Colony Financial Q4 Profit Beats Estimates

(RTTNews.com) - Real estate finance and investment company Colony Financial Inc. ( CLNY ) Wednesday reported a 22 percent increase in profit for the fourth quarter on strong revenue growth. Core earnings beat analysts' expectations, while revenues missed their estimates.

The Santa Monica, California-based company's fourth-quarter net income was $13.53 million, up from $11.07 million in the previous-year quarter. However, earnings per share declined to $0.31 from $0.34 in the prior-year period on higher weighted number of shares outstanding.

Excluding items, core earnings were $18.04 million or $0.41 per share, compared to $11.86 million or $0.36 per share int the same period last year. On average, five analysts polled by Thomson Reuters estimated earnings of $0.37 per share for the quarter. Analysts estimates' typically exclude one-time items.

Total income, which includes equity in income of joint ventures and interest income, grew 70 percent in the quarter to $32.67 million from $19.18 million in the same period last year. Analysts had a consensus revenue estimate for the quarter of $33.73 million.

For fiscal 2012, Colony Financial's net income rose to $48.10 million from $42.26 million last year. However, earnings per share declined to $1.32 per share from $1.47 per share in the prior year.

Core earnings were $59.77 million or $1.65 per share, compared to $43.24 million or $1.49 per share in the previous year. Total income for the year surged 64 percent to $107.16 million from $65.47 million last year.

Analysts expected the company to earn $1.41 per share for the year on revenues of $105.72 million.

CLNY closed Wednesday's trading at $21.95, down $0.03 or 0.14 percent on a volume of 921,417 shares.

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