Blyth Inc swung to a second-quarter loss, hurt by restructuring and goodwill impairment charges as well as a sharp decline in sales, but the candle maker backed its full-year earnings forecast.

The Greenwich, Connecticut-based company said it still expects per-share normalized earnings of $3 to $3.30 for fiscal 2010.

For the second quarter, the company posted a net loss of $15.6 million, or $1.74 cents a share, compared with a profit of $3 million, or 33 cents a share, last year.

The results include a goodwill impairment charge of $16.5 million, tied to the company's investment in ViSalus Sciences, and a charge of $0.9 million due to the restructuring of its wholesale segment.

Excluding items, the company posted a loss of 1 cent a share.

Net sales fell 16 percent to $199.4 million, dragged by a double-digit decline in its wholesale segment, the company said.

Two analysts on average were expecting Blyth to earn 34 cents a share, before items, according to Reuters Estimates.

Shares of the company, which designs and markets home fragrance, home decor and household convenience products, were down 5 percent at $41.80 Wednesday morning on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Abhishek Takle in Bangalore; Editing by Ratul Ray Chaudhuri)