Tuesday's Health Winners & Losers

Health indices were flat Tuesday, as some stocks suffered from poor earnings and others benefited from good quarterly results.

Shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals(LXRX) dipped 3.1% after its first-quarter loss widened from the year-ago period. The company reported a first-quarter loss of 24 cents a share, or $18.9 million, compared to 17 cents a share, or $10.8 million, in the first quarter last year. The loss, which the company attributed to decreased revenue and increased research and development costs, actually beat the expectation of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, who foresaw a loss of 29 cents a share for the quarter. Shares fell 11 cents to $3.40.

deCODE genetics(DCGN) shares also fell 1.9% after reporting deeper quarterly losses. After the market closed Monday, the company reported a $22.6 million net loss for the first quarter, compared to $20.3 million in the first quarter last year. Basic and diluted net loss per share was 37 cents, the same as the year-ago period. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial predicted a loss of 34 cents a share. deCODE on Tuesday announced positive results from a Phase I clinical trial for a heart attack prevention medication, but shares still fell 7 cents to $3.67 following the announcements.

ViaCell(VIAC) also fell on first-quarter results. The company reported a $6.7 million net loss for the first quarter, or 17 cents a share, compared to a net loss of $5.1 million, or 13 cents a share, for the year-ago period. Three analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial estimated a loss of 12 cents a share for the quarter. Shares dropped 67 cents, or nearly 11%, to $5.59.

Not every health care stock felt a loss Tuesday. Among those benefiting from earnings, Myriad Genetics(MYGN) announced a $5.9 million net loss for the third quarter of its 2007 fiscal year, or 14 cents per share, compared to $9.6 million, or a 24 cents a share loss in the same quarter last year. Shares lifted 85 cents, or 2.3%, to $37.40.