Today's Tech Winners and Losers

Micrel and i2 Technologies top Wall Street forecasts.

Author:
Mark Martinez
Publish date:
Feb 2, 2006 1:49 PM EST

Micrel and i2 Technologies top Wall Street forecasts.

Shares of

WebSideStory

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were among technology's losers Thursday, tumbling 17% after the provider of on-demand Web analytics posted mixed fourth-quarter results and offered a lower-than-expected outlook.

The San Diego-based company earned $5 million, or 25 cents a share, on revenue of $11.7 million. Excluding certain items, the company earned $2.96 million, or 15 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call expected earnings of 14 cents a share and revenue of $12.2 million. A year earlier, the company posted a loss of $628,000, or 4 cents a share, on sales of $6.5 million. Excluding items, the company earned $954,000, or 6 cents a share, a year ago.

Looking ahead, WebSideStory sees first-quarter adjusted earnings of 11 cents to 13 cents a share and sales of $13.8 million to $14.3 million. Analysts project earnings of 14 cents a share and sales of $13.1 million. For the second quarter, the company sees earnings of 11 cents to 14 cents a share, before items, on sales of $15.8 million to $16.4 million. Analysts project earnings of 15 cents a share and sales of $14 million.

WebSideStory also said it bought Visual Sciences, a privately held maker of data analysis software, for $57.3 million. Shares were trading down $3.40 to $17.

Micrel

(MCRL)

jumped 17% after the chipmaker posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and issued a first-quarter sales forecast that would top Wall Street's target. For the fourth quarter, the company earned $9.9 million, or 11 cents a share, up from $5.1 million, or 6 cents a share, a year earlier. Sales rose to $65.1 million from $59.4 million. Analysts expected earnings of 10 cents a share and sales of $66 million.

Micrel anticipates first-quarter sequential sales growth of 3% to 8%, which would result in sales of $67.1 million to $70.3 million. Analysts project sales of $66.7 million. Shares were trading up $2.10 to $14.58.

Shares of

i2 Technologies

( ITWO) rose 6% after the software company posted fourth-quarter results that were better than expected. The company reported pro forma earnings of $17.2 million, or 46 cents a share, well above analysts' forecast of 30 cents a share. The company had total revenue of $96.6 million, which included contract revenue of $23.2 million. The company reported sales of $73.4 million, compared with Wall Street's forecast of $70.9 million. During the year-earlier quarter, the company had a pro forma loss of $4.2 million, or 33 cents a share, on total sales of $77.4 million, which included contract revenue of $5.8 million. Shares were trading up 95 cents to $17.75.

Digital River

(DRIV) - Get Free Report

rose 8% after the company's fourth-quarter results and first-quarter forecast topped expectations. The Web-development services company earned $17.7 million, or 44 cents a share, on sales of $61.6 million in the fourth quarter. Excluding items, the company earned $14.8 million, or 35 cents a share. Analysts predicted earnings of 31 cents a share, with sales of $57.2 million. During the year-earlier quarter, the company earned $12.8 million, or 33 cents a share, on sales of $48 million.

Looking ahead, Digital Rivers sees first-quarter earnings of 31 cents a share, or 40 cents a share excluding stock-based compensation costs. Analysts predict earnings of 37 cents a share. The company sees first-quarter sales of $70 million, above Wall Street's forecast of $62.6 million. Shares were up $2.61 to $35.99.

Shares of

SiRF Technology

( SIRF) climbed 12% after the company posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. The maker of semiconductor and software products earned $9.6 million, or 17 cents a share, on sales of $54.4 million. Excluding items, the company earned $11.5 million, or 21 cents a share. Analysts expected earnings of 19 cents a share, before items, on sales of $52 million. A year earlier, SiRF posted adjusted earnings of $5.1 million, or 10 cents a share, on sales of $27.5 million. Shares were trading up $4.23 to $38.96.

Shares of

@Road

( ARDI) tumbled 19% after the provider of mobile-communications services said it is losing its business with Verizon Wireless. Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between

Verizon Communications

(VZ) - Get Free Report

and

Vodafone

(VOD) - Get Free Report

, is shutting down the cellular digital packet data network that @Road serves. Verizon also plans to discontinue @Road's service for its mobile resource management customers. @Road said it will discuss the matter in more detail in its Feb. 7 earnings call. Shares were down 95 cents to $4.14.

Other technology movers included

JDSU

(JDSU)

, down 10 cents to $3.06;

Intel

(INTC) - Get Free Report

, down 26 cents to $21.29;

Lucent Technologies

( LU), up 6 cents to $2.70;

Microsoft

(MSFT) - Get Free Report

, down 37 cents to $27.67;