Linear Technology 3Q Profit Falls 45 Percent

Chief Executive Lothar Maier said in a statement it was "another difficult quarter as the company continued to experience the fallout from the ongoing global credit crisis."

However, the company said it expects its sales decline to slow dramatically, and may even reverse course. The company said it expects sales in the current quarter to be down 2 percent to up 4 percent from the third quarter. Wall Street is expecting sales to rise for the quarter.

Linear Technologies shares closed Tuesday's session unchanged at $23.25, then slipped 2 percent to $22.78 in aftermarket electronic trading.