Applix (NasdaqGS:
APLX -
News) shares gained 15% Friday after the Westborough, Mass.-based company late Thursday reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $6 million, or 34 cents a share, up from $2.48 million, or 15 cents a share, last year. Revenue rose to $16 million from $11.1 million. Applix targeted 2007 earnings of 31 cents to 38 cents a share, or 46 cents to 53 cents a share excluding items, on revenue of $67 million to $70 million.
AptarGroup (NYSE:
ATR -
News) shares rose 7.8% after the company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $27.2 million, or 77 cents a share, up from a year-ago profit of $23.7 million, or 66 cents a share. Revenue jumped in the latest three months to $422.4 million from $338.8 million a year earlier.
Atari Inc. (NasdaqGM:
ATAR -
News) shares added 7% after the company narrowed its fiscal third-quarter loss to $715,000, or 5 cents a share, from a year-ago loss of $4.8 million, or 35 cents a share. The company reported earnings from continuing operations of 13 cents a share.
Blue Coat Systems' (NasdaqGM:
BCSI -
News) shares rose 11% after Sunnyvale, Calif.-based developed of proxy appliances said late Thursday it expects fiscal third-quarter revenue of $45.5 million to $47.5 million. Blue coat had previously forecast revenue of $40 million to $45 million.
Carriage Services (NYSE:
CSV -
News) shares gained 15% after the company said it expects earnings of 38 to 42 cents a share in fiscal 2007 on revenue of between $162 million and $165 million. Wall Street's current consensus estimate is for earnings of 27 cents a share in the period from the Houston-based funeral services provider.
Fortress Investment Group (NYSE:
FIG -
News) shares rocketed up 68% as the company made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange.
Hansen Natural Corp. (NasdaqCM:
HANS -
News) shares gaines 6.6% following news that Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:
BUD -
News) has agreed to manage and coordinate the sale, distribution and merchandising of the company's Monster Energy drinks to on-premise retailers. The contract covers bars, nightclubs and restaurants in territories approved by Hansen.
Hooker Furniture (NasdaqCM:
HOFT -
News) shares jumped 17% after the Martinsville, Va., furniture maker posted fourth-quarter earnings of $3.5 million, or 29 cents a share, including restructuring and asset impairment charges totaling $2.3 million, or 19 cents a share. Sales edged 0.9% higher to $91 million in the quarter. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial was for earnings of 17 cents a share in the period on sales of $80.2 million.
Jaco Electronics Inc. (NasdaqGM:
JACO -
News) shares rose 12% after the company swung to a fiscal second-quarter profit of $149,000, or 2 cents a share, from a year-ago loss of $7.4 million. The company said the turnaround was due to its strategy of marketing product lines from core vendors as well as tight cost controls. Jaco, which distributes electronic components, said revenue for the quarter rose 37% to $66 million. The company added it recently entered into a new credit facility that provides additional working capital and offers a lower interest rate than its previous agreement.
Kintera Inc. (NasdaqGM:
KNTA -
News) shares rose 8.3% after the company named Richard LaBarbera as its president. LaBarbera joined Kintera as chief operating officer last February. The company also named Alfred Berkeley III as its chairman. Berkeley previously served as president of Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. and was later appointed vice chairman of Nasdaq. Also, executive vice president Allen Gruber has resigned from the board to focus on internal and operational functions within the company.
Laidlaw International (NYSE:
LI -
News) shares climbed 9% after Britain's First Group said it's going to pay $3.6 billion, or $35.25 a share, for the company, which is the leading operator of school and inter-city bus transportation and a supplier of public transit services in North America. The deal for Laidlaw, which had year to Aug. 31 revenue of $3.1 billion, represents an 11% premium to Thursday's close.
Mikron Infrared (NasdaqCM:
MIKR -
News) shares leapt 14% after the Oakland, N.J., maker of non-contact temperature measurement technology products agreed to be acquired by LumaSense Technologies for about $65 million. The deal values Mikron shares at $11.50 each, a 17.6% premium to its closing price on Thursday.
Open Text (NasdaqGS:
OTEX -
News) shares moved up 16.7% after the company said its fiscal second-quarter net income fell 16% to $2.28 million, or 4 cents a share, from $2.72 million, or 5 cents a share, a year earlier. Adjusted quarterly earnings were $18 million, or 35 cents a share. The Waterloo, Ont., software provider's revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 47% to $163.3 million from $110.8 million a year ago. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Financial predicted second-quarter earnings of 28 cents a share and revenue of $160.8 million.
Primedia (NYSE:
PRM -
News) shares surged 17% after the New York-based company said it is exploring the possible sale of its Enthusiast Media segment, which includes 70 publications and 90 Web sites. The company has hired Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers to manage the process. The Enthusiast Media segment, which includes magazines such as Motor Trend and Automobile, had revenues of more than $500 million in 2006, excluding the Outdoors Group, which Primedia recently sold. "The board believes the market environment is extremely favorable for the sale of PEM," said Dean Nelson, Primedia's chief executive, in a statement. Nelson also said that spinning off the company's Consumer Source division remains an option.
Shutterfly (NasdaqGM:
SFLY -
News) shares rose 12% after the company said its fourth-quarter earnings fell 61%, as the fourth quarter of 2005 included a $24.1 million tax benefit from the release of deferred tax valuation allowances. The Redwood City, Calif., e-commerce company had fourth-quarter earnings of $12.2 million, or 50 cents a share, compared with $31.2 million, or $1.23 a share, a year earlier. Shutterfly said revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 60% to $65.7 million from $41 million a year ago. In addition, the company said it expects first-quarter revenue of $23 million to $24 million, and an adjusted loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $1.5 million to $1 million. Shutterfly said it expects 2007 revenue of $160 million to $165 million.
Targa Resources Partners LP (NasdaqGM:
NGLS -
News) shares rose 13% in the company's stock market debut.
Zones' (NasdaqGM:
ZONS -
News) shares jumped 22% after the Auburn, Wash.-based reseller of technology products late Thursday reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $2.98 million, or 20 cents a share, up from $1.97 million, or 14 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose slightly to $159.9 million from $159.8 million.
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