Dun & Bradstreet posts 17 percent drop 3Q earnings

Dun & Bradstreet posts 17 percent drop in 3Q earnings as North America sales lag

• On 6:01 pm EDT, Wednesday October 28, 2009

SHORT HILLS, N.J. (AP) -- Dun & Bradstreet Corp. posted a 17 percent drop in third-quarter profit Wednesday as sales in North America lagged.

The business analytics provider earned $54 million, or $1.02 per share, compared with $65.1 million, or $1.18 per share, in the same quarter a year ago.

Excluding unusual items, the company said it would have earned $60.1 million, or $1.13 per share.

Revenue fell 3 percent to $399 million.

Results came out slightly ahead of Wall Street expectations. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, who typically exclude one time losses or gains, were looking for $1.12 per share on sales of $396.2 million.