Analysts on average were expecting a loss of 49 cents a share, on revenue of $214 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S "While many of the long term investment merits of LCA Vision remain intact, we believe the stock will have a difficult time outperforming until more concrete signs of an improved consumer environment appear," William Blair & Co analyst Ryan Daniels said in a note In 2009, the company took several measures to cut costs, including the closure of 12 underperforming vision centers and a headcount reduction of 19 percent Direct costs of services fell 14 pct, while general and administrative costs fell 23 percent during the quarter Procedure volume was 11,718 for the quarter, hit by the company's decision to reduce marketing expenses to less than $6 million for the quarter, it said 
Share:  Analysts on average were expecting a loss of 49 cents a share, on revenue of $214 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S<span class="sent"> "While many of the long term investment merits of <span class="company">LCA Vision</span> remain intact, we believe the stock will have a difficult time outperforming until more concrete signs of an improved consumer environment appear," William Blair & Co analyst <span class="analyst">Ryan Daniels</span> said in a note</span> In 2009, the company took several measures to cut costs, including the closure of 12 underperforming vision centers and a headcount reduction of 19 percent Direct costs of services fell 14 pct, while general and administrative costs fell 23 percent during the quarter Procedure volume was 11,718 for the quarter, hit by the company's decision to reduce marketing expenses to less than $6 million for the quarter, it said...Analysts on average were expecting a loss of 49 cents a share, on revenue of $214 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S<span class="sent"> "While many of the long term investment merits of <span class="company">LCA Vision</span> remain intact, we believe the stock will have a difficult time outperforming until more concrete signs of an improved consumer environment appear," William Blair & Co analyst <span class="analyst">Ryan Daniels</span> said in a note</span> In 2009, the company took several measures to cut costs, including the closure of 12 underperforming vision centers and a headcount reduction of 19 percent Direct costs of services fell 14 pct, while gene Tweet this 

* Q2 EPS $0.55 vs est $0.54 . * Raises FY09 EPS by $0.02 * Raises FY09 revenue to about $1.02 bln * Shares up more than 4 pct (Adds analyst comment, share movement) (Reuters) , Idexx Laboratories Inc ( IDXX.O ) reported quarterly earnings that were slightly better than Wall Street estimates, and raised its full year outlook, citing benefits from a weaker U.S dollar. For the full year, Idexx raised its earnings forecast by 2 cents to $1.88 to $1.92 a share, on revenue of about $1.02 billion. It had previously expected to post revenue of $1.0 billion. "While the consumer environment remains a key wildcard, demand will eventually return to vet practices, and we believe Idexx will be well positioned for accelerated growth when this occurs," William Blair analyst Ryan Daniels wrote in a research note.  
Share:  * Q2 EPS $0.55 vs est $0.54 . * Raises FY09 EPS by $0.02 * Raises FY09 revenue to about $1.02 bln * Shares up more than 4 pct (Adds analyst comment, share movement) (Reuters) , <span class="company">Idexx Laboratories Inc</span> ( IDXX.O ) reported quarterly earnings that were slightly better than Wall Street estimates, and raised its full year outlook, citing benefits from a weaker U.S dollar. For the full year, Idexx raised its earnings forecast by 2 cents to $1.88 to $1.92 a share, on revenue of about $1.02 billion. It had previously expected to post revenue of $1.0 billion. <span class="sent"> "While the consumer environment remains a key wildcard, demand will eventually return to vet practices, and we believe Idexx will be well positioned for accelerated growth when this occurs," William Blair analyst <span class="analyst">Ryan Daniels</span> wrote in a research note. </span>...* Q2 EPS $0.55 vs est $0.54 . * Raises FY09 EPS by $0.02 * Raises FY09 revenue to about $1.02 bln * Shares up more than 4 pct (Adds analyst comment, share movement) (Reuters) , <span class="company">Idexx Laboratories Inc</span> ( IDXX.O ) reported quarterly earnings that were slightly better than Wall Street estimates, and raised its full year outlook, citing benefits from a weaker U.S dollar. For the full year, Idexx raised its earnings forecast by 2 cents to $1.88 to $1.92 a share, on revenue of about $1.02 billion. It had previously expected to post revenue of $1.0 billion. <span class="sent"> "While the consumer environment Tweet this 

Also, the company has branched into higher margin add on services, like handling recalled pharmaceuticals and other products. Waste Management likely would offer those services eventually, Mr. Pierce says. "I think it'll be hard for Waste Management to grab a bunch of marketshare simply by bundling services because there would still be other things they don't offer," says Ryan Daniels, an analyst at William Blair & Co. LLC in Chicago.  
Share:  Also, the company has branched into higher margin add on services, like handling recalled pharmaceuticals and other products. <span class="company">Waste Management</span> likely would offer those services eventually, Mr. Pierce says. <span class="sent"> "I think it'll be hard for <span class="company">Waste Management</span> to grab a bunch of marketshare simply by bundling services because there would still be other things they don't offer," says <span class="analyst">Ryan Daniels</span>, an analyst at William Blair & Co. LLC in Chicago. </span>...<span class="sent">"I think it'll be hard for <span class="company">Waste Management</span> to grab a bunch of marketshare simply by bundling services because there would still be other things they don't offer," says <span class="analyst">Ryan Daniels</span>, an analyst at William Blair & Co. LLC in Chicago. </span> <span class="company">Waste Management</span> faces another hurdle: It can't just sling bags of medical waste into its garbage trucks. Strict regulations require the company to add specialized trucks, transfer facilities and treatment plants to process the waste, analysts say. Still, Stericycle is not taking the threat lightly, Chief Financial Officer Frank ten Brink told an investor conference last month. Tweet this 

* Q1 loss/shr 15 cents vs year ago EPS 37 cents . * Q1 revenue $47.9 mln vs est $44.7 mln * Shares down 17 percent (Adds analyst comments, stock movement) April 28 (Reuters) , LCA Vision Inc ( LCAV.O ), a provider of laser vision correction services, swung to a first quarter loss on lower revenue resulting from a 37 percent drop in procedure volumes. Net loss for the first quarter was $2.8 million, or 15 cents a share, compared with earnings of $6.9 million, or 37 cents a share, in the year ago period. The stock will have a difficult time outperforming until concrete signs of an improved consumer environment appear, as LASIK is a more than $3,000 discretionary purchase, William Blair and Co analyst Ryan Daniels said in a note to clients. LASIK, or laser assisted in situ keratomileusis, is a procedure which cuts a flap in the eye then uses a laser to reshape the cornea, helping people with their vision problems. 
Share:  * Q1 loss/shr 15 cents vs year ago EPS 37 cents . * Q1 revenue $47.9 mln vs est $44.7 mln * Shares down 17 percent (Adds analyst comments, stock movement) April 28 (Reuters) , <span class="company">LCA Vision</span> Inc ( LCAV.O ), a provider of laser vision correction services, swung to a first quarter loss on lower revenue resulting from a 37 percent drop in procedure volumes. Net loss for the first quarter was $2.8 million, or 15 cents a share, compared with earnings of $6.9 million, or 37 cents a share, in the year ago period. <span class="sent"> The stock will have a difficult time outperforming until concrete signs of an improved consumer environment appear, as LASIK is a more than $3,000 discretionary purchase, William Blair and Co analyst <span class="analyst">Ryan Daniels</span> said in a note to clients. </span> LASIK, or laser assisted in situ keratomileusis, is a procedure which cuts a flap in the eye then uses a laser to reshape the cornea, helping people with their vision problems. Tweet this 

April 15 (Reuters) , Shares of Healthcare Services Group Inc rose as much as 19 percent Wednesday, a day after the provider of nursing home housekeeping and food outsourcing services posted better than expected first quarter results. 'Organic revenue rose almost 9 percent from the year ago period. the strongest year over year organic growth metric Healthcare Services Group has achieved in several years,' William Blair & Co analyst Ryan Daniels wrote in a note to clients. On Tuesday, the company reported a first quarter profit of 18 cents a share, that beat analysts' estimates by a penny. 
Share:  April 15 (Reuters) , Shares of <span class="company">Healthcare Services Group Inc</span> rose as much as 19 percent Wednesday, a day after the provider of nursing home housekeeping and food outsourcing services posted better than expected first quarter results. 'Organic revenue rose almost 9 percent from the year ago period. <span class="sent"> the strongest year over year organic growth metric Healthcare Services Group has achieved in several years,' William Blair & Co analyst <span class="analyst">Ryan Daniels</span> wrote in a note to clients. </span> On Tuesday, the company reported a first quarter profit of 18 cents a share, that beat analysts' estimates by a penny. ...'Organic revenue rose almost 9 percent from the year ago period. <span class="sent"> the strongest year over year organic growth metric <span class="company">Healthcare Services Group</span> has achieved in several years,' William Blair & Co analyst <span class="analyst">Ryan Daniels</span> wrote in a note to clients. </span> On Tuesday, the company reported a first quarter profit of 18 cents a share, that beat analysts' estimates by a penny. Revenue rose 9 percent to $160.4 million. The company also said it acquired Contract Environmental Services, a provider of housekeeping, laundry and food services to long term care and related facilities. Tweet this 

Analysts expect revenue to grow at pet-healthcare providers in 2009, but warned that the rate of increase will be lower than the past year. Susquehanna's Turkaly sees 2009 revenue growth of 12 percent for Abaxis. -- a decrease from about 17 percent a year earlier. Ryan Daniels, an analyst at William Blair, expects more conservative commentary from the companies' management, reflecting "the continued choppiness and uncertainty in the companion animal market." Nevertheless, Daniels believes the adage "A dog is not only for Christmas, it is for a life time" still rings true. 
Share:  Analysts expect revenue to grow at pet-healthcare providers in 2009, but warned that the rate of increase will be lower than the past year. Susquehanna's Turkaly sees 2009 revenue growth of 12 percent for <span class="company">Abaxis</span>. -- a decrease from about 17 percent a year earlier. <span class="sent"> <span class="analyst">Ryan Daniels</span>, an analyst at William Blair, expects more conservative commentary from the companies' management, reflecting "the continued choppiness and uncertainty in the companion animal market." </span> Nevertheless, Daniels believes the adage "A dog is not only for Christmas, it is for a life time" still rings true. Tweet this