EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -- ADC Telecommunications Inc. said on Thursday it lost $19.2 million in a shortened fourth quarter marked by accounting charges. Its shares fell sharply in after-hours trading as its guidance came in below analyst expectations.

ADC, which supplies network equipment, software and other services for communication networks, said the loss on continuing operations worked out to 20 cents per share for the two-month quarter that ended Sept. 30.

The results included after-tax charges of $25.5 million. Not counting those, the company said it would have earned $6.3 million, or 6 cents per share.

Revenue was $183.9 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting a profit of 4 cents per share on revenue of $170 million.

The company is changing the end of its current fiscal year to Sept. 30, from Oct. 31. During last year's full fourth quarter it lost $45.4 million, or 39 cents per share. That year-ago loss included charges of $67 million, or 58 cents per share for special items.

The company said it expects sales of $250 million to $275 million during its first quarter, which will run four months and end Jan. 1, 2010. It expects to lose 15 cents to 5 cents per share. That would include a non-cash amortization expense of 5 cents per share.

Analysts had been expecting a first-quarter profit of 11 cents per share on revenue of $274 million.

ADC said its first quarter usually has lower revenue than the fourth, but that the drop-off would be more pronounced this year because it expects spending by major telecom carriers "will be down considerably more in the December quarter than in the past." However, it expects continued strength in China and stable to slightly higher revenue in Europe and Latin America.

ADC shares had already fallen 26 cents, or 3.8 percent, to close at $6.64 before the results and outlook were released. They fell another 69 cents, or 10.4 percent, to $5.95 in aftermarket trading.