Despite an improved second quarter performance, Eastman Kodak continues to struggle.

Wednesday saw the release of a narrower loss than in the first quarter of 2010, but the slight improvement was still short of analyst’s estimates.

The results mean that Kodak, one of the world leaders in printers and cameras, continues to struggle with its years-long battle to restructure since the advent of digital imaging.

Kodak’s share performance on the S&P 500 ranked as the largest decliner by percentage, falling by 15 per cent to just $4.18. The stock has been in continual sale from investors since it peaked at a 12-month high back in April of $9.08.

Erik Kolb, equity analyst with Standard & Poor’s, said that the stock market remained concerned that continued declines in the sales of film would continue to impact on Kodak’s cash flow, with the consumer products market likely to bear the brunt of the decline. Kolb noted that there had been a slight increase in recent times in the sales of inkjet printers, but otherwise the market was forecast to remain stagnant and unprofitable for the foreseeable future.

In keeping with recent trends, Kodak has made a larger push into the inkjet printer market, targeting both individual and business customers. According to Kodak, personal inkjet printer sales have grown by 50 per cent in the past year, while business sales have risen by 18 per cent.

However, this was overwhelmed by the operating loss for the second quarter of $167 million, down from $191 million, or roughly 71 cents per share, compared to the same time last year.

Leading camera and printing company Kodak has performed strongly at Ipex 2010 – the premier print industry trade show.

Among several highlights at the show was the launch of the Kodak Propser 5000XL with its comprehensive paper strategy, which resulted in a raft of digital press sales for Kodak NexPress while industry experts were wowed in the K-Zone. There was also significant interest in the Kodak Flexcel system, Kodak Trillian SP thermal plates and the new Print Practice Consuktancy service with Kodak Unified Workflow.

The Ipex show attracts delegates from across the globe, and is regarded as the most global reaching business-to-business show inside of Britain. By the event’s end, there had been almost 50,000 visitors from 135 different countries.

The Pipeline of Innovation, a digital, interactive display, showcased the Kodak stand to thousands of onlookers, offering advice and information on the range of Kodak products, including the latest technology, and how best to use them to generate revenue.

The Kodak Prosper 5000XL press, however, saw the most interest, with CEO and Chairman for Eastman Kodak Antonio M Perez officially launching the print system. Utilising Kodak Stream Inkjet Technology, the 5000XL delivers 100 per cent variability on its offset-class output which enables marketing and print servicing organisations to maximise production and supply chain efficiency.

Also making its debut at Ipex was the Kodak Prosper S10 Imprinting System featuring process colour capability, while the NexPress SE platform garnered the most sales inquiries.