Groupon books small loss

Groupon Inc., the No. 1 online deals service, failed to show investors Thursday that its business is growing as quickly as they would like, as it was hurt by what it called “continued challenges” from the economic weakness in Europe.

The company booked a small loss in the third quarter as higher revenue wasn’t enough to make up for stock compensation and other expenses. Though revenue grew by nearly a third, it was below Wall Street’s expectations. The Chicago-based company’s stock fell sharply in after-hours trading following the announcement.