Today's Winners and Losers: Jones Apparel

Shares of Shuffle Master(SHFL Quote) were among the Nasdaq's winners Tuesday, jumping 18% after the casino-supply company reported better-than-expected first-quarter results and lifted its full-year earnings guidance.

The company posted earnings from continuing operations, which excludes stock-based compensation costs, of $8.1 million, or 23 cents a share, on revenue of $33.3 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call expected earnings of 21 cents a share and revenue of $31.6 million. During the year-earlier quarter, the company earned $6.2 million, or 17 cents a share, on revenue of $25.4 million.

"In addition to generating significant growth in all financial categories, we continue to execute on our strategy of both product and geographic diversification, resulting from both organic growth and acquisitions," the company said.

Shuffle Master raised the bottom end of its projected earnings range for 2006 to $1.02 to $1.05 a share, compared with an earlier view of $1 to $1.05 a share. Analysts, on average, expect earnings of $1.02 a share. Shuffle Master shares recently were trading up $4.68 to $30.91.

Jones Apparel (JNY Quote) confirmed it is looking into a sale of the entire company, sending shares up 14%. The fashion company hired Goldman Sachs as an adviser in the process. Jones, which owns brands including Barneys New York, Nine West and Anne Klein, noted that it isn't considering the sale of any of its businesses or divisions. The shares shot up 9% earlier in the day after Women's Wear Daily reported that Jones was exploring several strategic options, and recently advanced even further to $35.15, up $4.33, after the company confirmed the potential sale.

Dollar General(DG Quote) fell 4% after the discount retailer posted a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter profit and forecast first-quarter earnings below expectations. The company earned $145.3 million, or 46 cents a share, up from $133.9 million, or 41 cents a share, a year earlier. Sales rose to $2.48 billion from $2.2 billion, while same-store sales fell 1.6%. Analysts expected earnings of 49 cents a share and sales of $2.47 billion. During the year-earlier quarter, the company earned $133.9 million, or 41 cents a share, on sales of $2.2 billion.