Wednesday's Early Winners & Losers

Shares of Secure Computing (SCUR) plummeted in late trading Tuesday after the network security-products maker cut its second-quarter projections. The company predicts revenue of $38.5 million to $39 million, down from its May guidance of $43 million to $45 million.

Secure Computing expects to report a loss of $2.3 million to $2.8 million, prior to the recognition of a gain related to a tax-valuation allowance, compared with the company's prior forecast for a profit of $600,000 to $900,000. Excluding items, the company cut its EPS forecast to 5 cents to 6 cents from an earlier projection of 10 cents to 12 cents. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had forecast earnings of 11 cents a share and revenue of $44.2 million.

Separately, the company said it is buying messaging-security company CipherTrust for $273.6 million. The price consists of $185 million in cash, 10 million Secure Computing shares and a $10 million seller note that is subject to certain performance obligations. CipherTrust shareholders will have a roughly 14% ownership position in Secure Computing. Shares tumbled $3.08, or 38%, to $4.99 after hours.

Shares of Ruby Tuesday (RI) moved higher after the restaurant operator posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and hiked its dividend. For the quarter ended June 6, Ruby Tuesday's profit rose to $31.7 million, or 53 cents a share, from $26 million, or 40 cents a share, a year earlier. Wall Street expected earnings of 51 cents a share. Revenue rose to $364.3 million from $295.4 million, while same-restaurant sales at company-owned restaurants increased 2.9%.

Looking ahead, Ruby Tuesday sees first-quarter earnings of 34 cents to 38 cents a share. For all of fiscal 2007, the company expects earnings of $1.70 to $1.75 a share. Analysts have an average estimate for earnings of 40 cents a share in the first quarter and $1.74 a share for the year.

Ruby Tuesday also said it plans to pay a semiannual dividend of 25 cents a share, a sharp increase over its previous payment of 2.25 cents. The company said the move is "prudent" based on its continued projected and increasing free cash flow. Shares jumped $1.02, or 4.4%, to $24.40 in after-hours trading.

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