In its first quarter as a public company, Groupon on Wednesday posted a loss of $.08 per share, which sent the company's stock sliding in after-hours trading.

The consensus among analysts polled by Thomson Reuters was that Groupon was going to post a profit of 3 cents a share on revenues of $473 million. Groupon beat the latter figure with sales of $506.5 million, up 194% vs. the comparable period in 2010.

For the full year 2011, Groupon's revenues jumped 419% to $1.6 billion vs. $312.9 million in 2010. In other positive news, the company's worldwide customer base grew to 33 million-plus, an increase of 275% for the year and more than 20% quarter over quarter. Active customers are defined as having purchased a Groupon in the previous 12 months.

Despite those upbeat numbers, investors focused on the loss. In a release announcing the results, Groupon didn't outline the reason for the loss. However, Groupon has in the past promised investors that it would lower marketing costs, which may be depressing profits. The company plans to discuss the results in further detail in a call with analysts this afternoon.

Groupon's earnings come after the company's valuation swelled to $18 billion after it went public on Nov. 4. The stock crashed later that month, falling below $17 — $3 less than its IPO price. Since then, the stock has recovered, topping $25 on Wednesday ahead of the announcement.

Investors have generally been lukewarm on Groupon, contending that the stock is at the high end of pricing after the recent rally. Wells Fargo Securities, however, is bullish on Groupon and pointed out in a recent note to clients that 170 daily deals competitors shut down in 2011 and Groupon's closest rival, LivingSocial, is one-sixth its size.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, cruphoto