STOCKS TO WATCH: Advanced Radio Telecom, Harmonic, Lucent and WebMD
Expect the following technology stocks to be among Tuesday's most actively traded issues: Advanced Radio Telecom, Harmonic, Lucent and WebMD.
Keep an eye on Advanced Radio Telecom Tuesday after it posted a smaller-than-expected loss in its third quarter but its total sales fell 32 percent from the year-ago quarter.
In the quarter, the provider of broadband services to carriers and service providers posted a loss, excluding charges, of $10.4 million, or 49 cents a share, on sales of $243,000.
First Call Corp. consensus expected the Bellevue, Wash. company to lose 72 cents a share in the quarter.
Its shares closed off 16 cents to $4.38 ahead of the results.
In the year-ago quarter, it lost $8.9 million, or 66 cents a share, on sales of $359,000.
Including a variety of one-time charges, Advanced Radio Telecom posted a net loss of $16.3 million, or $1.71 a share.
It just keeps getting worse for the communications-equipment maker.
After the bell Monday, Harmonic restated its third-quarter financial results, resulting in loss of $5.5 million, or 10 cents a share, in the quarter.
It said one of its broadband access customers returned $4.1 million in products.
Company officials said the customer decided to significantly reduce the scope and delay the timing of certain network construction projects. To maintain their relationship, Harmonic agreed to the return.
Its shares finished off 50 cents to $14.50 ahead of the announcement.
It now says it posted a loss of $5.5 million, or 10 cents a share, on sales of $68.2 million.
It previously said it lost $4.6 million, or 8 cents a share, on sales of $72.3 million, excluding various charges.
The third-quarter earnings were already a disappointment to investors as analysts were originally expecting a profit of 12 cents a share in the quarter.
Harmonic shares raced up to a 52-week high of $157.50 in March before collapsing to a low of $9.50 in October.
Lucent will be active after announcing after the bell Monday that it's going to sell its power systems business to Tyco (NYSE: TYC) for $2.5 billion in cash.
The unit, which makes power products for telecommunications service providers and the computer industry, has about 4,700 workers.
The sale is part of Lucent's effort to focus on its wireless and Internet businesses and shed non-core units. Lucent will purchase products from the unit under a multiyear supply agreement with Tyco.
Ahead of the announcement, Lucent shares closed up 88 cents to $22.75 before moving up to $23.19 in after-hours trading. Tyco shares closed off $1.25 to $52.94.
Tyco, which makes products ranging from undersea telecommunications networks to fire protection systems and disposable medical products, said it expects the deal to immediately boost its profits. To fund the acquisition, Tyco said it launched a zero-coupon convertible debt offering with anticipated gross proceeds of about $2 billion.
The deal is expected to close by year's end.
WebMD could take some hits Tuesday after it posted a wider-than-expected loss in its third quarter, losing $65.8 million, or 27 cents a share, on sales of $151.2 million.
Analysts were predicting a loss of 22 cents a share in the quarter.
Its shares closed off $1 to $10.13 ahead of the earnings report.
In the year-ago quarter, the online health services site posted a loss of $55.5 million, or 28 cents a share, on sales of $28.7 million.