Airgas Guidance Below Street Expectations

RADNOR, Pa. (AP) — Industrial gas maker Airgas Inc. on Tuesday offered guidance for its fiscal first quarter and full year that was lower than Wall Street was expecting.

The company said it expects to earn 62 cents to 67 cents per share in the first quarter, which began in April. For the full year of fiscal 2010, it expects to earn $2.60 to $2.90 per share.

It warned that economic conditions "offer limited visibility into future sales and earnings, which should be taken into consideration when evaluating the Company's guidance."

Analysts had been expecting a first-quarter profit of 70 cents per share and full-year earnings of $3.08 per share.

The news came the same day Airgas said its fourth-quarter profit fell 12 percent to $56.5 million. Revenue fell 8.7 percent to $992.1 million.

Airgas shares fell 48 cents to close at $43.72 before the results and outlook were released.