Stocks to Watch: NWS, HKT, YNR, WPPGY, HHS, ATI, EBAY, JDSU, MCK
JDS Uniphase (JDSU) gained 1 9/16 to 94 15/16 after it reported pro forma earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter of $85.8 million, or 11 cents per share, a penny better than the 10 cents per share Wall Street had expected. The Canadian- and Silicon Valley-based maker of fiber-optics equipment for the telecommunications industry reported revenue of $394.6 million, 40% above sales in the quarter ended Dec. 31, and 2 1/2 times the pro forma sales in the year-earlier period. The company's results reflect the performance of three acquired companies but exclude the affects of accounting charges related to those and other acquisitions.
Including merger-related and other costs, JDS Uniphase reported a net loss of $240.9 million, or 32 cents per share. The company's stock surged 13, or 16%, Tuesday to 93 5/16, on the strength of a strong earnings report earlier in the day from competitor
Corning
(GLW) - Get Free Report
. Corning was having another up day with the stock lately rising 5 7/8 to 182 7/8. Shares of momentum-investor darling JDS Uniphase -- colorful traders believe its stock symbol stands for "Just Don't Sell Us" -- remain 39% below their March 7 high of a split-adjusted 153 3/8.
Mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures
News Corp.
(NWS) - Get Free Report
and
Singapore Telecom
could launch a $30 billion
counterbid for
Cable & Wireless HKT
(HKT)
, reported
The Wall Street Journal
. The offer, which would rival C&W HKT's planned merger with Hong Kong-based
Pacific Century Cyberworks
, takes advantage of the recent weakness in Web companies like Pacific Century that have seen their stock prices decline.
Internet holding company
Xcelera
(XLA)
said
Exodus Communications
undefined
invested $75 million and 3.76 million Exodus shares in Xcelera unit Mirror Image Internet for a 15% stake.
Wesley Jessen VisionCare
undefined
, the target of a hostile bid by
Bausch & Lomb
undefined
, invited its suitor to make its best offer, but said it had no obligation to set a deadline for bids from other interested parties.
Young & Rubicam
undefined
is considering a possible merger partner other than
WPP
undefined
, and has been negotiating a deal to buy
Harte-Hanks
(HHS) - Get Free Report
for roughly $2 billion, reported the
Journal
.
--
Tara Murphy
Earnings/revenue reports and previews
(
Earnings estimates from First Call/Thomson Financial; earnings reported on a diluted basis unless otherwise specified.
)
Allegheny Technologies
(ATI) - Get Free Report
posted first-quarter earnings of 47 cents a share, which includes special items. This compares with a year-ago report of 41 cents. The eight-analyst estimate expected the company to post earnings of 34 cents.
Baker Hughes
(BHI)
posted first-quarter earnings of 4 cents a share, beating the 31-analyst break-even estimate, but lower than the year-ago 14 cents. The company said its search for a new CEO could end in the next month or two.
eBay
(EBAY) - Get Free Report
posted first-quarter earnings of 6 cents a share, topping the 24-analyst estimate of a 3-cent profit and surpassing the year-ago report of 4 cents a share. The online auctioneer said its first-quarter sales tallied $85.8 million, doubling the year-ago result of $42.8 million. eBay also set a 2-for-1 stock split.
McKesson HBOC
(MCK) - Get Free Report
posted fourth-quarter earnings of $1.52 a share, which includes special items. This compares to the year-ago loss of 22 cents a share, which also included extraordinary items. Excluding items, the 13-analyst estimate expected the health care services company to report earnings of 29 cents.
Viacom
(VIA) - Get Free Report
posted first-quarter earnings of 11 cents a share, topping the 14-analyst estimate of 6 cents a share and up from the year-ago 5 cent-profit.
--
Tara Murphy
Offerings and stock actions
Chemical company
Solutia's
(SOI) - Get Free Report
board authorized the repurchase of an additional 15 million shares, or about 14% of its stock.
--
Tara Murphy
Analyst actions
Compaq
undefined
for the most part was enjoying a mixed reaction on Wall Street to yesterday's first-quarter earnings report, which met expectations.
Merrill Lynch
upgraded the stock to near-term attractive from neutral;
Salomon Smith Barney
upped it to buy from neutral and boosted its 12-month price target to 45 from 25; and
Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette
raised its fiscal 2000 earnings estimate to $1.05 a share from $1.00 while repeating a buy rating.
Warburg Dillon Read
, however, trimmed its EPS view to $1.05 from $1.15 and maintained a hold rating.
Upgrades
Alcan
(AL) - Get Free Report
: UP to intermediate-term buy from neutral at Merrill Lynch.
BMC Software
(BMCS)
: UP to near-term accumulate from neutral at Merrill Lynch; UP to strong buy from hold at
CIBC World Markets
..
Dynegy
(DYN)
: price target UP to 85 from 52 at
Lehman Brothers
.
Fair Isaac
undefined
: UP to strong buy from buy at
U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray
.
General Motors
(GM) - Get Free Report
: 2000 earnings estimate UP to $10.84 from $9.42 and 2001 EPS estimate up to $13.74 from $10.50 at
Dresdner Kleinwort Benson
.
Maxim
(MXIM) - Get Free Report
: price target UP to 80 from 65 at
Thomas Weisel
by analyst Eric Ross.
Nortel Networks
(NT)
: fiscal 2000 earnings estimates UP to $1.36 a share from $1.30 at Lehman Brothers; fiscal 2001 UP to $1.77 a share from $1.60.
Royal Dutch
undefined
: UP to buy from attractive: 12-month price target : 68 at
Bear Stearns
.
Scientific-Atlanta
(SFA)
: UP to strong buy from buy at
SG Cowen
.
Downgrades
Transaction Systems Architects
undefined
:
Goldman Sachs
removes from recommended list.
Initiations
Maxwell Technologies
(MXWL) - Get Free Report
: NEW buy at CIBC World Markets; price target: 23.
--
Tara Murphy
