Stocks to Watch: Nokia Raises Forecast, USA Networks Mulls Sale

Willamette authorizes its management to negotiate for a Georgia-Pacific unit.

Author:: TSC Staff
Publish date:: Dec 11, 2001 9:57 AM EST

Nokia

said it might beat its earlier fourth-quarter earnings guidance. The mobile-phone maker expects earnings to come in at the upper end of the earlier projected range of 0.18 euros to 0.20 euros (16 cents to 18 cents), or possibly even exceed that forecast. Based on developments during October and November, the company expects total sequential net sales growth for the Nokia group of about 20%. Nokia Networks sales should be higher sequentially, but down 20% from the same period a year ago. The company expects Nokia mobile-phone sales for the fourth quarter to rise 25% from the third quarter.

Earnings Reports & Outlooks

Activision

(ATVI) - Get Report

raised its guidance for fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2003. For the fiscal third quarter, which ends Dec. 31, the company expects earnings of 58 cents a share. The video-game maker forecast income of 10 cents for the fourth quarter. For fiscal 2003, the company expects earnings of 85 cents a share on revenue of $810 million. According to First Call, analysts expect the company to earn 53 cents in the third quarter, 9 cents in the fourth quarter and 83 cents in fiscal 2003.

Alliance Gaming

(ALLY) - Get Report

forecast second-quarter earnings of 50 cents a share with revenue of more than $145 million. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002, the company expects income of $1.79 to $1.84 a share. According to First Call, analysts expect the company to earn 41 cents in the quarter and $1.74 for the year.

Kroger

(KR) - Get Report

posted third-quarter income of 32 cents a share before items, matching the consensus estimate. Total sales for the quarter increased 3.8% to $11.4 billion. The supermarket chain projected fourth-quarter earnings of 46 cents to 48 cents a share, which would fall short of the First Call consensus of 50 cents. As part of a plan to reduce administrative costs, Kroger will eliminate about 1,500 positions during the next 12 months.

Mergers, Acquisitions & Joint Ventures

USA Networks

(USAI) - Get Report

is considering selling the company's television business to

Vivendi

(V) - Get Report

for $13 billion to $18 billion, according to a story in the

New York Post

The board of

Willamette Industries

(WLL) - Get Report

has given the company's management the green light to negotiate a possible acquisition of

Georgia-Pacific's

( GP) building products business. Willamette pointed out that there are no assurances that a transaction between the wood products companies will be completed. The Georgia-Pacific building products business had revenue of about $7 billion in 2000. Willamette has been fighting off a takeover attempt by fellow forest products concern

Weyerhaeuser

(WY) - Get Report

for more than a year. Weyerhaeuser has repeatedly extended its $50-a-share hostile bid for Willamette and now claims to have about 52 million Willamette shares.

Miscellaneous News

BioSphere Medical

( BSMD) received Food and Drug Administration approval for the EmboCath catheter.

Celgene

(CELG) - Get Report

said researchers found that Revimid demonstrated significant antitumor activity and was generally well tolerated in patients in studies involving people with refractory and relapsed multiple myeloma. The company plans to conduct further trials with the drug.

Internet Security Systems

( ISSX) said Chief Operating Officer Ken Walters will leave the company at the end of the year for personal reasons. The company plans to search for a replacement. Walters joined the company in August 2000.

Jones Apparel

(JNY)

will replace

Homestake Mining

( HM), which is being acquired by

Barrick Gold

(ABX)

, in the

S&P 500

after the close of trading Dec. 14. S&P SmallCap 600 component

Timberland

( TBL) will replace Jones Apparel in the S&P MidCap 400.