Chicago-based Orbitz Worldwide Inc.’s fourth-quarter loss widened as revenue increased but the company booked $79.5 million of impairments.
The company also forecast current-quarter revenue of $177 million to $184 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect $194 million.
Online-travel companies have reported more solid results in recent quarters as the travel and tourism sectors continue to rebound. Orbitz has long generated most of its revenue from airline and domestic bookings, though it has made a push to expand internationally and into hotel bookings.
Online travel agents recently have seen rifts develop with airlines over where the services get their fares — from a global distribution system versus directly from the airline. Just before Christmas, AMR Corp.’s American Airlines pulled its fares from Orbitz after a contract dispute.
Orbitz reported a loss of $78 million, or 76 cents a share, from a loss of $18.1 million, or 21 cents, a year earlier. The most-recent quarter included the $79.5 million of charges.
Revenue rose 4.4 percent, to $182.4 million.
Gross bookings rose 3.8 percent; up 2.4 percent for air and 8.4 percent for non-air.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had most recently forecast a loss of 5 cents on $177 million in revenue.
Shares closed Tuesday at $4.16 and were inactive premarket. As of the close, the stock had fallen 39 percent the past year.
