Wednesday's Late Winners & Losers

Stocks were mixed after the close Wednesday, with many of the top performers -- such as actively traded Symantec (SYMC Quote) -- coming from the tech sector.

The Cupertino, Calif., security-software developer posted fiscal fourth-quarter profits, excluding items, of $226.8 million, or 24 cents a share, on $1.36 billion in revenue. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were looking for 20 cents a share on $1.27 billion sales. The firm also guided well above fiscal 2008 revenue targets and foresees full-year income leaning to the higher end of the consensus. Shares were adding 5.8% to $19.23 in recent after-hours trading.

NVE (NVEC Quote), a Minnesotan semiconductor firm, shot up 13% to $33.49 after fiscal fourth-quarter earnings, at 33 cents a share, topped the average Street target by 6 cents. Colorado's Sirenza Microdevices (SMDI Quote), another semiconductor, jumped 10.5% to $10.12 after posting rising pro forma profits of 12 cents a share, which outpaces the Street's dime-a-share projections.

Seattle-based Internet-software maker RealNetworks (RNWK Quote) was among the tech winners, lately gaining 6.1% to $8.08 on a nickel EPS beat, and Genesis Microchip (GNSS Quote), of Alviso, Calif., lost a penny less than expected. Shares tacked on 3.7% to $9.

Also on the rise late Wednesday was Minrad International (BUF Quote), a drugmaker based in Orchard Park, N.Y., that announced the Food and Drug Administration had approved for commercialization its Sojourn Sevoflurane inhalation anesthetic. Shares bounced 93 cents, or 16.7%, to $6.49.