Stocks in Motion: Dean Foods

The dairy producer meets reduced expectations.

Author:: Mark Martinez
Publish date:: Nov 3, 2004 4:46 PM EST

Updated from 11:53 a.m. EDT

Shares of

Pinnacle Entertainment

(PNK) - Get Report

were among the

NYSE's

winners Wednesday, rising 4.1% after the company posted third-quarter numbers that easily beat Wall Street expectations.

Excluding items, the casino operator earned 7 cents a share on sales of $146.5 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call were expecting a profit of 1 cent a share on sales of $140.7 million. Strength at the company's Belterra and Boomtown New Orleans facilities contributed to the solid third-quarter financial results. Shares traded up 61 cents to $15.44.

Dean Foods

(DF) - Get Report

rose 5% after the company posted third-quarter earnings that beat reduced earnings expectations. Excluding items, the dairy producer earned 46 cents a share on sales of $2.77 billion.

Analysts were expecting earnings of 45 cents a share on sales of $2.63 billion. In September, Dean Foods got hammered after the company lowered its third-quarter earnings expectations to 44 cents to 46 cents a share. At the time, analysts were expecting earnings of 56 cents a share.

Looking ahead, the company expects fourth-quarter earnings of 63 cents to 66 cents a share and full-year earnings of $2.02 to $2.05. Analysts are expecting earnings of 64 cents a share during the fourth quarter and $2.01 a share for the full year. Shares traded up $1.50 to $31.45.

Shares of

Polo Ralph Lauren

(RL) - Get Report

rose 3.7% after the company beat second-quarter expectations. Excluding items, the clothing maker earned 76 cents a share on sales of $883.7 million. Analysts were expecting earnings of 73 cents a share on sales of $845.3 million. Looking ahead, Polo reiterated its full-year earnings forecast of $2.35 to $2.45 a share. Analysts are expecting earnings of $2.45 a share. Shares traded up $1.40 to $38.91.

Prudential Financial

(PRU) - Get Report

rose 2.5% after the company posted third-quarter results that beat earnings expectations. Excluding items, the insurance and investment company earned 92 cents a share on revenue of $5.03 billion. Analysts were expecting earnings of 77 cents a share. A year ago, the company earned 68 cents a share on revenue of $4.37 billion. Looking ahead, Prudential forecast full-year earnings of $3.30 to $3.40 a share, ahead of analysts' expectations of $3.29 a share. Shares traded up $1.17 to $48.

Shares of

LaCrosse Footwear

(BOOT) - Get Report

rose 23.2% after the company posted strong third-quarter results. The footwear company earned 64 cents a share on sales of $34.5 million. A year ago, the company earned 36 cents a share on sales of $29.9 million. LaCrosse said that strength in occupational and recreational markets contributed to the quarter's results. Shares traded up $1.62 to $8.61.

NYSE volume leaders included

Lucent

( LU), up 2 cents to $3.61;

Merck

(MRK) - Get Report

, up $1.07 to $27.87;

Pfizer

(PFE) - Get Report

, up 75 cents to $29.45;

Advanced Micro Devices

(AMD) - Get Report

, down 60 cents to $17.10;