Datum’s Stock Pays Price for Disappointing Earnings

Datum Inc. shares slumped 20% Tuesday, a day after the company said fourth-quarter earnings and sales will fall below analysts’ expectations because of a slowdown in the construction of wireless phone networks.

The company’s shares fell $3.81 to $15.13, after trading as slow as $13.25 earlier in the session.

Datum, which makes equipment used to track information in phone networks, said it expects to break even in the quarter. Analysts had estimated earnings of 24 cents per share.