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STOCKS TO WATCH: ICG, Intuit, Puma and VA Linux

2 min read

Expect the following technology stocks to be among Friday's most actively traded issues: Internet Capital Group, Intuit and VA Linux.

  • Internet Capital Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ICGE)

    The Internet incubator figures to slide Friday after it posted a loss of 9 cents a share in its warned that it will report losses in many quarters for the foreseeable future.

    In the year-ago quarter, it posted a profit of 2 cents a share.

    Its shares closed at 119 1/8 in the regular session but slid to 108 in after-hours trading.

  • Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU)

    The financial software developer will also be headed south Friday after it met analysts' estimates in its latest quarter, earning $91.4 million, or 44 cents a share, on sales of $425.5 million.

    In the year-ago quarter, it earned $89 million, or 45 cents a share.

    Intuit said it was on track to increase earnings 20 percent for its fiscal year, in line with analysts' projections. The gains come despite increased competition to its TurboTax product from Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) and its TaxSaver offering.

    Intuit shares fell to 67 in after-hours trading Thursday after closing at 72 5/16 in regular trading.

  • Puma Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: PUMA)

    The maker of software for mobile devices named Stephen Meyer as president and chief operating officer. The company's second-quarter net income rose to 3 cents a share, compared with a 14 cent-loss a year earlier. Puma rose 7 to 136 at Thursday's close. The company alsoannounced a stock-split Wednesday.

  • VA Linux (Nasdaq: LNUX)

    VA Linux shares will retreat Friday after missing analysts' estimates in its second quarter, losing $11.5 million, or 50 cents a diluted share, on $8.4 million, excluding stock compensation charges. Based on a pro forma share count of 32.3 million shares, the operating loss comes out to be about 26 cents a share. On a basic and diluted share count of 23.3 million, VA Linux had an operating loss of 36 cents a share.

    First Call consensus expected it to lose 21 cents a share.

    The company also said its operating loss had $1 million in non-recurring non-cash charges associated with stock options issued for recruiting and marketing consulting services prior to its record-breaking IPO.

    Its shares fell 2 3/8 to close at 124 3/4 in the regular trading session but slipped to 115 in after-hours trading.>