Alcatel-Lucent: Our Earnings Stink in French and English

The econalypse is eroding demand for telecommunications equipment. Operators are cutting spending for network upgrades. Market conditions are tough, but we are taking appropriate actions. It’s a story we’ve heard before, from Ericsson (ERIC), Nortel (NT) and Cisco (CSCO). This morning we heard it from Alcatel-Lucent (ALU). The French-American telecommunications maker said today that its first-quarter net loss more than doubled from a year ago amid a souring economy that’s got its customers slashing capital expenses to preserve cash. With sales down 6.9 percent, Alcatel lost $563.6 million in the quarter, more than twice last year’s $241.7 million loss.

Ugly, even more so considering this is the company’s ninth consecutive quarterly loss since it was created in 2006.

“While expected, given seasonality and tough market conditions, we are not pleased with the operating loss incurred in the first quarter,” said CEO Ben Verwaayen. “Our guidance for the year remains unchanged and we are taking appropriate actions….There’s lots of work we still need to do.”