Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in
Wednesday's session are Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFM), Symantec
Corp. (SYMC) and WebMD Health Corp. (WBMD).
Whole Foods Market's fiscal second-quarter profit rose 20% as
the supermarket chain reported a jump in sales, while also
announcing a two-for-one stock split. Shares rose 8.6% to $100.73
in after-hours trading as earnings beat Wall Street estimates and
its profit margin didn't decline as executives had previously
warned.
Symantec's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings fell 66% amid
restructuring-related expenses and other items, masking revenue
growth and rising operating margins at the security-software maker.
The company also initiated a quarterly dividend of 15 cents. Shares
slipped 6.2% to $23.55 in after-hours trading.
WebMD's chief executive stepped down after less than a year in
the post, while the online health-information provider said it was
in talks to acquire or partner with other companies. Shares in the
company rose 15% to $29.42 after hours, as it also narrowed its
first-quarter loss, raised its full-year guidance and gave a
second-quarter outlook above expectations.
Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (PXD) is proposing to buy all the
outstanding shares of Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners LP (PSE) it
doesn't already own through a stock-for-unit exchange that values
the company at about $1.1 billion. Shares of Pioneer Southwest, a
Delaware-limited partnership headquartered in Dallas, Texas, jumped
19% to $31.10 after hours.
Watchlist:
C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.'s (CHRW) first-quarter earnings
edged down 3% as the transportation and logistics company posted
higher costs that masked a rise in revenue.
CA Inc. (CA) Chief Executive Mike Gregoire vowed to expand his
company's customer base after the information-technology company
reported its fourth straight quarterly sales decline and warned of
continuing weakness through the rest of its fiscal year. The
Islandia, N.Y., software maker also said it will cut about 1,200
jobs and consolidate development sites to focus on higher-priority
products and streamline its sales force, though CA said it will
"backfill" many of those positions in other areas.
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is expecting a healthy bump in the
holidays, though its current quarter looks to be a tough one. The
Redwood City, Calif., game maker, which reported fourth-quarter
results Tuesday, said it expects earnings for its coming 2014
fiscal year to be $1.20 a share when adjusted for deferred revenue
from some games, among other items. That is well ahead of analyst
expectations of $1.10 a share.
Williams Cos. (WMB) first-quarter earnings fell 62% and gas
pipeline owner Williams Partners L.P.'s (WPZ) profit fell 21%, as
both were hurt by weaker natural-gas liquids margins. Williams Cos.
also lowered its 2013 per-share earnings estimate, citing weaker
margins that reflect higher natural-gas price and lower
natural-gas-liquids price assumptions. It now projects 73 cents a
share, from its previous outlook of 75 cents to $1.15.
Write to Debbie Cai at debbie.cai@dowjones.com
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