• by adam.m , Michael Deibert , August 8, 2005

Bucking a trend, Toronto-based advertising agency owner MDC Partners Inc. reported a second-quarter loss last week, with its stock sinking some 4 cents a share--a net loss of some C$964,000, contrasting with a net profit of C$932,000, or 4 cents a share over the same time period last year. The figures stood in contrast to the company's May prediction of a second-quarter return to profitability.

The company's revenue, however, rose 45 percent--to $108.5 million from $74.7 million the previous year--and core marketing communications revenue climbed to $91.8 million from $57.5 million.

As publicly traded advertising companies rounded up their second-quarter reports this month, things generally looked positive for the industry.

The French advertising group Havas SA reported that sales had grown to 370 million euros (451 million dollars), or roughly 3 percent in the second quarter. Omnicom Group's net income climbed 10 percent to $226 million--a 9 percent increase in second-quarter revenue from a year ago, while Publicis reported second-quarter earnings up by 8% on the same period in 2004.