Today's Tech Winners and Losers

Shares of Business Objects(BOBJ) were among technology's losers Thursday, sliding 12% after the software company posted mixed first-quarter results and warned that second-quarter earnings would be lower than Wall Street's forecast.

The company earned $12.3 million, or 13 cents a share, on revenue of $278.3 million. Excluding items, the company earned $31.1 million, or 33 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call expected earnings of 30 cents a share on revenue of $281.2 million. A year earlier, the company earned $15 million, or 16 cents a share, on revenue of $248.8 million. Excluding items, the company earned $22.1 million, or 24 cents a share, during the year-earlier quarter.

Business Objects sees second-quarter earnings of 30 cents to 33 cents a share, excluding items. The company predicts revenue of $295 million to $300 million. Analysts project earnings of 37 cents a share and revenue of $297.9 million. For the full year, the company now sees earnings, excluding items, of $1.55 to $1.65 a share, up from an earlier view of $1.45 to $1.55 a share. The company raised its revenue view to $1.23 billion to $1.25 billion from an earlier forecast of $1.21 billion to $1.23 billion. Analysts expect full-year earnings of $1.52 a share, with revenue of $1.22 billion. Shares were trading down $4.38 to $33.26.

NetIQ(NTIQ) jumped 11% after the software company agreed to be bought out for about $495 million in cash. The company will be aquired by AttachmateWRQ, a software maker owned by a consortium of private equity firms. NetIQ holders will receive $12.20 a share, a 14% premium over Wednesday's closing price of $10.72. The acquisition is expected to close during the next 90 days.

Separately, NetIQ posted fiscal third-quarter earnings that topped forecasts. The company reported a loss of $3.9 million, or 10 cents a share, on revenue of $46 million. Excluding items, the company posted a profit of $162,000, or less than a penny a share. Analysts expected a loss of 6 cents a share, before items, on revenue of $43.5 million. During the year-earlier period the company recorded an adjusted loss of $669,000, or 1 cent a share, on revenue of $51.1 million. Shares were trading up $1.24 to $11.96.