STOCKS TO WATCH: Homestore.com, High Speed Access, Jupiter Communications and Peapod

Homestore.com should gain ground Thursday after it topped analysts' estimates in its first quarter, losing $10 million, or 14 cents a share, on sales of $38.6 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected the online real estate site to lose 16 cents a share in the quarter.

Its shares fell 1 13/16 to 23 1/8 Wednesday.

The $38.6 million in sales represents a 271 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it posted a loss of $17.2 million, or 31 cents a share, on sales of $10.4 million.

Including a variety of stock-based and amortization charges, Homestore.com lost $29.2 million, or 39 cents a share, in the quarter.

Company officials credited a surge in professional subscription sales for the upside surprise.

High Speed Access will be on the move Thursday after it topped analysts' estimates in its first quarter, losing $27.7 million, or 51 cents a share, on sales of $2 million.

A survey of analysts by First Call Corp. predicted the high-speed Internet access provider would lose 53 cents a share in the quarter.

Its shares closed up 1 3/4, or 21 percent, to 10 1/8 ahead of the earnings report but moved up to 11 1/16 in after-hours trading.

The $2 million in sales marks a 567 percent jump from the year-ago quarter when it lost $113.8 million, or $18.35 a share, on sales of $300,000.

"We begin 2000 with a solid foundation for continued growth," said CEO Dan O'Brien in a prepared release.

Its shares hit a 52-week high of 49 3/16 in July before swooning to a low of 5 3/8 in April.

All four analysts tracking the stock rate it either a "buy" or "strong buy."

Analysts expect it to lose $1.98 a share in the fiscal year.

Jupiter looks to make some healthy gains Thursday after it easily hurdled analysts' estimates in its first quarter, posting a profit of $11,000 on sales of $17.2 million.

First Call Corp. consensus pegged the Internet commerce research firm for a loss of 8 cents a share in the quarter.

Jupiter (Nasdaq: JPTR) shares closed off 1 1/8 to 25 7/8 ahead of the earnings report.

In the quarter, Jupiter's contract value jumped 232 percent to $50.5 million compared to $15.3 million in the year-ago quarter.

The number of client contracts for Jupiter's research services rose 125 percent to 1,158 from 514 in the year-ago quarter.

Including a $3.2 million after-tax gain from the sale of its interest in Methodfive Inc., Jupiter earned $3.2 million, or 20 cents a share, in the quarter.

The online grocer could be in for another rough trading day after it missed analysts' estimates in its first quarter Wednesday, posting a loss of $8.6 million, or 47 cents a share, on sales of $24.9 million.

First Call Corp. consensus pegged Peapod for a loss of 46 cents a share in the quarter.

Its shares closed up 1/4 to 3 1/4 ahead of the earnings report.

On the bright side, the troubled company's sales improved 38 percent from the year-ago quarter when it lost $5 million, or 29 cents a share, on sales of $18 million.

Including what the company called "extraordinary expenses" of $4.1 million related to severance arrangements, investment transaction costs and other one-time events, Peapod lost $12.7 million, or 70 cents a share, in the quarter.

Four of the five analysts following the stock rate it a "hold."