Among the companies whose shares are expected to actively trade
in Friday's session are MetLife Inc. (MET), Coinstar Inc. (CSTR)
and Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS).
MetLife's third-quarter profit surged thanks to a massive
derivative gain and a jump in investment income. Shares rose 3.7%
to $37 in after-hours trading as the biggest U.S. life insurer's
operating results easily topped Wall Street expectations.
Coinstar's third-quarter earnings rose 90% on continued strength
from its Redbox movie- and videogame-rental kiosks, and the company
outlined plans to raise prices on its DVD rentals. Coinstar shares
slid 10% to $47.68 in after-hours trading on concerns about a weak
per-share outlook for the current quarter and the DVD rental price
increase.
Las Vegas Sands's third-quarter profit surged as strong revenue
in Asia drove higher margins, particularly at the casino operator's
Singapore property. Shares climbed 4.3% to $47.35 after hours on
the stronger-than-expected results.
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) posted better-than-expected
third-quarter sales and fourth-quarter guidance as the chip maker
experienced robust demand for its notebook chips. Shares jumped 11%
to $5.89 after hours.
Baidu Inc.'s (BIDU) third-quarter earnings jumped 80% as China's
Internet-search leader continued to gain more users and bolstered
the revenue it gleaned from each one. The company's American
depositary shares jumped 7.6% to $148.90 after hours.
Electronic Arts Inc.'s (ERTS) fiscal second-quarter loss widened
as the videogame maker reported higher expenses and lower margins.
Shares fell 2.6% to $23.87 after-hours.
Leggett & Platt Inc.'s (LEG) third-quarter profit rose a
modest 5.3% as pricing pressure and higher expenses offset the
benefit of stronger-than-expected sales. Shares fell 5.8% to $22.20
after hours as the company cut its full-year guidance.
VeriSign Inc.'s (VRSN) third-quarter profit slid 92% over a
prior-year period, significantly boosted by a sale of the company's
authentification business, although core results exceeded
expectations. Shares were up 2.4% at $33.17 in after-hours
trading.
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.'s (CLF) third-quarter profit rose
98% due to higher pricing and sales volumes in the company's iron
ore business. Shares jumped 8.4% to $73.15 after hours.
Southwestern Energy Co.'s (SWN) third-quarter profit rose 9% as
production continued to climb in its Fayetteville and Marcellus
shale operations. Shares rose after the natural-gas producer again
raised its full-year production guidance, with the stock up 3.1% at
$43.88 after hours.
Watch List:
CBRE Group Inc.'s (CBG) third-quarter profit rose 12% on higher
property and leasing revenue.
Cerner Corp.'s (CERN) third-quarter profit rose 30% as bookings
saw double-digit gains and revenue beat guidance.
Dun & Bradstreet Corp. (DNB) third-quarter earnings grew
3.4% as the business-information provider continued to report
surging international sales.
Eastman Chemical Co.'s (EMN) third-quarter earnings fell 2.9% on
acquisition- and restructuring-related charges, though higher
selling prices helped boost revenue.
Moody's Investors Services upgraded its credit ratings on Ford
Motor Co. (F) and General Motors Co. (GM) one notch closer to
investment grade territory Thursday, citing the automakers' strong
positions in North America and improved credit metrics.
Flowserve Corp.'s (FLS) third-quarter profit grew 3.7% on higher
revenue and bookings, though margins fell.
Gilead Sciences Inc.'s (GILD) second-quarter profit rose 5.1% as
the biopharmaceutical company's antiviral products drove revenue
growth.
HealthSouth Corp.'s (HLS) third-quarter earnings rose 79% as the
company reported increased revenue and a sharply higher
contribution from discontinued operations.
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) said Thursday it will keep its
personal-computer division, backing away from its prior plan to
explore a spinoff of the unit into a standalone company, after a
new evaluation found that a spinoff would be too costly.
Computer-equipment distributor Ingram Micro Inc.'s (IM)
third-quarter earnings fell 64% due to a combination of higher
expenses, weaker margins and charges.
KLA-Tencor Corp.'s (KLAC) fiscal first-quarter earnings rose 25%
as the semiconductor-equipment maker's increased sales offset a
weaker margin.
Lexmark International Inc. (LXK) said Thursday its board of
directors has approved a regular quarterly cash dividend program,
joining a growing list of companies that have launched or stepped
up such payout programs in an effort to woo investors.
Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (MMI) increased sales of
smartphones by 9.1%, helping to narrow its third-quarter loss, even
as shipments of its much-touted Xoom tablet ground nearly to a
halt.
NCR Corp.'s (NCR) third-quarter earnings fell 81% as acquisition
and pension costs weighed on the bottom line. The company lifted
its adjusted earnings guidance for the year.
PMC-Sierra Inc.'s (PMCS) third-quarter earnings soared amid a
big gain as the the chip maker also reported stronger revenue.
Republic Services Inc.'s (RSG) third-quarter earnings rose 44%
as the trash company recorded slightly higher revenue and improved
margins.
SanDisk Corp. (SNDK) said its board authorized the repurchase of
up to $500 million of stock over five years, joining a growing list
of companies putting their cash to use to help build investors'
confidence.
-Edited by Caitlin Nish and Corrie Driebusch; write to
caitlin.nish@dowjones.com and corrie.driebusch@dowjones.com