SAN FRANCISCO – Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Thursday's session are Comcast Corp., Amazon.com Inc., Tyco International Ltd., JDS Uniphase Corp. and Starbucks Corp.
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings of 21 cents a share, according to analysts polled by Thomson First Call
Apache Corp. (APA) is seen posting a profit of $2.37 a share in its fourth quarter
Avon Products Inc.'s (AVP) fourth-quarter results are expected to show a per-share profit of 43 cents.
Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) is expected to post earnings of 15 cents a share in its fourth quarter.
Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS) is seen reporting a fiscal third-quarter profit of 90 cents a share.
Raytheon Co.'s (RTN) fourth-quarter profit is expected to be 60 cents a share
Sara Lee Corp. (SLE) is expected to show a per-share profit of 29 cents in its fiscal second quarter
St. Paul Travelers Cos. (STA) is seen reporting earnings of 94 cents a share in its fourth quarter.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts (HOT) is expected to post a per-share profit of 65 cents in its fourth quarter
TXU Corp.'s (TXU) fourth quarter earnings are expected to be 85 cents a share.
Tyco International Ltd. (TYC) is seen posting fiscal first-quarter earnings of 38 cents a share.
After Wednesday's closing bell, JDS Uniphase Corp. (JDSU) posted a flat second-quarter loss, though revenue jumped 73% with the help of a recent acquisition. See full story. See After Hours column.
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American Eagle Outfitters (AEOS) said same-store sales jumped 11.3% in January, well above Wall Street's expectations of a 7.4% increase. That's considered strong too when compared to the 22% surge in sales at stores open longer than a year in January 2005. Total sales reached a record $128.8 million for the month, up 17.5% from last year's $109.6 million.
Business Objects S.A. (BOBJ) said fourth-quarter net income was $34.9 million, or 37 cents a share, compared with $21.3 million, or 24 cents a share, during the year-earlier period. The business software company said quarterly revenue was $304.6 million, compared with $266.7 million last year. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call were looking for revenue of $293 million.
Cephalon Inc. (CEPH) said the Food and Drug Administration has extended the action date for its review of the new drug application for Nuvigil to April 30 from Jan. 31. Nuvigil is a treatment for sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. The company said it doesn't anticipate any further delays beyond the April 30 action date. Separately, Cephalon said it has reached agreements with Barr Laboratories Inc. (BRL) to settle its pending patent infringement disputes related to Provigil and Actiq.
Coldwater Creek Inc. (CWTR) forecast first-quarter results that are below the expectations of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. The women's clothing and accessories retailer said it sees first-quarter per-share earnings of 9 cents to 10 cents on revenue of $180 million to $185 million. Analysts currently expect a first-quarter profit of 13 cents a share on revenue of $198 million. Coldwater Creek forecast fiscal 2006 per-share earnings of 56 cents to 60 cents on revenue of $915 million to $940 million. Analysts expect 2006 earnings of 47 cents a share on revenue of $756 million.
Digital River Inc. (DRIV) reported a fourth-quarter profit that rose 38% and raised its forecast for the coming year. See full story.
Genta Inc. (GNTA) said it has received notice from the European Medicines Agency that its marketing authorization application for Genasense has been validated for review by the agency. The validation signals the start of the scientific assessment procedure. The application proposes the use of Genasense plus dacarbazine for treatment of patients with advanced metastatic melanoma, the Berkeley Heights, N.J.-based pharmaceutical company said.
Apparel retailer Hot Topic Inc. (HOTT) said sales at stores open at least one year slipped 0.7% in January. The company backed its fourth quarter earnings forecast of 21 cents to 24 cents a share. Analysts, on average, are expecting it to post earnings of 22 cents a share, according to Thomson First Call.
Murphy Oil Corp. (MUR) posted a 15% jump in fourth-quarter profit. See full story.
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NABI) said its product candidate Civacir, an antibody for preventing hepatitis C virus reinfection in liver transplants, has been granted fast-track designation by the Food and Drug Administration. Rockville, Md.-based Nabi also said that, based on discussions with regulators, it believes a proof-of-concept Phase II trial, followed by a single Phase III study, will be adequate for licensing Civacir in the U.S. and Europe, assuming the defined endpoints are met.
NutriSystem Inc. (NTRI) forecast per-share fourth-quarter and full-year 2005 earnings of 16 cents and 58 cents a share, respectively. Both views are a penny shy of the consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. The weight management services provider forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $69 million to $70 million, above analysts' forecast of $62 million. NutriSystem's 2005 revenue outlook of $212 million to $213 million is also above analysts' expectations for revenue of $206 million.
Open Text Corp. (OTEX) reported fiscal second-quarter net earnings of $2.7 million, or 5 cents a share, compared with $11 million, or 21 cents a share, last year. Excluding an $8.8 million restructuring charge and other items, earnings came in at $15.4 million, or 31 cents a share. The software maker's revenue fell to $110.8 million from $114.7 million last year. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call were expecting Open Text to report a per-share profit of 27 cents on revenue of $108 million.
Pitney Bowes Inc. (PBI) reported a 13% rise in fourth-quarter net income, but the postage meter machine maker gave a first-quarter outlook that came up short of Wall Street estimates. See full story.
Pulte Homes Inc. (PHM) said fourth-quarter profit rose from the year-ago period driven by strong home deliveries and average selling prices. See full story.
SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. (SIRF) closing bell reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $9.6 million, or 17 cents a share, down 44% from $17.1 million, or 33 cents a share, last year. Excluding certain items, earnings came in at 21 cents a share compared with 10 cents a share last year. Revenue at the San Jose, Calif.-based semiconductor company rose to $54.4 million from $27.5 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had forecast earnings of 19 cents a share on revenue of $52 million.
Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) said first-quarter earnings jumped 20% during the first quarter and beat analyst forecasts, thanks in large part to holiday promotions and a jump in gift-card sales. See full story.
Independent oil refiner Sunoco Inc. (SUN) pointed to continued strong refining margins for a 61% jump in its fourth-quarter earnings.
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