May 2 (Bloomberg) -- JDS Uniphase Corp., a maker of telecommunications equipment, posted a third-quarter loss because of increased stock-option expenses. The shares fell after the company forecast sales that trailed analysts' estimates.

JDS's net loss, its 30th in the past 32 quarters, was $14.2 million, or 7 cents a share, compared with profit of $3.7 million, or 2 cents, a year earlier, the Milpitas, California-based company said today in a statement. Sales in the period ended March 31 rose 15 percent to $361.7 million.

The company purchased Acterna Inc. and Test-Um Inc. in the past two years to bolster its test and measurement division as sales of optical gear slows. JDS has struggled to maintain profitability amid higher costs. Expenses for stock-based compensation rose 83 percent to $7.5 million and JDS lost $3.8 million because of a reduction in the value of assets.

Excluding some costs, profit was 6 cents a share, short of the 9-cent average estimate of 11 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. They expected sales of $347 million.

Shares of JDS fell $1.19, or 7.2 percent, to $15.45 in late trading after the report. They rose 42 cents to $16.64 at 4 p.m. on the Nasdaq Stock Market and have tumbled 41 percent in the past year.

JDS forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $325 to $345 million, trailing the $353.9 million average estimate in a Bloomberg survey.

Sales in JDS's biggest unit, which sells network testing gear, jumped 28 percent to $162.9 million. Revenue in optical communications, the second-largest business, rose 1 percent to $128.7 million.

(JDS Uniphase plans a conference call at 5 p.m. New York time. To listen, go to: http://www.jdsu.com/investors)

To contact the reporter on this story: Ari Levy in San Francisco at alevy5@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: May 2, 2007 17:09 EDT