ORANGE COUNTY EARNINGS : MSI Data Reports Earnings Down 35%

MSI Data Corp. said competitive pressures and expenses for new product development pushed its fiscal second quarter earnings down 35% to $52,000 compared with $80,000 in the same period a year earlier.

Despite the lower earnings, the results mark a return to profitability for the Costa Mesa-based maker of portable data-entry equipment. MSI lost $2.1 million for its 1985 fiscal year ended March 30 and reported a net loss of $377,000 for its first quarter of fiscal 1986.

For the second quarter, the company reported revenue of $16.9 million, a 16% increase from the $14.6 million reported for the same period last year.

For the six months ended Sept. 28, MSI posted a loss of $325,000 compared to net income of $329,000 for the comparable period a year ago. Revenue for the period totalled $30.6 million, up 8.1% from $28.3 million a year earlier.

MSI avoided specific projections for the fiscal third quarter but said it is “optimistic” and expects to introduce new products in the current quarter and the fiscal fourth quarter.