STOCKS TO WATCH: GoAmerica, Ingram Micro, PictureTel, Salon.com and Sapient

GoAmerica could make some noise Wednesday after it posted a smaller-than-expected loss in its second quarter Tuesday, losing $10 million, or 22 cents a share, on sales of $2 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected it to lose 23 cents a share in the quarter.

The $2 million in sales marks a 300 percent jump from the year-ago quarter when it lost $1.9 million, or 9 cents a share, on sales of $514,000.

GoAmerica shares closed off 1 1/8 to 10 5/8 ahead of the earnings report.

The computer wholesaler will be active after it slipped past analysts' estimates in its second quarter, earning $33.2 million, or 22 cents a share, on sales of $7.3 billion.

First Call Corp. consensus expected Ingram Micro to earn 21 cents a share in the quarter.

Total sales in the quarter rose 7 percent to $7.3 billion compared to the second quarter in 1999. U.S. sales grew 4 percent to $4.46 billion and European sales rose by 7 percent to $1.71 billion.

In the quarter, gross profit margins improved by 26 points from the previous quarter to 4.96 percent of net sales. Total inventory fell by 26 percent from the end of fiscal 1999 to $2.55 billion.

Its shares closed up 5/8 to 18 3/4 ahead of the earnings report.

PictureTel will be active after it predicted it would reach profitability sometime in 2001. However, between now and then it still expects to post some hefty losses.

Company officials said it expects its third-quarter losses to decline by 25 percent to 50 percent from the second quarter and sees fourth quarter losses down 50 percent sequentially.

This news came on the heels of its disappointing second-quarter earnings report.

In the quarter, PictureTel posted a loss of $29 million on sales of $61 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected it to lose 49 cents a share in the quarter.

Including one-time charges, PictureTel lost $38 million, or 93 cents a share.

After the bell Tuesday, the company told Wall Street to expect sales of between $70 million to $78 million and in the range of $75 million to $83 million in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.

PictureTel said a letter of intent has been received from an unidentified third party to acquire the company's Starlight division, and expected the sale to be completed in the third quarter, subject to completion of appropriate documentation. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Salon.com looks to gain ground Wednesday after it topped analysts' estimates in its first quarter, posting a loss of $4.5 million, or 36 cents a share, on sales of $1.8 million.

That $1.8 million in sales marks a 75 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter.

Company officials said June's traffic of 2.5 million was 92 percent higher than 1.3 million a year earlier, but 26 percent lower from March.

The company delivered 451 million ad impressions in June, compared to 482 million in March and 159 million a year ago. Salon.com reduced marketing expenses during the quarter as the company moved to cut costs in the wake of a fourth quarter that saw wider-than-expected losses.

Its shares closed up 1/8 to 1 1/2 ahead of the earnings report.

Sapient shares should take off Wednesday after it easily beat the Street in its second quarter and announced a 2-for-1 stock split.

In the quarter, Sapient earned $15.6 million, or 23 cents a share, on sales of $125.8 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected the Internet consultant and services provider to earn 20 cents a share in the quarter.

Its shares closed off 9 7/8 to 103 7/8 ahead of the earnings report.

The $125.8 million in sales marks a 96 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it earned $8.2 million, or 13 cents a share, on sales of $64.2 million.