Buffeted by a tough economic climate in Europe that has weighed down the healthcare sector, ultrasound vendor Esaote posted a small drop in both revenue and earnings for fiscal 2011 (end-December 31).
Consolidated sales were $534.2 million U.S. (328.2 million euros) for fiscal 2011, down 0.4% from the previous year, while earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) dropped to $48.5 million (36.6 million euros) from $58.5 million (44.1 million euros) in 2010.
At the same time, consolidated sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, rose 2.7% compared to the same period in 2010, spurred by strong growth of 7.7% in international sales that were especially strong in China (up 15.3%) and India (up 10.4%).
For 2011, international sales were up 4% to $273.6 million (206.4 million euros) compared to the same period a year ago, while sales in Italy fell 7.1%, Esaote said.
