Wall Street expected Sun Microsystems' global sales base to help it weather the U.S. economic slowdown and turn a profit in the first three months of the year. Instead, the Santa Clara-based server and software maker stunned investors Thursday by reporting a loss in its third quarter, caused in part by sagging sales to U.S. consumer-oriented companies that are putting off big-ticket spending for better times. The company's stock dropped by more than 20%.

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