Twitter fourth-quarter forecast misses estimate

(Reuters) - Twitter Inc forecast current-quarter revenue below analysts' average estimate, in a sign that Chief Executive Jack Dorsey's turnaround strategy may take more time to bear fruit.

Shares of the company, which reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and adjusted profit, fell 8.8 percent after the bell.

Twitter forecast fourth-quarter revenue within a range of $695 million and $710 million, well below analysts' average expectation of $739.7 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Twitter said it had 320 million average active monthly users in the third quarter, up from 316 million in the prior quarter.

Revenue rose 57.6 percent to $569.2 million in the quarter. (http://1.usa.gov/1H8cHMH)

 

Net loss narrowed to $131.7 million, or 20 cents per share, in the quarter ended Sept. 30 from $175.5 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding items, it earned 10 cents per share.

Analysts had expected a profit of 5 cents per share on revenue of $559.4 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(This story corrects the headline to say fourth-quarter, not third-quarter)

(Reporting by Lehar Maan in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)