Thursday's Late Winners & Losers

A barrage of tech earnings flooded in after the closing bell on Thursday amid a generally upward-trending session, and Microsoft (MSFT Quote) emerged as one of the big winners.

Shares of the software giant added more than 5% in recent postclose trading after per-share earnings nearly doubled to 50 cents a share, or $4.71 billion, beating the average analyst estimate by 4 cents a share, per Thomson Financial. A year earlier the Redmond, Wash., company made 26 cents a share. Revenue ramped up 30.5% year over year to $16.37 billion, or some $420 million past consensus. Shares tacked on $1.72 to $34.97 in recent extended trading.

Networking gearmaker Juniper (JNPR Quote), of Sunnyvale, Calif., beat Street expectations with non-GAAP income of $151.5 million, or 27 cents a share. Analysts had projected EPS of 24 cents. Shares took back 4.1% to $27.39 after hours.

Over in the chipmaking sector, Broadcom (BRCM Quote) pocketed 2 cents more per share than what Wall Street had expected, turning a fourth-quarter non-GAAP profit of 34 cents a share. MEMC Electronic Materials (WFR Quote), which makers wafers for the semiconductor market, said non-GAAP income surged 24.4% to 97 cents a share, excluding the ballooning value of warrants for Suntech stock.

And Microchip Technology (MCHP Quote) booked a fiscal third-quarter profit of $81.2 million, or 39 cents a share, excluding items. Revenue rose slightly year over year to $252.6 million. Analysts had sought income of 35 cents a share on sales of $250.6 million.

Broadcom shares were leaping 12.5% to $25.30; MEMC added 4.9% to $75.01; and Microchip rose 6.4% to $31.

Away from tech, Amgen (AMGN Quote) beat fourth-quarter targets by 3 cents a share, spurring shares of the California biotech firm 4.5% higher. And online broker E*Trade (ETFC Quote) bounced 10.6% to $3.85 despite swinging to a loss of $1.71 billion, or $3.98 a share. Analysts were looking for a far less severe shortfall of $2.90 a share.

On the losing side, Zions Bancorp (ZION Quote) gave up 6.5% on a withered bottom line of $42.2 million, or 39 cents a share, thanks to the shrinking value of securities investments amid the calamitous sate of the broad market. A year ago, the Salt Lake City-based bank had made $142.7 million, or $1.32 a share. Zions shares were off $3.18 to $45.50.

Synaptics (SYNA Quote) stock was pummeled after it pegged current-quarter sales between $76 million to $82 million against the Street's $86.8 million average prediction. The Santa Clara, Calif., business-software company blamed a 34% drop in its backlog and "recent reductions in customers' forecasts." Shares were sinking $7.53 to $23.90.

Finally, Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates (VSEA Quote) gave up 9% to $30.40 after the Gloucester, Mass., semiconductor-equipment maker said it will likely earn 50 cents to 55 cents a share in the fiscal second quarter -- at least 6 cents below expectations. For the fiscal first quarter, Varian came in just under targets for both top and bottom lines.