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STOCKS TO WATCH: Barnesandnoble.com, eToys and Expedia

2 min read

Expect the following technology stocks to be among Tuesday's most actively traded issues: Barnesandnoble.com, eToys and Expedia.

  • Barnesandnoble.com (Nasdaq: BNBN)

    The online bookseller will be active after it met analysts' estimates in its third quarter, losing $36.9 million, or 25 cents a share, on sales of $74.1 million.

    First Call Corp. consensus expected it to lose 25 cents a share in the quarter.

    Its shares closed up 0.60 to 4.25 ahead of the earnings report.

    The $74.1 million in sales marks a 58 percent jump from the year-ago quarter, when it lost $21.9 million, or 15 cents a share, on sales of $47 million.

    Gross profit margins moved up to 20.1 percent in the quarter, up from 15.5 percent in the second quarter.

    It added another 760,000 customers in the quarter, bringing its total to more than 6.3 million.

  • eToys (Nasdaq: ETYS)

    The online retailer should see some action after it topped analysts' estimates by a couple cents a share in its second quarter but still posted a loss of $41.8 million, or 33 cents a share, on sales of $26 million.

    First Call Corp. consensus expected the online retailer to lose 35 cents a share in the quarter.

    Its shares closed off 0.90 to 3.75 ahead of the earnings report.

    The $26 million in sales marks a 95 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it lost $32.1 million, or 27 cents a share, on sales of $13.3 million.

    In the quarter, eToys increased its gross profit margins to 22.5 percent from 21.9 percent in the first quarter.

    Company officials said that it expects its quarterly loss to narrow year over year for the first time next quarter and continue narrowing year over year for all subsequent quarters until breakeven in fiscal 2002.

  • Expedia (Nasdaq: EXPE)

    Expedia will be worth watching after it posted a smaller-than-expected loss in its first quarter.

    It also said it should turn a profit by the second quarter of fiscal 2002.

    The company, which is 70-percent owned by Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) reported an operating loss, excluding non-cash charges, of 4 cents a share.

    Analysts were expecting a loss of 26 cents a share in the quarter.

    Expedia said it expected its operating loss to increase next quarter as it increases its investment in sales and marketing, but still expects its $122 million in cash to last until it becomes profitable.

    Its shares lost 1.13 to 9.06 ahead of the earnings report.