HICKORY –  CommScope Holding Co. (COMM) on Thursday reported a third-quarter loss of $156.5 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier.

On a per-share basis, the Hickory, North Carolina-based provider of communications gear and services said it had a loss of 88 cents. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 55 cents per share.

The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 45 cents per share.

“We are pleased to deliver third quarter adjusted EBITDA [earnings before income taxes, depreciation and amoritzation] at the high end, and adjusted earnings per share above the high end, of our guidance,” said Chief Executive Officer Eddie Edwards. “Despite a challenging customer environment, our results reflect the company’s ability to manage near-term headwinds while maximizing profitability. In the third quarter, we generated over $500 million of adjusted free cash flow, enabling $400 million of early debt repayment in the third quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter. These results illustrate our ability to act with agility and meet our short-term and long-term financial obligations despite broader industry headwinds.

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“We remain enthusiastic about the unique opportunity to generate significant cash flow while playing an important role in shaping the future of communications connectivity. We’ve taken significant strides throughout the year to execute on our plan, reposition the company to achieve accelerated returns, and improve financial and operational results. With our portfolio of industry-leading products, strong customer relationships, and talented team, our confidence in achieving our full potential remains as strong as ever.”

The wireless and broadband network technology company posted revenue of $2.38 billion in the period, falling short of Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $2.43 billion.

For the current quarter ending in December, CommScope expects its per-share earnings to range from 27 cents to 37 cents.

You can read the full earnings report online.

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The company said it expects revenue in the range of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion for the fiscal fourth quarter.

CommScope shares have declined 28% since the beginning of the year. The stock has decreased 53% in the last 12 months.