By MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Wednesday's session are American Eagle Outfitters Inc., Men's Wearhouse Inc., and Gymboree Corp.
American Eagle /quotes/comstock/13*!aeo/quotes/nls/aeo (AEO 12.46, -0.14, -1.11%) is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings of 33 cents a share, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research.
Men's Wearhouse /quotes/comstock/13*!mw/quotes/nls/mw (MW 19.21, -0.07, -0.36%) is projected to post a fourth-quarter loss of 16 cents a share, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.
Gymboree /quotes/comstock/15*!gymb/quotes/nls/gymb (GYMB 43.21, -0.94, -2.13%) is estimated to report a profit of $1.10 a share in the fourth quarter, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research.
Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!plce/quotes/nls/plce (PLCE 43.83, -1.18, -2.62%) is forecast to post earnings of $1.03 a share in the fourth quarter, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research.
Hot Topic Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!hott/quotes/nls/hott (HOTT 5.40, -0.08, -1.46%) is expected to report earnings of 18 cents a share in the fourth quarter, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research.
After Tuesday's closing bell, InterMune Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!itmn/quotes/nls/itmn (ITMN 9.58, +0.02, +0.21%) shares got a boost after a Food and Drug Administration panel recommended the agency approve the biotech's Esbriet lung treatment. InterMune is trying to get marketing approval for Esbriet to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare and fatal lung disease that currently lacks an approved treatment. IPF affects about 200,000 people in the United States and Europe.
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Abbott Laboratories /quotes/comstock/13*!abt/quotes/nls/abt (ABT 48.98, -0.24, -0.49%) said it will acquire Facet Biotech Corp. /quotes/comstock/15*!fact (FACT 27.01, 0.00, 0.00%) for $27 a share. The total purchase price of $722 million includes $272 million of Facet's cash and securities, resulting in a net cost of about $450 million, Abbott said. In December, Facet turned down an unsolicited offer from Biogen Idec Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!biib/quotes/nls/biib (BIIB 56.53, +0.61, +1.09%) of $17.50 a share.
Collective Brands Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!pss/quotes/nls/pss (PSS 15.82, -0.15, -0.94%) , which owns Payless Shoe Source, reported Tuesday a fourth-quarter net loss of $10.9 million, or 17 cents a share, vs. a loss of $144 million, or $2.28 a share, a year ago. Excluding items, the loss in the most recent quarter came in at 18 cents a share. Sales rose to $741.7 million from $735.2 million. Analysts polled by FactSet Research were looking for a loss of 26 cents a share with sales of $726.3 million.
J. Crew Group Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!jcg/quotes/nls/jcg (JCG 35.42, -0.38, -1.06%) reported it swung to a fourth-quarter profit and issued a 2010 earnings forecast above Wall Street's expectations. J. Crew posted a profit of $40.4 million, or 61 cents a share. Sales rose 19% to $460.6 million. It lost $13.5 million, or 22 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Gross margin rose to 43.9% of sales from 27.6%, lifted by fewer markdowns and promotions. For 2010, J. Crew estimated a profit of $2.20 to $2.30 a share. Analysts are looking for $2.13, according to FactSet Research.
Navistar International Corp. /quotes/comstock/13*!nav/quotes/nls/nav (NAV 52.09, -0.38, -0.72%) reported a first-quarter profit of $17 million, or 23 cents a share, down from 48 million, or 67 cents a share, a year ago. Sales fell to $2.81 billion from $2.97 billion due to lower military orders. "First quarter results reflect the progress we are making in the toughest of economic conditions and in a normally difficult seasonal quarter for our company due to fewer operating days," Navistar Chairman and CEO Daniel Ustian said in a statement.
Staples Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!spls/quotes/nls/spls (SPLS 19.85, -0.13, -0.65%) said its board raised the quarterly cash dividend by 9% to 9 cents from 8.25 cents a share. The dividend will be paid on April 15 to shareholders of record on March 26.
More Stocks to Watch
| July 29, 2010 | Stocks to watch Friday: Merck, Chevron | |
| July 28, 2010 | Stocks to watch Thursday: Motorola, Kellogg | |
| July 27, 2010 | Stocks to watch Wednesday: ConocoPhillips | |
| July 27, 2010 | Stocks in focus Tuesday: Lockheed, Aflac, BP | |
| July 25, 2010 | Stocks to watch: Lorillard, Cal-Maine, Legg Mason |


















Jon Friedman
Media Web