Operating loss in the fourth quarter of 2018 was $0.8 million or (0.8%) of revenue, and included employee benefit costs that were significantly higher than planned, and acquisition-related and severance costs. Excluding the acquisition-related and severance expenses,non-GAAP operating income was $0.4 million, or 0.4% of revenue. Operating income was $0.8 million, or 0.9% of revenue, in the third quarter of 2018. Excluding acquisition-related expenses,non-GAAP operating income was $1.5 million, or 1.7% of revenue, in the third quarter of 2018. Operating income in the fourth quarter of 2017 was $1.6 million, or 2.1% of revenue. CTG’s operations outside of the U.S. conduct their business in local currencies. Accordingly, fluctuations in currency valuation for the countries in which we operate generally have minimal impact on operating results, contributing less than $0.1 million to the operating loss in the 2018 fourth quarter.
Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2018 was $5.3 million, or ($0.39) per share, which included $1.2 million, or $0.06 per share, in acquisition-related and severance expenses, and $0.36 per diluted share intax-related items. This compared with net income in the third quarter of 2018 of $1.1 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, which included $0.5 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, in acquisition-related expenses and a $0.8 million, or $0.06 per diluted share,non-taxable gain from life insurance proceeds. Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2017 was $0.4 million, or ($0.03) per share, which included a charge of $1.7 million related to a tax law change, and a $0.4 millionnon-taxable gain from life insurance proceeds.
CTG’s effective income tax rate in the fourth quarter of 2018 was 449%, compared with 22% in the third quarter of 2018, and 123% in theyear-ago fourth quarter. The effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2018 reflects a reserve for the U.S. deferred tax assets of $3.8 million, costs under the Global IntangibleLow-Taxed Income (GILTI) provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act totaling $0.7 million, andnon-deductible acquisition-related costs in the Company’s foreign operations for the acquisition of Soft Company. For the fourth quarter of 2017, the effective tax rate was higher than normal due to atax-related charge to write-down the Company’s deferred tax assets resulting from the lower future federal tax rate under the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, offset slightly by thenon-taxable insurance gain.
Consolidated Full Year Results
For the full year 2018, revenue was $358.8 million, compared with $301.2 million in 2017. Favorable currency translation benefited revenue by $4.9 million in 2018, and by $1.4 million in 2017. Direct costs in 2018 were $290.1 million, or 80.9% of revenue, compared with $245.2 million, or 81.4% of revenue in 2017. SG&A expense in 2018 was $66.2 million, and included $2.0 million in acquisition related costs and $0.7 million in severance, compared with $51.8 million in 2017, which included $0.8 million in severance-related charges.
Operating income for the full year 2018 was $2.1 million, which included $2.0 million of acquisition-related expenses, $0.7 million of severance-related charges, and employee benefit costs that were significantly higher than planned. This compared with operating income of $4.2 million in 2017, which included severance-related charges totaling $0.8 million. GAAP net loss for 2018 was $2.8 million, or ($0.20) per share, which included a $0.06 per sharenon-taxable life insurance gain, acquisition-related charges of $0.11 per share, severance of $0.04 per share, a $0.29 per sharenon-cash charge related to reserves for U.S. deferred tax assets, and othertax-related items of $0.07 per share. This compared with 2017 GAAP net income of $806,000, or $0.05 per diluted share, which included a $0.11 per share charge related to a tax law change, severance-related charges of $0.03 per share, and a $0.02 per sharenon-taxable life insurance gain.
Balance Sheet
Cash and short-term investments at December 31, 2018 were $12.4 million, and the Company had $3.6 million in long-term debt. Days sales outstanding were 82 days in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared with 86 days in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Guidance and Outlook
Beginning in 2019, CTG will provide only full year guidance for revenue and GAAP andnon-GAAP diluted earnings per share. The Company provided the following guidance for 2019.