NCR Warns of Lower Fourth-Quarter Profit

NCR Corp., one of the biggest makers of automated teller machines, said its fourth-quarter results will miss forecasts because of lower-than-expected sales of cash registers and scanners used at retail checkouts. NCR, which also makes database software, said it expects profit from operations of between $1 and $1.05 a share. The Dayton, Ohio-based company was expected to earn $1.14 on average, according to First Call/Thomson Financial. Sales are expected to be up 2% to $1.79 billion, much slower than the 5% growth the company forecast earlier. Sales at NCR’s retail-related businesses, which make electronic cashier terminals and bar-code scanners, will be below the company’s earlier forecasts because of a slowing U.S. economy, spokesman John Hourigan said. Shares of NCR fell $6.13, or 12%, to close at $42.94 on the New York Stock Exchange.