STOCKS TO WATCH: About.com, AMD, Check Point, Citrix and Qualcomm

About.com should take off Thursday after it posted a smaller-than-expected loss in its second quarter, losing $5.9 million, or 33 cents a share, on sales of $20.1 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected the Internet directory firm to lose 39 cents a share in the quarter.

Ahead of the earnings report, About.com shares closed off 3 1/2 to 28 1/4.

The $20.1 million in sales marks a stunning 443 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it lost $20.4 million, or $1.69 a share, on sales of $3.7 million.

In the quarter, About.com said 44.9 million users visited its site in June, up from 36.3 million in March. Average daily page views surged to 23 million in June, up 80 percent from 12.8 million in March.

AMD shares should move higher Thursday after the chipmaker posted strong sales and earnings in its second quarter and announced a 2-for-1 stock split.

AMD earned $207.1 million, or $1.21 a share, on sales of $1.17 billion, topping the Street estimate by 7 cents a share.

AMD shares closed up 15/16 to 91 15/16 ahead of the earnings report.

The $1.17 billion is sales was up 7 percent sequentially and up 97 percent year-over-year. Sales of PC processors rose 106 percent and flash memory increased 118 percent from a year earlier. The memory group's sales rose more than 10 percent sequentially.

Despite recently voiced worries from a prominent Salomon Smith Barney analyst concerned about the flash memory market's growth, AMD remains optimistic about that field. Growth will stay strong, the company said.

Check Point should fire on all cylinders Thursday after easily topping analysts' estimates in its second quarter, earning $43.7 million, or 50 cents a share, on sales of $90.7 million.

A survey of analysts by First Call Corp. pegged the Internet security software developer for a profit of 42 cents a share in the quarter.

Ahead of the earnings report, its shares plunged 25 11/16, or 10 percent, to 224 7/8. In after-hours trading, the stock moved up to 233 1/2.

The $90.7 million in sales marks an 81 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it earned $21.5 million, or 27 cents a share, on sales of $50.1 million.

It will be interesting to see how Wall Street reacts to Citrix Systems' second-quarter results.

It managed to meet analysts' reduced estimates, earning $20.8 million, or 10 cents a share, on sales of $106.1 million.

First Call Corp. consensus pegged Citrix for a profit of 10 cents a share.

Analysts originally expected Citrix to earn 16 cents a share in the quarter but lowered their estimates after the software developer warned
that its second-quarter sales and earnings would be lower than expected.

The $106.1 million in sales represents a 12 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it earned $30.2 million, or 16 cents a share, on sales of $94.4 million.

Qualcomm met analysts' estimates in its latest quarter Wednesday, earning $218 million, or 27 cents a share, on sales of $714 million, in line with most analysts' estimates.

First Call Corp. consensus predicted the mobile telephone technology firm would earn 27 cents a share in the quarter.

Ahead of the earnings report, Qualcomm shares closed off 2 1/8 to 63.

The $714 million in sales represents an 11 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it made $155.7 million, or 22 cents a share, on sales of $645 million.

Last quarter, Qualcomm checked in with a profit of $209 million, or 26 cents a share, on sales of $649 million.