Catalina Marketing has revised downward its fourth quarter earnings guidance in part due to a decline in promotional spending by its marketing clients.

Revenue at its Catalina Health Resource business unit was estimated to have dropped about 28% to 30% compared to the same period last year, the company said. The unit works with pharmaceutical and consumer product manufacturers as well as retail pharmacies to provide patients with condition-specific health information and direct-to-patient communications.

The company is forecasting 30 cents to 32 cents, versus earlier guidance of 41 cents to 43 cents per share. The company expects to release its fourth quarter and full year results — which ended March 31 — on May 8.

“The fourth quarter results were disappointing,” CEO Daniel D. Granger said in a statement. “While most of our business units performed fairly well and in accordance with our previous guidance, Catalina Health Resource, our targeted newsletter solution for pharmacies, experienced a disappointing fourth quarter with a significant shortfall in revenue.”

Granger said that the pharmacies business continues to be negatively impacted as clients remain cautious in their program participation.

For the nine-month period ended Dec. 31, 2002, Catalina Marketing reported that revenue grew 9% to $341.3 million, versus $313.1 million one year earlier.

In a separate development, Michael G. Bechtol has been named president and COO, a newly created role. He joined the firm in 1986.

Catalina Marketing has revised downward its fourth quarter earnings guidance in part due to a decline in promotional spending by its marketing clients.

Revenue at its Catalina Health Resource business unit was estimated to have declined about 28% to 30% compared to the same period last year, the company said. The unit works with pharmaceutical and consumer product manufacturers as well as retail pharmacies to provide patients with condition-specific health information and direct-to-patient communications.

The company is forecasting 30 cents to 32 cents, versus earlier guidance of 41 cents to 43 cents per share. The company expects to release its fourth quarter and full year results—which ended March 31—on May 8.

“The fourth quarter results were disappointing,” CEO Daniel D. Granger said in a statement. “While most of our business units performed fairly well and in accordance with our previous guidance, Catalina Health Resource, our targeted newsletter solution for pharmacies, experienced a disappointing fourth quarter with a significant shortfall in revenue.”

Granger said that the pharmacies business continues to be negatively impacted as clients remain cautious in their program participation.

For the nine-month period ended Dec. 31, 2002, Catalina Marketing reported that revenue grew 9% to $341.3 million, versus $313.1 million one year earlier.

In a separate development, Michael G. Bechtol has been named president and COO, a newly created role. He joined the firm in 1986.