The French telecommunications equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent said that it no longer expects to post a stronger operating margin this year, as it unveiled a third-quarter operating loss.

"In light of year-to-date performance and the difficult macro-economic environment, Alcatel-Lucent will not be able to achieve its previously announced adjusted operating margin guidance for the full-year 2012," a statement said.

The group had initially said that its operating margin this year would surpass the 2011 figure of 5.64 billion euros ($6.93 billion).

That number represented 36% of total revenues last year. But the company added that "based on the current order book, Alcatel-Lucent expects the second half of 2012 to be better than the first half."

It posted a provisional second-quarter adjusted operating loss of around 40 million Euros, compared with a profit of 108 million Euros in the same period a year earlier.