(Updated from 7:30 p.m. EST)
After an uninspiring daytime session for the
Nasdaq Composite Index -- the measure finished behind 17 points to 2643, its third straight loss -- select technology stocks have gotten a lift after hours. Volume in tonight's session has been light, however, compared to levels reached last week at the height of fourth-quarter earnings season.
Shares of
TriQuint Semiconductor
(TQNT)
and
Serena Software
(SRNA)
, both out with news after the bell, have climbed on the night watch.
Meantime,
Oxford Health Plans
(OXHP)
is down sharply after reporting fourth-quarter results below Wall Street's targets, as is
eToys
(ETYS)
, which is now at risk of being delisted from the Nasdaq.
TriQuint Sprints on Fourth-Quarter Marks
Earlier this evening, TriQuint Semiconductor announced fourth-quarter results that topped analysts' consensus estimates. The company, which makes integrated circuits, reported fourth-quarter earnings of 27 cents per share, compared with Wall Street estimates for a 24-cent-per-share result. TriQuint posted a 12-cent profit in the year-ago period. Sequentially, revenue for the fourth quarter increased 12% over the $80.6 million reported in the previous quarter.
Shares of TriQuint, the second-most-active stock on
Island
ECN, gained 8.7% to $35.31 on the platform. The chipmaker increased 9.5% to $35.59 on
Instinet
.
Serena Software Soars Despite Warning
After the closing bell, Serena Software cautioned that fourth-quarter revenues will be in the range of $29.5 million to $30.5 million, below consensus estimates of $33.8 million. While revenue is expected to fall below expectations, the company plans to meet earnings estimates, predicting that profits will come in at 24 cents to 25 cents per share.
Despite its warning, Serena rallied 14% to $24.50 on Instinet and also jumped 14% on Island. Shares of the software company were down 28.3% during the regular session, however.
Oxford Health Plans Weakens
Tonight, Oxford Health issued fourth-quarter results that badly missed Wall Street's targets. The health care provider posted earnings of 43 cents per share, below the 49 cents that analysts had expected. In the year-ago period, the company earned $3.05 per share, helped by a major tax benefit.
Shares of Oxford Health, which hopped 4.4% in the regular session, stumbled 1.6% to $35.23 on Instinet and decreased 4.2% to $34.31 on Island.
No Fun and Games for eToys Tonight
Beleaguered online retailer eToys announced this evening that it would cut another 293 jobs, bringing its total jobs cuts to about 1,000. eToys confirmed its belief that its cash on hand will be enough to take it through the end of March, but said it does not believe that additional capital will become available to the company.
The Internet company reported that it had been informed by the Nasdaq that it no longer meets listing requirements and has been given 90 days to return to compliance or risk being delisted.
TheStreet.com
wrote a separate story on eToys'
dire straits.
In extended trading, postclose investors hacked away at the stock. eToys lost 53.8% to 13 cents on Island and was the most actively traded stock on the platform.
Large-Cap Tech Stocks Edge Lower
Shares of
Cisco Systems
(CSCO) - Get Report
, which reports earnings results tomorrow after the bell, sank 0.8% to $34.28 on Island tonight. The networking giant finished the regular session down 2.6%. Market observers are on the lookout to see if Cisco will beat analyst estimates by a penny, as it has done for the past 14 quarters. Although CEO John Chambers has said business softened in the past two months, Wall Street isn't too worried about an earnings disappointment.
Elsewhere, semiconductor manufacturer
Intel
(INTC) - Get Report
shed 0.5% to $34.50 on Island. Like Cisco, the chipmaker closed the regular session behind 2.6%. New data from the
Semiconductor Industry Association
confirmed today that chip sales are falling. In a research note,
Credit Suisse First Boston
added that inventory levels have worsened in recent months and could likely take until the end of the second quarter to burn off.
Things Looking Up For Tomorrow's Open
In recent trading, the
S&P 500 futures on
Globex
were unchanged at 1362, about 2 points above
fair value and suggesting some strength for Tuesday's start. The
Nasdaq 100 Securities
were ahead 3 to 2,484, about 3 points above fair value and suggesting a positive start for the Nasdaq tomorrow.
This information is provided by Instinet, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reuters (RTRSY) . For further information, please contact Instinet at www.instinet.com.
Island ECN, owned by Datek Online, offers trading, mainly in Nasdaq-listed stocks, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.
Confused?
TheStreet.com
explains how the rules change when the sun goes down in Investing Basics: Night Owl, a section devoted to after-hours trading.
