and include unacceptable levels of customer service caused in part by excess personnel turnover in our Las Vegas customer retention call center." Shares recently were trading down 85 cents to $2.

Flowers Foods(FLO Quote) fell 6% after the company posted lower-than-expected third-quarter earnings and cut its 2005 earnings forecast due to hurricane-related costs. The packaged bakery-goods company earned $11.8 million, or 19 cents a share, on sales of $408 million. Excluding items, the company earned $13.5 million, or 22 cents a share. Analysts expected earnings of 26 cents a share, before items, and sales of $402.6 million. In last year's third quarter, the company earned $14.6 million, or 22 cents a share, on sales of $371.4 million.

Flowers now sees 2005 earnings of $59.5 million to $61.5 million, or 94 cents to 97 cents a share. Previously, the company expected earnings of $62.8 million to $68 million, or 99 cents to $1.07 a share. Flowers, however, boosted its sales view to $1.71 billion to $1.72 billion from $1.68 billion to $1.7 billion. Analysts forecast full-year earnings of $1.07 a share on sales of $1.71 billion. Flowers attributed the lower profit view to costs stemming from Hurricane Katrina. Because of the hurricane, the company has to transport products from other bakeries to replace production from its New Orleans bakery. The company's guidance doesn't include additional insurance proceeds it may recover as a result of Katrina damage.