Stocks to Watch: Alcoa; Sprint Nextel; Research in Motion

SAN FRANCISCO – Among the companies whose shares are likely to see active trade during Friday's session are Alcoa Inc., Sprint Nextel Inc. and Research in Motion Inc.

Emmis Communications (EMMS) is expected by analysts surveyed at Thomson Financial to report earnings of 5 cents a share for its fiscal second quarter.

After the closing bell Thursday, Research in Motion (RIMM) (RIM) said its fiscal second-quarter earnings more than doubled thanks to strong sales of its BlackBerry line of smartphones. Earnings came in at $287.7 million, or 50 cents a share, on sales of $1.37 billion. The results came in line with Wall Street's outlook. The wireless device maker's forecast for the current quarter was ahead of analysts' estimates.

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Alcoa Inc. (AA) said it would take $845 million in charges in the third quarter as it pares back or gets ready to sell packaging and auto-related businesses.

Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc.'s (FRNT) Frontier Air said September traffic rose 26 percent to 776.6 million revenue passenger miles from last year. Capacity increased 9.4 percent. Load factor, or the percentage of the plane filled with passengers, for the month hit 77.9 percent, up 10.3 percentage points from 67.6 percent.

Lawson Software Inc. (LWSN) swung to fiscal first-quarter profit of $5.6 million, or 3 cents a share, from last year. But its financial estimates for the second quarter fell either short, or at the low end of analysts' expectations.

Longs Drug Stores Corp. (LDG) said September same-store sales from continuing operations rose 1.8 percent. Total sales from continuing operations for the month rose by 3.5 percent to $447 million from a year ago.

McKesson Corp. (MCK) said it will acquire Oncology Therapeutics Network, a distributor of specialty pharmaceuticals, for about $575 million. The company reaffirmed its outlook for fiscal 2008 earnings of $3.15 to $3.30 a share, excluding restructuring charges and adjustments to its securities litigation reserve. McKesson also said it has added $1 billion to its share buyback plan

Pall Corp. (PLL) expects fourth-quarter revenue to rise 8 percent to $646.3 million, compared with $597.3 million a year ago. The specialized filter maker also sees earnings before interest and taxes rising by 19 percent to $102.8 million, compared with $86.5 million in the year-ago period.

Saba Software Inc. (SABA) posted a fiscal first-quarter net loss of $2.4 million, or 8 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $2.6 million, or 9 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose to $25.5 million from $23.2 million. The company forecast a fiscal second-quarter net loss of 3 cents to 6 cents a share, and revenue of $26 million to $27 million. It expects pro forma per-share earnings between breakeven and 3 cents a share. Analysts currently expect earnings of 6 cents a share on revenue of $28 million.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) is actively seeking a replacement for Chief Executive Gary Forsee, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal's online edition. The news follows a report in the same publication earlier this week that activist investor Ralph Whitworth has lost confidence in Forsee, and is threatening a proxy fight for board seats unless the company deals with the situation "immediately."

Tellabs Inc. (TLAB) forecast third-quarter sales of $452 million to $460 million because of lower-than-expected revenue from wireless service providers. The company said it foresees earnings in the range between breakeven to 1 cent a share. Pro forma earnings are expected to come in at 2 cents to 3 cents a share. Analysts currently estimate earnings of 6 cents a share on revenue of $501 million.

US Airways (LCC) September traffic rose 2.3 percent to 4.69 billion revenue passenger miles from a year earlier, while capacity fell 4.8 percent to 6 billion available seat miles. Load factor, or percentage of the plane filled with passengers, rose 5.4 points to 78.1 percent.