STOCKS TO WATCH: BMC Software, Inktomi, Resonate and Vitria

The enterprise software developer should get nice boost Thursday after it told investors to expect a rare upside surprise in its third quarter.

After missing analysts’ estimates in each of the past two quarter, BMC officials said Wednesday that it will post a profit of between 20 cents to 22 cents a share, including a 2-cent-a-share, one-time gain, in the quarter.

First Call Corp. consensus was expecting a profit of 16 cents a share in the quarter.

The company also said it expects third-quarter sales to come in between $375 million and $380 million.

Its shares closed up $2 to $15.63 ahead of the news.

BMC will report its third-quarter results after the bell on Jan. 18.

Inktomi will be worth watching Thursday after the company warned after the bell that it will miss analysts’ sales and earnings estimates in its first quarter.

Inktomi shares closed up $3.94, or 27 percent, to $18.50 ahead of the warning but fell more than $3 a share in after-hours trading.

The company blamed a slowdown in infrastructure spending for the weaker expectations. However, Inktomi believes the effect to be short term and the company is positioned well for the long run.

It now expects to earn a penny a share in the quarter on sales of between $80 million to $81 million, up more than 120 percent from the year-ago quarter but below the $89.4 million most analysts were expecting.

Inktomi also reports its first-quarter results on Jan. 18.

It could get ugly for Resonate Thursday after it joined Inktomi in warning that its fourth-quarter sales will fall short of analysts’ estimates.

Resonate shares closed up $1.69, or 18 percent, to $11.25 ahead of the warning.

Company officials said slowing information technology spending and delayed orders by both existing and prospective customers will result in fourth-quarter sales of between $5.1 million to $5.4 million.

Resonate now expects to post a loss of between 25 cents to 28 cents a share in the quarter, not terribly far off the First Call Corp. consensus estimate calling for a loss of 26 cents a share.

However, analysts were expecting sales of around $7 million in the quarter.

All five analysts following the stock rate it either a “buy” or “strong buy.”

The business software vendor will be active Thursday after it warned of a fourth-quarter loss of 1 to 3 cents a share, excluding special charges, on sales of $39 million to $41 million.

First Call Corp. consensus expected it to earn a penny a share in the quarter on sales of $47.4 million.

After closing up $1.69, or 27 percent, to $8 Wednesday, the stock fell to $5.25 in after-hours trading.

Company executives blamed the fourth quarter shortfall on softer demand in the telecom industry, which provides much of Vitria's business.

"An unexpectedly high number of our customers and prospects postponed or cancelled their purchasing decision in the last few days of the quarter," said JoMei Chang, president and CEO, in a prepared release.