Jan 25, 2011. /Lesprom Network/. Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation reported net income of $49 million for the 4Q ended Dec. 31, 2010, compared with net income of $65 million for the 3Q 2010, and a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $6 million for the 4Q 2009. Smurfit-Stone's 4Q 2010 adjusted net income was $62 million, down seasonally from adjusted net income of $76 million in the 3Q 2010, and an adjusted net loss of $16 million in the 4Q 2009. The adjustments in the third and 4Q 2010 were primarily the exclusion of costs related to reorganization and restructuring. The company reported operating income of $103 million for the 4Q 2010, compared to operating income of $142 million in the 3Q 2010, and an operating loss of $131 million in the 4Q 2009. The sequential decline in operating income is mainly due to seasonally lower volumes, higher mill annual outage costs, and cost inflation, including a substantial increase in reclaimed fiber costs during the 4Q. Patrick J. Moore, Smurfit-Stone's CEO, commented, "4Q performance was strong, meeting our expectations, and demonstrating that our initiatives to improve productivity and lower costs are enabling us to deliver improvement in earnings, margins and cash flow." Adjusted EBITDA for the 4Q 2010 was $205 million, down from $239 million in the 3Q 2010, and up from $67 million in the 4Q 2009. The sequential decline in adjusted EBITDA reflects seasonally lower volumes, cost inflation, the impact of a work stoppage at the company's La Tuque, Quebec, mill, and market-related downtime taken in December in order to balance supply and demand in the company's system. Net sales for the 4Q 2010 were $1.63 billion, unchanged from the 3Q 2010 and up 18% compared with sales of $1.38 billion in the 4Q 2009. The stable sales in 4Q 2010 reflect modestly higher selling prices, offset by seasonally lower volumes. Smurfit-Stone expects lower sequential earnings in the 1Q 2011 compared with the 4Q 2010. Moderate improvement in pricing will be more than offset by seasonally higher energy usage, cost inflation in fiber and energy, and the impact of employee benefit cost timing. Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation is one of the industry's leading integrated containerboard and corrugated packaging producers and one of the world's largest paper recyclers.