Beverly Enterprises Inc. announced a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter net loss of $266. 6 million, or $2. 56 a share.

That was about 4. 6 times more than the $46. 8 million lost in the comparable quarter of 2000.

The fourth-quarter net loss came after a $200. 1 million write-down of properties it sold in Florida and a $85. 6 million charge from a proposed settlement of a Medicare dispute with the government.

The nursing home operator reported earnings of 14 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Dec. 31, in line with consensus estimates by analys Analysts had a consensus estimate of 14 cents, Thomson Financial/First Call said.

Beverly set a first-quarter 2002 earnings-per-share target of 12 cents and full-year earnings-per-share target of 57-59 cents a share. Analysts had predicted 60 cents per share for 2002, according to First Call.

Revenue totaled $680. 4 million for the quarter, up from $671. 8 million a year earlier despite having 13 percent fewer beds after the sale of its Florida nursing homes.