Ceradyne Posts Loss for 4th Quarter

Ceradyne Inc., a Costa Mesa manufacturer of technical ceramic products and components, reported a net loss of $571,000, or 7 cents a share, for the fourth quarter, contrasted with profit of $446,000, or 6 cents a share, for the comparable period last year. The 1998 fourth-quarter results include nonrecurring charges of $297,000. Sales declined 18% to $6.3 million from $7.7 million.

Net income for the year totaled $282,000, or 4 cents a share, down from the $2.1 million, or 26 cents a share, recorded for 1997. Sales dropped 8% to $26.3 million from $28.7 million.