Stocks to Watch, Oct. 20: SanDisk, Google and 3M

SAN FRANCISCO – Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Friday's session are Google, SanDisk Corp. and 3M Co.

3M (MMM) is expected to report third-quarter earnings of $1.12 a share, according to analysts polled by Thomson First Call.

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) is expected to post per-share earnings of $1.35 in the third quarter.

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Ecolab Inc. (ECL) is expected to report third-quarter per-share earnings of 43 cents.

Merck & Co. (MRK) is expected to post earnings of 50 cents a share in the third quarter.

Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP) is expected to post third-quarter profit of 15 cents a share.

Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB) is expected to report per-share earnings of 77 cents in the third quarter.

Ventana Medical Systems Inc. (VMSI) is expected to post earnings of 22 cents a share in the third quarter.

VF Corp. (VFC) is expected to report earnings of $1.68 a share in the third quarter.

Google (GOOG) said third-quarter profit rose 92 percent on another strong surge in revenue from the ads it places next to Internet search results.

Watch List

Armor Holdings Inc. (AH) reported third-quarter net earnings fell to $21 million, or 58 cents a share, from $26 million, or 74 cents, a year ago. Excluding one-time items, operating earnings were $27 million, or 75 cents a share.

Broadcom Corp. (BRCM) said its third-quarter sales rose nearly 30 percent to $902.6 million from $694.9 million from the last year's same period. Broadcom didn't provide a net income figure due to its review of its stock-option accounting.

California Micro Devices Corp. (CAMD) reported second-quarter net earnings of $1.38 million, or 6 cents a share, down 32 percent from $2.04 million, or 9 cents a share, during the year-ago period. The company posted revenue of $18.7 million vs. $18.5 million.

Cree Inc. (CREE) said its quarterly profit dropped 39 percent as expenses climbed to more than offset a slight increase in sales. Cree said its fiscal first-quarter profit fell to $13.3 million, or 17 cents a share, from $21.7 million, or 28 cents a share, a year earlier.

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. (CHRT) swung to a third-quarter net profit of $24.4 million, or 1 cent a share. In the same period last year, the Singapore-based company posted a net loss of $34.5 million, or 1 cent a share.

Freescale Semiconductor Inc. (FSL) said its net income rose 57 percent, boosted by stronger sales of its chips used in cars and cell phones. Freescale reported net income of $257 million, or 61 cents a share, vs. net income of $164 million, or 38 cents a share, in last year's period.

Hyperion Solutions Corp. (HYSL) reported first-quarter net earnings of $11.9 million, or 20 cents a share, down 10 percent from $13.3 million, or 22 cents a share, during the year-ago period. Pro forma earnings were $20.2 million, or 34 cents a share, vs. $19.9 million, or 33 cents a share, a year ago.

InfoUSA Inc. (IUSA) reported third-quarter net earnings of $11.1 million, or 20 cents a share, up 38 percent from $8.09 million, or 15 cents a share, during the year-ago period. The Omaha, Neb.-based marketing company posted revenue of $106.4 million vs. $95.5 million.

Inter-Tel Inc. (INTL) reported third-quarter net earnings of $7.48 million, or 27 cents a share, compared with $735,000, or 3 cents a share. Excluding tax benefits and proxy-contest related costs, among other items, the Tempe, Ariz.-based provider of communications systems earned 30 cents a share.

Leggett & Platt Inc. (LEG) reported third-quarter net income of $84 million, or 45 cents a share, up from $54 million, or 28 cents, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 rose to $1.41 billion from $1.35 billion.

Martin Marietta Materials Inc. (MLM) said it now expects third-quarter per-share earnings of $1.63 to $1.65, down from its previous outlook of $1.70 to $1.90. The decline in homebuilding activity across most of the company's market areas as well as weather and transportation issues had a negative impact on volume, the company said.

Molex Inc. (MOLX) reported first-quarter 2007 net income of $76.8 million, or 41 cents a share, up from $46.7 million, or 25 cents a share, a year ago. The results were helped by the company's acquisition of Woodhead Industries, completed Aug. 10.

Oakley Inc. (OO) reported third-quarter net earnings of $17.3 million, or 25 cents a share, compared with $16.1 million, or 23 cents a share, in the same period last year, boosted by strong sales of eyewear products. The company increased its 2006 revenue growth outlook to 15 percent to 17 percent from a prior view of 13 percent.

Rambus Inc. (RMBS) reported third-quarter revenue of $45.9 million, up 28 percent from the year-ago period. The company expects to take a preliminary, non-cash charge worth more than $200 million for mistakes in its accounting for stock option grants. The company said a vast majority of its stock-option grants handed out between 1998 and 2001 weren't correctly dated or accounted for.

Redback Networks Inc. (RBAK) said its third-quarter net loss narrowed to $2.39 million from $8.25 million in the same period last year, as sales almost doubled. Net loss attributable to shareholders was $2.39 million, or 3 cents a share, compared with $8.4 million, or 15 cents a share, last year.

SanDisk Corp. (SNDK) reported a fiscal third-quarter profit that fell 4 percent from a year ago to $103.3 million, or 51 cents a share. Excluding charges and one-time items, the company would have earned $124 million, or 61 cents a share, while revenue rose 27 percent to $751 million, up from $590 million a year ago.

SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. (SIRF) said third-quarter net earnings plummeted to $2.58 million from $14.3 million in the same period last year due to increased employee stock compensation and higher acquisition-related expenses, among other factors. The company posted net earnings applicable to shareholders of 5 cents a share, compared to 26 cents a share last year.

UnionBanCal Corp. (UB) reported third-quarter net earnings of $170.7 million, or $1.20 a share, down 8 percent from $185.3 million, or $1.26 a share, during the year-ago period. The San Francisco-based company posted net interest income of $460.6 million vs. $465.2 million.

U.S. Concrete Inc. (RMIX) said it expects third-quarter earnings of 28 cents a share to 30 cents a share, below its prior outlook of 31 cents to 36 cents. The company cited lower-than-expected sales volume of ready-mixed concrete as a reason for the shortfall.

VeriSign Inc. (VRSN) said its third-quarter revenue inched up to $399.8 million from $399.7 million a year earlier, with its Internet business seeing growth and sales at its mobile-related business falling. The company didn't provide profit details as it continues to review its past stock-option grants.

Xilinx Inc. (XLNX) reported a fiscal second-quarter profit of $93 million, or 27 cents a share, up from $85.6 million, or 24 cents a share a year ago. The company's revenue rose 17 percent to $467.2 million from $399 million in the year-ago period.

Zions Bancorp. (ZION) said third-quarter net income came in at $153.7 million, or $1.42 a share, up 25 percent from a year earlier when the bank made $123 million, or $1.34 a share. Zions' net interest margin was 4.58 percent in the third quarter vs. 4.64 percent for the second quarter of 2006 and 4.59 percent for the third quarter of 2005.

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