Start-Up Costs Blamed in Dataproducts’ 70% Drop

Dataproducts said its earnings fell 70% in the fourth quarter ended March 28 to $1.7 million, or 8 cents a share, from $5.5 million, or 26 cents a share, a year earlier. The company’s revenue fell 12% from the year-earlier period to $84.9 million.

The Woodland Hills computer printer company said its profit margins were affected by start-up costs for new printers.

For the full year, Dataproducts said it earned $9 million, or 43 cents a share, compared to a loss of $26.8 million, or $1.29 a share, in the year ended March 29, 1986. Revenue fell 4% to $338.8 million.