Stocks in Motion: Alcoa

The aluminum giant slips after posting a weak quarter.

Author:: Mark Martinez
Publish date:: Jan 11, 2005 4:41 PM EST

Updated from 11:37 a.m. EST

Shares of

Buffalo Wild Wings

(BWLD)

were among the

Nasdaq's

winners Tuesday, rising 5.9% after the company said fourth-quarter numbers would top expectations.

The restaurant operator now expects to earn 25 cents to 28 cents a share on sales of $48.5 million. Previously, the company said it would make 17 cents to 19 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had been expecting earnings of 21 cents a share on sales of $47.7 million. Buffalo Wild Wings attributed the revised guidance to better same-store sales and lower poultry and insurance costs. Shares traded up $2.10 to $37.60.

Alcoa

(AA) - Get Report

fell 2.7% after the aluminum company's fourth-quarter results fell short of expectations. Alcoa cited dollar weakness and rising raw material costs. Excluding items, the company made 39 cents a share on sales of $6.04 billion. Analysts were expecting earnings of 41 cents a share on sales of $6.1 billion. Shares traded down 82 cents to $29.65.

Shares of

Select Comfort

(SCSS)

rose 10.6% after the company said its fourth quarter would top expectations. The mattress maker now expects earnings of 27 cents to 28 cents a share on sales of $149 million. Analysts had been expecting earnings of 26 cents a share on sales of $145.2 million. In early December, shares of Select Comfort cratered after the company warned that fourth-quarter sales would come in at $143 million to $149 million, down from its previous guidance of $153 million to $158 million. At the time, Select Comfort cited weak sales around Thanksgiving. Shares traded up $1.81 to $18.96.

Flowers Foods

(FLO) - Get Report

fell 7.9% after the company warned that 2004 earnings would fall below expectations. The marketer of packaged bakery goods now expects to earn $1.21 to $1.24 a share, down from previous guidance of $1.30 to $1.34 a share. Analysts had been expecting earnings of $1.33 a share. Sales, meanwhile, are now expected to be between $1.55 billion and $1.56 billion, above its previous view of $1.54 billion to $1.55 billion. Analysts had been expecting sales of $1.54 billion. The company blamed the profit shortfall on a late-year surge in its stock that led employees to take advantage of the company's stock appreciation rights plan. Shares traded down $2.36 to $27.60.

Shares of

Books-A-Million

(BAMM)

rose 3.2% after the company raised its fourth-quarter earnings outlook by a penny. The book seller now expects earnings of 54 cents to 58 cents a share, including a gain on insurance recoveries. Strong holiday sales led to the upward revision. An analyst following the company had been expecting earnings of 51 cents a share. Shares traded up 30 cents to $9.56.

NYSE

volume leaders included

Advanced Micro Devices

(AMD) - Get Report

, down $5.27 to $14.86;

Nortel

( NT), up 14 cents to $3.48;

Lucent

( LU), down 4 cents to $3.48;

News Corp.

(NWS) - Get Report

, down 20 cents to $16.93;