CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) _ Nicholas Financial Inc. (NICK) on Monday reported a fiscal third-quarter loss of $2.9 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier.

The Clearwater, Florida-based company said it had a loss of 37 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for pretax expenses, were 6 cents per share.

The specialized consumer finance company posted revenue of $20.5 million in the period.

Nicholas Financial shares have increased 4 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $9.15, a fall of 17 percent in the last 12 months.

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