Stocks in Motion: Monarch

The casino firm rises on improved fourth-quarter earnings guidance.

Author:: Mark Martinez
Publish date:: Jan 10, 2005 4:52 PM EST

Updated from 11:48 a.m. EST

Shares of

Monarch Casino and Resort

(MCRI) - Get Report

were among the

Nasdaq's

winners Monday, rising 12.6% after the company said fourth-quarter earnings and sales would top expectations.

The casino operator expects earnings of 36 cents a share on sales of $31 million. An analyst polled by Thomson First Call had been expecting 27 cents on sales of $29.5 million. A year ago the company earned 19 cents a share on sales of $28.3 million. The stronger results were fueled by improvements in casino, hotel and food and beverage operations. Shares traded up $4.08 to $36.55.

Electronics Boutique

( ELBO) fell 3.5% after the company said fourth-quarter earnings would fall below expectations. The video game retailer said earnings would fall to the low end of its previous estimate of $1.62 to $1.72 a share. Analysts had been expecting earnings of $1.69 a share. The company said an industrywide hardware shortage was "more significant" than it had originally anticipated, which affected its top line as well as margins. Shares traded down $1.36 to $37.47.

Shares of

St. Joe

(JOE) - Get Report

rose 4.8% after the real estate company said its 2005 earnings would be better than expected. Excluding gains from conservation land sales, the company expects to earn between $1.35 and $1.50 a share. Analysts had been expecting earnings of $1.29 a share. "We expect good earnings from all major segments of the company," St. Joe said. Shares traded up $2.92 to $64.40.

Deckers Outdoor

(DECK) - Get Report

fell 6.6% Monday, despite the company's prediction that fourth-quarter earnings and sales would exceed previous guidance. Deckers now expects fourth-quarter earnings to exceed its previous range of 47 cents to 51 cents a share on sales of $55 million to $60 million. Analysts had been expecting earnings of 51 cents a share on sales of $61.9 million. Strong demand for its UGG product line, improved deliveries from its factories and strong retail sell-through led to the improved outlook. Shares traded down $2.80 to $39.56.

Shares of

Hollywood Entertainment

( HLYW) rose 6.2% after the company agreed to be acquired by

Movie Gallery

( MOVI) for $1.2 billion in cash and debt. Movie Gallery will pay $13.25 a share in cash, or $850 million. The deal represents a small premium to Friday's closing price of $13.05. Previously,

Blockbuster

( BBI) had offered to buy Hollywood for $11.50 a share, which topped a competing offer of $10.25 a share from buyout firm Leonard Green & Partners. A combined Hollywood Entertainment and Movie Gallery would have sales of $2.5 billion and about 4,500 stores. Blockbuster, by comparison, operates some 9,000 stores. Shares of Hollywood traded up 81 cents to $13.86, while Movie Gallery traded up 95 cents to $20.02.

NYSE

volume leaders included

News Corp.

(NWS) - Get Report

, down 52 cents to $17.13;

Fox Entertainment Group

(FOX) - Get Report

, up $3.06 to $34.28;

Lucent

( LU), up 3 cents to $3.53;

Pfizer

(PFE) - Get Report