Ciena Corp., the Linthicum based-communications network provider, posted a $25 million loss in its fiscal fourth quarter, but net income for fiscal 2008 was $39 million. “While our fiscal fourth quarter results clearly demonstrate the effects of a challenging macroeconomic and industry environment, Ciena made meaningful strategic progress during the year and delivered a strong fiscal 2008,” Gary Smith, Ciena’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
Ciena’s fourth quarter loss compared to a $30 million profit in the same period a year ago, and its year gain of $39 million was down from $83 million in fiscal 2007. The company’s third quarter profit was about $12 million.
Ciena sells high-tech fiber-optic networks to telecommunications firms like AT&T and Sprint.
The company’s stock price ended Thursday trading at $6.05 per share, down 20 percent for the day.
Defense firm signs lease in Annapolis Junction
Columbia-based Corporate Office Properties Trust on Thursday said it completed a long-term lease with The MITRE Corp., a company employed by the Defense Information Systems Agency, the largest agency reassigned to Fort Meade as a result of Base Realignment and Closure.
MITRE signed a lease for 73,000 square feet located at 300 Sentinel Drive in Annapolis Junction. The building is currently under construction and will be a seven-story, 188,000-square-foot Class A office building. It’s the fourth building in The National Business Park and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2009.
The National Business Park consists of 19 office buildings totaling 2.4 million square feet, which are 98 percent leased.
“This lease reflects a continued level of strong demand from the government and defense information technology sectors,” Randall Griffin, president and CEO of COPT, said in a statement.
– Andrew Cannarsa
