Sybase Reports Preliminary Q4 Results

Sybase (Emeryville, CAl; Nasdaq: SYBS

) reports preliminary Q4 '97 revenues of between $245 million and $250 million, and an undisclosed operating profit before taxes. Earnings per share is expected to range from a loss of $0.07 to a profit of $0.02 per share, falling well below analysts' estimates of a profit of $0.13 per share. Sales in North America were especially weak, according to company executives. Slow sales, combined with the market acceptance of Microsoft's (Redmond, WA) less expensive SQL Server and a general slowdown in the database market, sent Sybase stock plummeting to a five year low, before rebounding slightly to $9.25 per share. Rival Oracle (Redwood Shores, CA) reported weaker-than-expected earnings in December.