Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp.

For the fourth quarter ended Jan. 2, the El Segundo-based sporting goods retailer reported net income of $11.6 million (51 cents per diluted share), compared with $8.6 million (37 cents) in the like year-ago period.

Net income for the fourth quarter included a charge of $0.8 million (3 cents per diluted share) associated with the exchange of $33.1 million principal amount of the company’s 10.875 percent senior notes.

Net sales increased by 13.4 percent to $217.6 million from $191.8 million in the year-ago quarter.

For the current first quarter, Big 5 expects same-store sales growth to be in the low single-digits, resulting in earnings per diluted share in the range of 32 cents to 35 cents.

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.


For the third quarter ended Dec. 31, the Santa Monica-based entertainment company reported net income of $3.4 million (3 cents per diluted share), compared with a $35.7 million loss (45 cents) in the like year-ago quarter.

Excluding a $3.4 million writeoff of deferred financing costs and a $3.2 million charge for stock appreciation rights, the company said it would have reported adjusted net income of $9.9 million (10 cents per share) for the most recent third quarter.

Third quarter revenue increased 170 percent to $190.4 million from $70.6 million in the prior year’s third quarter.

Tekelec


The Calabasas-based telecom product manufacturer reported partial financial results for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31.

The company said it is involved in discussions with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the accounting of the acquisition of its majority interest in its Santera subsidiary and the distribution of Santera’s profits and losses between Tekelec and Santera’s minority shareholders after the acquisition goes through. Tekelec will release full financial results for the fourth quarter once the matter is concluded.

Revenues for the fourth quarter were $115.9 million, compared with $75 million in the year-ago period. Orders received in the fourth quarter for Tekelec products and services were $159.7 million, compared to $138.1 million in the prior year’s comparable quarter.

Napster Inc.


For the third quarter ended Dec. 31, the L.A.-based digital music company reported net income of $12.8 million (36 cents per diluted share), compared with a loss of $25.6 million (92 cents) in the like year-ago period.

Revenues rose to $12.1 million from $3.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2003.

The earnings included operations from the Roxio software division, which was sold to Sonic Solutions on Dec. 17. The company said its loss from continuing operations was $16.4 million (47 cents per share).

For the fourth quarter ending March 31, Napster expects revenues to grow to approximately $14 million. The company is also revising its full-year revenue guidance for Napster to $43 million from an earlier range of $35 million to $40 million.

United Online Inc.


For the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, the Woodland Hills-based Internet service provider reported net income of $80.2 million ($1.26 per diluted share), compared with $24.4 million (35 cents) in the year-ago quarter.

The latest quarter’s results include a tax benefit of $68.6 million ($1.07 per share), versus a benefit of $12.3 million (18 cents per share) in the prior-year quarter related to the crediting of a portion of the company’s deferred tax assets.

Revenues rose 23 percent to $119.6 million from $96.9 million for the year-ago quarter.

The company estimates revenues for the March quarter to be between $126 million and $129 million.

21st Century Insurance Group


The Woodland Hills-based insurance holding company reported fourth-quarter net income of $22.5 million (26 cents per diluted share), compared with $18.4 million (22 cents) for the like-period a year earlier.

Direct premiums written were $325.8 million, versus $304.6 million a year earlier. Underwriting profit increased 39 percent to $18.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2004, compared with $13.3 million.

DaVita Inc.


The El Segundo-based dialysis services provider reported fourth-quarter net income of $56.6 million (56 cents per diluted share), compared with $62.8 million (61 cents) for the like period a year earlier.

Net operating revenue was $616 million, versus $553.4 million from a year earlier.

The company estimates 2005 operating income to improve from 2 percent to 6 percent over the 2004 operating income performance.