STOCKS TO WATCH: AppNet, Credence Systems, Harbinger and Xpedior

AppNet figures to be on the move Thursday after it hurdled analysts' estimates in its fourth quarter, earning $2 million, or 5 cents a share, on sales of $34.9 million.

First Call consensus expected the e-commerce marketing firm to earn 4 cents a share in the quarter.

AppNet shares closed up 2 1/4 to 51 3/8 ahead of the earnings report.

The $34.9 million in sales represents a 60 percent jump from the year-ago quarter when it lost 7 cents a share on sales of $21.8 million.

For the year, it pocketed $5 million, or 7 cents a share, on sales of $112.3 million, up 62 percent from fiscal 1998 when it lost 9 cents a share on sales of $69.2 million.

Expect Credence shares to take off Thursday after it shattered analysts' estimates in its first quarter, pocketing $16.9 million, or 71 cents a share, on sales of $101.8 million.

First Call consensus expected the maker of automatic test equipment for the semiconductor industry to earn 52 cents a share in the quarter.

Credence shares closed up 4 1/4 to a 52-week high of 103 1/4 ahead of the earnings report.

In the quarter, Credence posted gross profit margins of 57.7 percent, up from 42.3 percent in the year-ago quarter.

The $101.8 million in sales marks a 284 percent improvement from the year-ago quarter when it lost $6.6 million, or 32 cents a share, on sales of $26.5 million.

First Call consensus expects it to earn $2.60 a share in the fiscal year.

Harbinger will see lots of action Thursday after the business-to-business software developer met Street estimates in its fourth quarter, raking in $2.7 million, or 7 cents a share, on sales of $42.4 million.

Analysts raised their collective estimate to 7 cents a share earlier this quarter after Harbinger pre-announced better-than-expected sales.

Its shares closed off 1 1/16 to 23 ahead of the earnings report.

"We completed another record quarter and we are beginning to see the results of a full-year's focus on our key operational initiatives," said CEO James Travers in a prepared release.

The $42.4 million in sales marks a 16 percent improvement from the year-ago period when it earned $3.3 million, or 8 cents a share, on sales of $36.5 million.

For the year, Harbinger pulled in $10.7 million, or 26 cents a share, on sales of $108.7 million compared to a profit of $15.3 million, or 36 cents a share, on sales of $88 million in fiscal 1998.

Xpedior also topped analysts' estimates in its fourth quarter, losing $6.9 million, or 16 cents a share, on sales of $40.6 million.

Its shares closed off 2 3/16 to 24 7/16 ahead of the earnings report.

First Call consensus expected the Internet consulting firm to lose 20 cents a share in the quarter.

In the year-ago quarter, it lost $300,000, or 1 cent a share, on sales of $29.4 million.

Company officials credited the 63 percent jump in sales to a healthy demand for e-business consulting, continued execution of Xpedior's strategic plan, an increase in consultant staff and a favorable pricing environment.

"We ended the calendar year with solid business momentum and expect our revenues to accelerate throughout the coming year," said CEO David Campbell in a prepared release.

Among the new projects initiated during the quarter, Xpedior said 26 are expected to exceed $1 million in revenue each and two of them are expected to exceed $10 million in revenue each.