Results for the tech stocks in last week's preview were a mixed bag, some beats, some misses, some in line. By and large, expectations for tech companies reporting results this week remain high, though. Here's what analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are anticipating in the way of earnings, as compared to the same period of the previous year.

• Solarfun Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: SOLF): $1.48 EPS (+73.0%) on sales of $1.3 billion (+171.0%)
• Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL): $0.21 EPS (+71.4%) on sales of $836.7 million (+27.4%)
• Solera Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SLH): $0.29 EPS (+51.7%) on sales of $137.0 million (+11.8%)
• Applied Signal Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: APSG): $0.14 EPS (+42.9%) on sales of $46.4 million (+17.4%)
• China Finance Online Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JRJC): $0.14 EPS (+42.6%) on sales of $13.3 million (+131.5%)
• OSI Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIS): $0.38 EPS (+36.8%) on sales of $162.0 million (+6.0%)
• LaBarge Inc. (AMEX: LB): $0.27 EPS (+33.3%) on sales of $71.6 million (+10.4%)
• Esterline Technologies Corp. (NYSE: ESL): $0.69 EPS (+11.6%) on sales of $374.6 million (+14.8%)
• Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL): $0.36 EPS (+11.1%) on sales of $15.9 billion (+7.8%)
• HEICO Corp. (NYSE: HEI): $0.46 EPS (+13.0%) on sales of $147.1 million (+10.5%)
• Daktronics Inc. (NASDAQ: DAKT): $0.17 EPS (flat) on sales of $141.5 million (+17.0%)
• Novell Inc. (NASDAQ: NOVL): $0.05 EPS (flat) on sales of $241.4 million (-0.7%)
• Omnivision Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI): $0.29 EPS (-17.1%) on sales of $172.5 million (-0.4%)
• Sigma Designs Inc. (NASDAQ: SIGM): $0.39 EPS (-18.8%) on sales of $58.7 million (+37.9%)

Continue reading The week in preview: Earnings expectations for techs, Canadian banks

The week in preview: Earnings expectations for techs, Canadian banks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are a few highlights of this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) reported a record quarter due in part to improved distribution.
• Blyth Inc. (NYSE: BTH) trounced EPS estimates and raised its guidance.
• ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) raised its earnings forecast for Q2 on strength in merchandising.
• Donaldson Co. (NYSE: DCI) beat estimates due to strength in international markets.
• J. Crew Group (NYSE: JCG) posted a solid quarter due to strength in both store and direct sales.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD) narrowed its loss, but foresees further store closures.
• Liquidity Services Inc. (NASDAQ: LQDT) posted a strong quarter, benefiting from the sluggish economy.
• Merck & Co. Inc.'s (NYSE: MRK) earnings forecasts for 2007 and 2008 fall short of expectations.
• Netezza Corp. (NYSE: NZ) beat expectations of both earnings and revenue.
• Palm Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) forecast a loss for the current quarter due to product delays.
• Royal Bank of Scotland's (NYSE: RBS) better-than-expected forecast buoyed European banks.
• SeaChange International (NASDAQ: SEAC) reported a profit when analysts expected a loss.
• Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) had a "blowout" quarter, beating even the most optimistic analyst.
• SkillSoft (NASDAQ: SKIL) beat expectations of both earnings and revenue.
• Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL) posted a lower-than-expected loss, its first quarterly loss in 21 years.

Also, Brian White looks at how loss of market share contributed to Dell Inc.'s (NASDAQ: DELL) recent results. Both Douglas McIntyre and Jim Cramer mull the effect on the cable industries of Comcast Corp.'s (NASDAQ: CMCSA) lowered guidance. And Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) is among retailers warning about earnings in the current quarter.

Upcoming results to watch for include: H&R Block (NYSE: HRB), Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), Costco (NASDAQ: COST), and Lehman Bros. (NYSE: LEH).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Revised forecasts for Merck, Comcast, Target, ConAgra originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) develops and markets high-performance system-on-a-chip semiconductors for Internet Protocol set-top boxes, DVD players/recorders, high definition TVs, digital media adapters, portable media players and ultra-wideband connectivity products. The company also offers engineering support services and customized chipset development. It has alliances with a variety of well-known tech names, including Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU).

Sigma Designs surprised the Street last week, when it reported Q3 EPS of 79 cents and revenues of $66.2 million. Analysts had been expecting 55 cents and $51.8 million. Management also guided Q4 revenues to about $72.8-$76.1 million ($54.76M consensus). RBC Capital Markets upgraded the shares to "outperform". Six other brokerages reiterated recommendations of "buy" to "strong buy". All seven firms boosted their price targets to points in the $75-100 range.

Continue reading Sigma Designs (SIGM) shares consolidate recent gain in bullish 'pennant'

Sigma Designs (SIGM) shares consolidate recent gain in bullish 'pennant' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"I use the term 'blowout' very sparingly," says tech expert Paul McWilliams in his Next Inning newsletter, which focuses solely on technology investing. "But even 'blowout' falls short of describing the quarter turned in by Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM)."

Indeed, the advisor notes, "I've likely described something as a 'blowout' less than ten times in the past five years. These 'waterfall' quarters don't happen often. As for Sigma, I didn't see this one coming and it's time to fix it.

"As background, SIGM makes media processor SoC (System on Chip) solutions for STB, BluRay and HD DVD, TV and various consumer devices that benefit from hooking into an IP video network.

"IPTV is an IP video network and, as a result of IPTV, we are putting these sorts of video networks in our homes. Roughly 77% of SIGM's sales last quarter were into IPTV STB applications.

"To give you an idea the magnitude of this recent surprise, SIGM's revenue for Q3 of this year (the October quarter) is closer to the forecasts most analysts had for Q4 next year than it was to what they were forecasting for the quarter just closed.

Continue reading Sigma Designs (SIGM): A 'blowout' quarter for media chips

Sigma Designs (SIGM): A 'blowout' quarter for media chips originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Nollenberger initiated shares of Gander Mountain Company (NASDAQ: GMTN) with a Sell rating and $5.00 target, and believes the company's goal of reaching profitability in 2007 could prove overly optimistic.
  
• Lev Pharmaceuticals (OTC: LEVP) was initiated with a Sector Outperformer rating and $3 target at CIBC, as the firm believes Cinryze will likely be approved in 1Q08 and they expect the company to have significant pricing leverage.
  
• JP Morgan resumed coverage of Intermune Inc (NASDAQ: ITMN) with an Overweight rating and expects shares to be driven by the company's pipeline in IPF and HCV.
  
• Aetna Incorporated (NYSE: AET) was initiated with an Outperform rating at Wachovia. The firm feels Aetna is positioned for better growth and higher quality earnings than its peers.
  
• William Blair started shares of Medco Health Solutions Inc (NYSE: MHS) with an Outperform rating, as they believe an aging population, rising health care costs, and an acceleration in new product introductions should increase demand for PBM services over the next five years.

• ABN Amro started shares of Siliconware Precision Industries Company Ltd (NASDAQ: SPIL) and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc (NYSE: ASX) with Buy ratings.
  
• Goldman initiated Silicon Image Inc (NASDAQ: SIMG) with a Sell rating and $4.50 target, and initiated Sigma Designs Inc (NASDAQ: SIGM) and SiRF Technology Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: SIRF) with Neutral ratings and a $43 target and $19 target, respectively.

Analyst initiations: GMTN, LEVP, ITMN, AET and MHS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The momo crowd is at it again," says Toby Smith. The editor of ChangeWave Investing and panelist on Fox & Friends explains, "Momentum buying (or momo investing) strategies always tend to bid the price of the stock up as it goes higher."

But once the stock starts to sell off, he notes, "sell triggers are pulled and the momo players begin serious selling -- and that selling feeds on itself." But for those not caught up in the momentum craze, he adds, "For us, this just presents a great buying opportunity."

In his view, one such situation in which momentum-selling has created a buying opportunity is Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM), a maker of processors for markets such as high-def and Internet protocol TVs.

He notes that in Sigma's case, there were two primary factors that caused momo investors to sell. First, he notes, the company recently brought out 'limited' financial results for fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year 2007, ending February 3.

He explains, "SIGM's quarterly revenue was up 197% to $31.2 million, from $10.5 million in the year-ago period; for the year, revenue grew 174% to $91.2 million, from $33.3 million in fiscal 2006.

"But amidst the good news was word of a delayed announcement of further financial results pending the completion of a review of Sigma's stock-option-granting practices." That, he says, was "strike one."

Continue reading Momentum investors sell Sigma; Toby Smith buys

Momentum investors sell Sigma; Toby Smith buys originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.