Ceradyne Predicts Orders Will Set Quarterly Record

Ceradyne Inc. said Thursday it expects fourth-quarter bookings to exceed $15 million, which would be a record for the Costa Mesa manufacturer of advanced ceramics for industrial, electronic, defense and consumer uses.

The company said it was notified by a federal agency that it would receive a $6.7-million order for military armor and also received about $1 million in orders from a “U.S.-friendly” foreign government for lightweight ceramic armor. Both orders are due for delivery in 2001.

Ceradyne’s sales totaled $8.9 million in the fourth quarter last year.

The company’s stock rose 50 cents to $6.38 a share in Nasdaq trading.