TriZetto Shares Fall 20% on Outlook

TriZetto Group Inc., a Newport Beach company that sells software to health care companies, said Tuesday that it would have a loss of as much as $11 million this year. Its shares fell 20%.

The loss will range from $9 million to $11 million, or 18 to 22 cents a share, the company said.

Sales will rise to $300 million to $315 million from about $265 million in 2002, the company said.

Excluding amortization of goodwill, deferred stock compensation costs and other expenses, the company said it expected to earn 15 to 19 cents a share in 2003.

On that basis, which isn’t in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, TriZetto was expected to earn 31 cents, the average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call.

For the first quarter, the company estimated revenue of $65 million to $69 million and a loss of 9 to 11 cents a share.

TriZetto shares fell $1.18 to $4.67 in heavy trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have declined 65% in the last year.

TriZetto will report 2002 sales and earnings Feb. 4.

The company predicted last year that it would earn 26 to 37 cents a share, excluding certain items.

Bloomberg News was used in compiling this report.