Perficient shares rise on sales forecast

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Information technology consulting company Perficient Inc. on Friday predicted first-quarter revenue would come in ahead of current Wall Street estimates.

The news pleased investors and Perficient shares rose 34 cents, or 9.7 percent, to $3.83 in early trading.

Perficient said it expects its first-quarter services, software and hardware revenue, including reimbursed expenses, to total between $48.7 million and $51.6 million.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect $46.2 million in revenue for the quarter.

The company's revenue prediction includes an estimated $46.9 million to $48.8 million of revenue from services, including reimbursed expenses, and $1.8 million to $2.8 million of revenue from sales of software and hardware.

Services revenue estimate would represent a decrease of 12 percent to 16 percent from the first quarter of 2008, the company said.

Also on Friday, Perficient released a fourth-quarter profit that fell short of average analyst estimates, but revenue results that exceeded them.