Apria Has $70-Million Loss in 2nd Quarter; Buyout Explored

Apria Healthcare Group Inc. posted a loss of nearly $70 million for the second quarter, and said Tuesday that about 40 parties have expressed an interest in the company, a major provider of home health-care services.

Costa Mesa-based Apria, which has been plagued by collection problems and unprofitable business ventures in a rapidly changing industry, hired an investment bank a month ago to help it explore a buyout and other alternatives.

In the second quarter, Apria took $98 million in charges, including a $55-million provision for bad debt and $23 million in charges from shedding unprofitable business lines.

The firm said it lost $69.9 million, or $1.36 a share, compared with a profit of $21.9 million, or 42 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue fell to $295.7 million from $306.6 million.

At a Glance:

99 Cents Only Stores, based in Commerce, reported second-quarter net income of $4.4 million, or 29 cents per share, compared with net income of $3.1 million, or 23 cents.

Carpenteria-based MetaCreations Corp. reported second-quarter net income, before expenses related to its merger with Fractal Design and the acquisition of Specular International, was $1.6 million, or 7 cents per share, compared with net income of $1.8 million, or 8 cents.

Spieker Properties Inc. of Menlo Park reported second-quarter earnings of $35.5 million, or 63 cents a share, up from $23.6 million, or 54 cents, a year earlier.

Symantec Corp., based in Cupertino, reported fiscal first-quarter net income before expenses of $18.5 million, or 32 cents, compared with $3 million, or 6 cents.

Sunnyvale-based Global Village Communications Inc. reported a second-quarter net loss of $2 million, or 12 cents a share, compared with a loss of $5.1 million, or 30 cents, a year ago.