Today's Health Winners and Losers

Shares of Cantel Medical(CMN Quote) were among the declining health-related stocks Thursday, falling 5% after the medical-device maker posted second-quarter results that fell below Wall Street expectations.

The company earned $3.9 million, or 24 cents a share, on sales of $61.6 million. Excluding items, the company earned 25 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call expected earnings of 27 cents a share, before items, and sales of $64.8 million. During the year-earlier period, the company earned $3.9 million, or 24 cents a share, on sales of $49.5 million. Excluding items, the company earned 20 cents a share in the year-earlier period. Cantel shares were down 75 cents to $15.83.

Dyax(DYAX Quote) tumbled 9% after the biotherapeutics company priced 5.5 million shares of stock, raising about $30 million. The company sold the shares at $5.65 apiece, a 9% discount to Wednesday's closing price of $6.20. The company plans to use proceeds from the sale for research and development and for general corporate needs. The sale is expected to close on or about March 14. Shares were trading down 53 cents to $5.67.

Shares of AMN Healthcare Services(AHS Quote) recently were down 6% even after the health care staffing company posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. The company earned $7 million, or 21 cents a share. Excluding items, the company earned 24 cents a share, beating analysts' mean estimate by 4 cents. Revenue totaled $221.4 million, compared with Wall Street's forecast of $214.3 million. A year earlier, the company earned $4.5 million, or 14 cents a share, on revenue of $158.3 million.

Looking ahead, AMN Healthcare sees adjusted first-quarter earnings, which excludes stock-based compensation costs and one-time items, of 20 cents to 22 cents a share. The company predicts revenue of $248 million to $252 million. Analysts project earnings of 21 cents a share on revenue of $239 million. Shares were down $1.24 to $19.14.