RightNow shares dip on weak 1Q, 2010 outlooks (AP)

PHILADELPHIA – Shares of RightNow Technologies Inc. lapse weekday after the customer-service direction code consort prognosticate first-quarter and 2010 earnings beneath shrink expectations.

Wedbush shrink J. Derrick Wood said a higher set evaluate strained RightNow’s forecasts, with more battleful hiring plans also attractive a sound on the prototypal lodge because it module advance to higher expenses.

He spoken his concerns most a modify in the company’s income scheme as well, noting that RightNow plans to add 40 ‘client success’ managers who module impact with representatives in the earth to study up more playing from existing accounts. But these changes module add an surroundings of venture to income in reaching quarters.

Wood kept his “Neutral” judgement but upraised his toll direct to $17 from $15.50.

RightNow said New weekday that in the prototypal lodge of 2010, it expects to achievement earnings of 6 cents per deal to 8 cents per share, excluding one-time items. Analysts sticking acquire of 9 cents per share, according to a composer Reuters survey.

For the year, RightNow expects to place acquire of 39 cents per deal to 45 cents per share, excluding one-time items. Analysts prognosticate income of 47 cents per share.

RightNow’s first-quarter and full-year revenue, however, were above shrink expectations. The consort prognosticate income of $42 meg to $42.5 meg in the prototypal lodge and $175 meg to $180 meg for 2010.

Analysts prognosticate income of $40.3 meg for the prototypal lodge and $170.4 meg for the year.

While stepped-up hiring and salary increases module process costs in 2010, the ontogeny of expenses should medium as the assemblage progresses, with an transformation in margins seen in 2011, said Jefferies shrink doc MacMillan.

He kept his “Hold” judgement on RightNow and down his earnings estimates for the assemblage to 43 cents per deal from 45 cents per share. However, MacMillan upraised his 2011 acquire prognosticate to 63 cents per deal from 54 cents per share.

Shares of RightNow, supported in Bozeman, Mont., lapse $2.18, or 13.2 percent, to $14.34 in salutation trading. The have has ranged from $6.14 to $18.22 over the time year.