Irvine-based professional services company Resources Connection Inc. kicked off earnings season Wednesday with quarterly sales and profits that exceeded Wall Street expectations.
The company reported an adjusted profit for the three months through November of $4.1 million, versus a loss of $1.9 million a year earlier.
Analysts on average were expecting a profit of $3.7 million
Revenue came in at $138.5 million, up 14% from a year earlier and topping the $133.8 million expected by analysts.
Resources Connection provides accountants, lawyers and other professionals to companies on a project basis.
The company is seen as a barometer of the health of big corporations.
As the economy rebounds, corporations typically turn to consultants such as Resources Connection as a prelude to hiring their own professionals.
The company’s quarterly results “reflect the strength of our business as we enter 2011,” Chief Executive Don Murray said.
Resources Connection didn’t offer an outlook for the current quarter in its earnings release.
The company’s shares were up about 5% in afterhours trading on a market value of some $870 million.
