When UTi Worldwide Inc. reported second-quarter earnings that fell well short of analyst estimates last year, investors were relatively forgiving.

Not this time.

The Long Beach freight-forwarder Sept. 3 reported a loss of $70.7 million (minus 70 cents a share) on $914 million in sales for the quarter ended July 31. Analysts had anticipated a much more modest loss of 5 cents a share on higher revenue of $1.05 billion.

The poor performance sent shares down 11 percent to close at $6.08 for the week ended Sept. 9, placing the company among the biggest losers on the LABJ Stock Index. (See page 40.)

Matthew Young, an analyst at Chicago investment research firm Morningstar Inc. who follows UTi, said last quarter’s results continued a negative trend that has persisted throughout the past year.

“The firm is struggling to regain the freight-forwarding market share it has lost in recent years,” Young said in an email. “Making matters worse, demand in certain end markets appears to be soft. Overall, these dynamics are weighing heavily on top-line growth and UTi’s ability to shore up its operating margins.”

After UTi last year announced similarly rough earnings during the same quarter, investors brushed off major concerns as the company offered a promising update on a major technology overhaul. Shares soared 25 percent despite a net loss of $16.9 million. Those results were unaudited. The company later revised the loss to $21.9 million.

But now, with the comprehensive IT system in place, investors apparently were far less willing to overlook the losses this year.

UTi Chief Executive Edward G. Feitzinger said his company is improving every day thanks to its new operating system and that its client retention is stronger than ever.

Feitzinger said the quarterly loss was due in part to the clearing of congestion at the West Coast ports, which caused retailers to stock up on inventory earlier this year.

“We believe people are now working off their safety stocks and they’re ordering less, which means we’re shipping less,” he said. “We expect to return to normalcy in terms of safety stock levels.”

Looking ahead, Feitzinger said that he hopes to rebound in coming months as retailers begin preparing for the holiday season.

“The U.S. economy is doing pretty well and that probably is going to mean a good holiday season,” he said. “There’s always things that are hotter than expected.”