Digital River forecasts 2nd-quarter earnings shy of Wall street’s expectations

Digital River forecasts 2Q earnings below views

MINNEAPOLIS — E-commerce software service company Digital River Inc. said Wednesday it is “cautiously optimistic” about its outlook for 2009. The company expects second-quarter earnings of 27 cents to 30 cents per share or, excluding items, a profit of 39 cents to 42 cents per share. Digital River forecast sales of $95 million to $97 million for the quarter.

Analysts, on average, are expecting a profit of 44 cents per share on sales of $95.2 million, according to a poll by Thomson Reuters. Analysts typically exclude one-time items from their estimates.

Shares rose $1.53, or 4.4 percent, to close at $36.35.