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Conceptus(CPTS Quote), which makes a permanent birth-control device called Essure, posted better-than-anticipated fourth-quarter results, but the company offered a 2006 outlook that was weaker than Wall Street expected.

The company's fourth-quarter loss narrowed to $4.4 million, or 15 cents a share, from $6.4 million, or 25 cents a share, a year earlier. Fourth-quarter sales were $6.8 million, up 87% from a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call were expecting a loss of 18 cents a share and sales of $6.4 million.

For the first quarter, Conceptus sees sales of $7.2 million to $7.4 million. The company also expects increased expenses in the quarter, resulting in a loss 17 cents to 18 cents a share, before stock-based compensation costs. Wall Street was looking for a first-quarter loss of 15 cents a share and sales of $7.75 million, according to a Thomson First Call survey of analysts. For all of 2006, the company expects a loss of 58 cents to 60 cents a share, before items, on sales of $33 million to $35 million. Analysts, on average, had forecast a loss of 49 cents a share, with sales of $35 million. ...