Shares of Rent-A-Center Inc. reversed course late Monday to rise 3.3% after the company said its board of directors was exploring “strategic and financial alternatives” to turn the company around, with J. P. Morgan investment bankers serving as financial advisers. The company has suspended its dividend until the process is concluded, it said. In a separate statement, Rent-A-Center said it lost an adjusted $8 million, or 15 cents a share, versus earnings of $5.9 million, or 11 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue fell to $644 million in the quarter, compared with $694 million a year ago. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected the Plano, Texas, company to report an adjusted loss of 3 cents a share on sales of $649 million. The stock ended the regular trading day up 5.8%.
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