STOCKS TO WATCH: Advanced Fibre, Apple, Comverse and Integrated Silicon

Advanced Fibre officials hope Tuesday's reiteration of its fourth-quarter sales and earnings targets will spark its shares Wednesday.

The stock closed off $2.50, or 11 percent, to a 52-week low of $20 ahead of the statement.

Company officials said it expects to record sales of between $115 million to $118 million, roughly flat with the third quarter, and earnings of 16 cents a share.

First Call Corp. consensus is looking for 16 cents a share in the quarter.

Last quarter, it earned $12.9 million, or 15 cents a share, on sales of $114.1 million.

The stock moved as high as $89.38 in March before falling to Tuesday's low.

Ten of the 13 analysts tracking the stock maintain either a "buy" or "strong buy" recommendation.

Apple's going to take more abuse Wednesday after it warned that it will post a first-quarter loss of between $225 million to $250 million on sales of only $1 billion.

Analysts were expecting a profit of 3 cents a share on sales closer to $1.6 billion.

CFO Fred Anderson also slashed his full-year revenue forecast. Anderson now sees fiscal 2001 revenue of $6 billion to $6.5 million, down at least 13 percent from the company's previous target of $7.5 billion to $8 billion in sales. That earlier target was itself reduced from prior expectations.

Apple saw "significantly slower than expected" sales in the first two months of the quarter, in all parts of the world. The company blamed the expected loss on the revenue shortfall and charges for cancelled orders of components.

Its shares closed up 31 cents to $17 ahead of the news but fell to $14 in after-hours trading.

This one could be on the rise Wednesday after easily topping analysts' estimates in its third quarter, earning $68.4 million, or 38 cents a share, on sales of $319 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected it to earn 36 cents a share in the quarter.

Its shares closed up $3.25 to $99 ahead of the earnings report.

The $319 million in sales marks a 27 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it earned $45 million, or 28 cents a share, on sales of $232.9 million.

All 16 analysts following the stock rate it either a "buy" or "strong buy."

First Call Corp. consensus expects it to earn $1.41 a share in the fiscal year.

Expect a jump from ISSI Wednesday after it said it expects to post sales of between $63 million to $65 million in its first quarter, slightly better than the $60 million to $62 million it previously expected.

Its shares closed up $1.25 to $9.31 ahead of the news.

"December will establish a new revenue record for ISSI," said CEO Jimmy Lee said in a prepared release. "Sequential quarterly revenue growth is now expected to be in the 26 percent to 30 percent range."

Last quarter, the Santa Clara, Calif. company posted a profit of $11.7 million, or 41 cents a share, on sales of $50.1 million.

Its shares peaked at $41.81 in June before falling to a low of $7.19 last month.

Three of the four analysts following the stock rate it either a "buy" or "strong buy."

Analysts are predicting a profit of $1.90 a share in the fiscal year.