Ceradyne Inc. Loses $487,000 in 1st Quarter

Ceradyne Inc., the Costa Mesa manufacturer of technical ceramics, reported a first-quarter loss of $487,000, or 8 cents a share, compared to a loss of $387,000, or 6 cents a share, for the same period a year earlier. Sales declined 15%, to $4.1 million from $4.8 million. The company attributed the sales decline primarily to the lack of strategic defense business.