Xerox 2Q profit declines 19 pct, but meets views

Shares fell more than 4 percent in midday trading on signs economic turbulence caused large corporations to curtail spending on new equipment, pressuring Xerox's profit margins.

The Norwalk, Conn.-based company makes most of its money from selling ink and other supplies to companies that have already bought or leased Xerox printers, copiers and other machinery, a reliable business that grew 10 percent in the April-June period compared with last year.

The consistency of that business, coupled with the growing demand for expensive color ink and technical support to help companies manage their ever-expanding hordes of digital documents, helped Xerox expand in line with analyst expectations.

Xerox said Thursday that net income in the second quarter was $215 million, or 24 cents per share, down from the $266 million, or 28 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial were expecting 24 cents per share in profit.

Were it not for previously announced restructuring charges, however, Xerox's profit would have been 5 cents per share higher, topping last year's figure by a penny per share. Xerox continues to cut costs as it looks for ways to improve its profitability.

The restructuring charges were mostly to account for job cuts in the second quarter. Xerox shed roughly 1,000 employees, most of them in North America, as part of its efforts to reduce expenses. The company ended the quarter with 58,000 workers.

Sales were $4.53 billion, an 8 percent improvement over last year and exactly in line with analysts' average estimate.

Roughly 70 percent of Xerox's revenue comes from its so-called "post-sale" business, which contributed $3.37 billion in the second quarter. That was up 10 percent over the previous year.

The number rises as Xerox's customers print more pages--especially color pages--on machines they already have and enlist more of Xerox's technical services.