Varian Associates reported a third-quarter loss of...

Varian Associates reported a third-quarter loss of $5.2 million. A company spokesman said the losses were in line with recent projections. The 1986 loss compared to earnings of $2.4 million for the same period in 1985. Varian Chairman Thomas D. Sege attributed the third-quarter loss to a combination of factors, primarily continuing losses in the semiconductor equipment area and lower than anticipated profit performance by the electron device and instrument groups.