Buy AP Photo Reprints

Your Questions Answered Ask AP: Super Bowl ads, reporting on disasters

NEW YORK (AP) -- Diagnostic products maker Qiagen NV said Monday its fourth-quarter profit nearly doubled on a surge in molecular test sales at businesses it acquired.

The company, based in the Netherlands, earned $44.5 million, or 18 cents per share. A year earlier, it earned $24.7 million, or 12 cents per share.

Its sales rose 22 percent to $289.1 million from $237.2 million.

Excluding acquisition and other charges, the company earned 24 cents per share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected profit of 23 cents per share on revenue of $275.5 million.

Qiagen's acquisitions over the last year include SABiosciences Corp., DxS Ltd. and Corbett Life Science.

For the full year, the company earned $137.8 million, or 64 cents per share, compared with profit of $89 million, or 44 cents per share, in 2008. Revenue rose to $667.1 million from $599.7 million.

Looking ahead, the company said it expects full-year adjusted profit between 90 cents and 96 cents per share on revenue between $1.12 billion and $1.17 billion. Analysts expect 97 cents per share in profit on $1.17 billion in revenue.

Shares of Qiagen fell 61 cents, or 3 percent, to $20.05 in after-hours trading after shedding 15 cents to close at $20.66 during the regular trading session.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

Click here for copyright permissions! Copyright 2008 Associated Press