The company reported a fourth-quarter operating loss of $9.97 million Sales for the financial year ending in May dropped 13.6 percent to $422.70 million COPENHAGEN: Struggling luxury TV and stereo maker Bang & Olufsen (B&O) on Thursday swung to a fourth-quarter operating loss, but said it expected to return to sales growth this year with a plan to open more sales points and launch new products. Shares in the Danish company have fallen more than 70 percent over the past year, reflecting weak TV sales and slow progress in its turnaround plan at a time when subdued consumer spending has hit retailers across Europe. “Our unsatisfactory results were primarily due to difficulties related to the transition of our sales and distribution network and fewer product launches compared to last year,” said Chief Executive Henrik Clausen in a statement.The company reported a fourth-quarter operating loss of $9.97 million, compared with a profit of $8.03 million in the same period a year earlier. Full-year earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) fell roughly 50 percent to $8.91 million. Sales for the financial year ending in May dropped 13.6 percent to $422.70 million, in line with the company’s revised expectations. It had initially forecast 10 percent growth. B&O now expects single-digit sales growth in the 2019-2020 year and an EBIT margin above the 2.1 percent achieved in 2018-19.