ATM maker Diebold files reports, raises outlook

The North Canton-based maker of ATMs for banks, business security systems and voting machines received a warning from the exchange about six months ago to become current with its filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Diebold raised its full-year earnings outlook for 2008 to between $2.40 and $2.45 per share, up from $2.25 and $2.30 per share, not including special items.

Diebold shares closed up $1.15, or 3.6 percent, at $33.11 on Tuesday. In after-hours trading, its shares rose $1.88, or 5.7 percent, to $34.99.

Diebold on Tuesday filed its annual report for 2007 and its quarterly reports going back to the second quarter of last year.

Diebold's second-quarter 2008 profit was up 37 percent to $27.2 million, or 41 cents per share, versus a profit of $19.8 million, or 30 cents per share, for the second quarter of 2007.

Sales of products and services were $772 million, up 11 percent from the year-ago total of $695 million.

The filings were delayed over SEC concerns about how Diebold had been reporting revenue. Diebold will resume its normal reporting schedule beginning with this year's third quarter, which ended Tuesday.

Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies Corp. on Feb. 29 made a $40-per-share cash offer, about $2.6 billion, for Diebold but wanted to see financial data the company had not disclosed.

Diebold attributed its revised outlook to early progress in reducing costs, improved profits from its voting and lottery businesses in Brazil and demand for its products in global financial markets.