Stoneridge announces 1st-quarter earnings

HOWLAND -- Stoneridge, a locally based maker of electrical and electronic parts for cars and trucks, said its first-quarter earnings will range from 30 cents to 32 cents a share.
The company previously estimated earnings of 24 cents to 26 cents a share. Stoneridge said it has been paying down debt and benefited from a smaller than expected decline in North American commercial vehicles. Last year, the company earned 25 cents a share.
Stoneridge also said it expects its earnings for 2003 to range from 90 cents to 95 cents a share, compared with a consensus analyst's estimate of 93 cents a share.