STOCKS TO WATCH: ADC Telecom, Agilent, Autodesk and Portal Software

ADC Telecom shares should rise Friday after it topped analysts' estimates in its third quarter, earning $127 million, or 17 cents a share, on record sales of $891 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected it to earn 15 cents a share in the quarter.

Ahead of the earnings report, its shares closed up 2 11/16 to 44 1/4.

The $891 million in sales marks a 67 percent jump from the year-ago quarter when it earned $48 million, or 7 cents a share, on sales of $535 million.

In the quarter, sales of its broadband connectivity products improved 120 percent while broadband access and transport sales and integrated solutions sales increased 19 percent and 35 percent, respectively.

International sales rose 59 percent from the year-ago quarter to $191 million, or 21 percent of the company's total sales in the quarter.

Agilent will be very interesting to watch Friday after it clobbered the consensus estimate that it helped set by issuing a profit warning earlier in the quarter.

In the quarter, it earned $155 million, or 33 cents a share, on sales of $2.7 billion.

First Call Corp. consensus expected it to earn 20 cents a share in the quarter.

Its shares closed up 3 to 46 1/2 ahead of the earnings report.

In the year-ago quarter, Agilent earned $135 million, or 29 cents a share, on sales of $2.1 billion.

Autodesk also topped analysts' estimates in its second quarter, earning $25.3 million, or 43 cents a share, on sales of $226.3 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected it to earn 41 cents a share in the quarter.

Its shares fell 1 to 23 15/16 ahead of the earnings report.

The $226.3 million in sales marks a 12 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it pocketed $5.7 million, or 9 cents a share, on sales of $202.9 million.

Last quarter, Autodesk hurdled analysts' estimates when it posted a profit of $30.2 million, or 48 cents a share, on sales of $223.2 million.

Its shares hustled up to a 52-week high of 56 1/16 in March after falling to a low of 17 in October.

Portal Software should move higher Friday after easily beating the consensus estimate in its second quarter.

The Internet software developer raked in $5.6 million, or 3 cents a share, on sales of $64.5 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected it to earn 1 cent a share in the quarter.

Its shares closed up 1 3/8 to 57 1/2 ahead of the earnings report.

The $64.5 million in sales represents a 210 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it lost $800,000, or a penny a share, on sales of $20.8 million.

"Second quarter performance reflects Portal's ability to sustain growth and profitability, as well as expand our market position," said CEO John Little in a prepared release.

Its shares moved up to a 52-week high of 86 in February after falling to a low of 19 1/8 in September.

All 13 analysts tracking the stock rate it either a "buy" or "strong buy."

First Call Corp. consensus expects the Cupertino, Calif. company to earn 7 cents a share in the fiscal year.