Today's Winners and Losers: Evergreen Solar

The maker of solar products posts better-than-anticipated results and gets an $88 million contract.

Author:: Mark Martinez
Publish date:: Feb 28, 2006 11:51 AM EST

Shares of

Gevity

( GVHR) were among the

Nasdaq's

losers Tuesday, tumbling 16% after the human resources company posted fourth-quarter results that were below Wall Street estimates.

The company earned $9.9 million, or 35 cents a share, on revenue of $154.2 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call expected earnings of 38 cents a share and revenue of $160.5 million. During the year-earlier period, the company earned $12.5 million, or 44 cents a share, on sales of $153.5 million.

Looking ahead, Gevity sees double-digit earnings and revenue growth during 2006. For 2005, the company reported earnings of $1.31 a share and revenue of $608.8 million. Analysts project 2006 earnings of $1.51 a share and a top line of $667.2 million, or revenue growth of 10%.

Gevity also announced a new share buyback plan. Under the program the company will be able to repurchase up to 1 million shares. The company increased its quarterly dividend, meanwhile, to 9 cents a share from 7 cents. Shares were trading down $4.70 to $25.35.

Shares of

Apollo Group

(APOL)

slumped 14% after the for-profit education company cut its second-quarter guidance and suspended its full-year earnings and revenue guidance. The company now sees earnings of 43 cents to 44 cents a share for the quarter ending Tuesday, down from an earlier view of 57 cents to 58 cents a share. Revenue, meanwhile, is projected to be about $570 million, down from an earlier view of more than $584 million. Analysts project second-quarter earnings of 54 cents a share and revenue of $586 million.

The company didn't elaborate on its reason for suspending full-year earnings guidance. In December, Apollo predicted 2006 earnings of $2.85 to $2.91 a share. Analysts projected earnings of $2.84 a share. Apollo will release its second-quarter results on March 23. Shares were trading down $8.44 to $50.03.

Evergreen Solar

( ESLR) rose 7% after the maker of solar products reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and announced an $88 million contract. The company posted a fourth-quarter loss of $5 million, or 8 cents a share, on revenue of $11.6 million. Analysts expected a bigger loss of 9 cents a share on revenue of $10.8 million. During the year-earlier quarter, the company posted a loss of $3.8 million, or 8 cents a share, on revenue of $9.7 million.

Separately, Evergreen announced an $88 million contract to provide solar-cell modules to Global Resource Options over the next four years. "GRO is a great addition to Evergreen Solar's growing list of high-volume distributor and system integrator customers," Evergreen said in a statement. Shares were trading up $1.02 to $15.99.

Shares of

ASV

( ASVI) fell 6% after the company delayed its fourth-quarter earnings release. The maker of rubber truck loaders said it needs additional time to resolve a previously disclosed accounting issue related to an $8.3 million equipment purchase. ASV plans to issue fourth-quarter results "as soon as practicable," it said. Shares were trading down $1.93 to $31.01.

Dynamic Materials

(BOOM) - Get Report

rose 9% after the metalworking company posted higher fourth-quarter earnings. The company earned $3.5 million, or 28 cents a share, on sales of $23.2 million. The single-analyst forecast called for earnings of 24 cents a share and sales of $21.3 million. A year earlier, the company earned $2.3 million, or 20 cents a share, on sales of $20 million. Shares were trading up $2.90 to $33.55.

NYSE

volume leaders included

Lucent Technologies

( LU), unchanged at $2.82;

Chesapeake Energy

(CHK) - Get Report

, up 46 cents to $29.38;

Elan

(ELN)

, down 68 cents to $13.27;

Nortel Networks

( NT), down 2 cents to $2.84;