Stock Market

Stocks to Watch: Stocks to watch: Oracle, Smith & Wesson, Family Dollar

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Friday’s session are Oracle Corp., Smith & Wesson Holding Corp., and Family Dollar Stores Inc.

After Thursday’s closing bell, Oracle
ORCL,
-0.80%

 said its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell to $3.65 billion from $3.81 billion a year earlier. Per-share earnings were unchanged at 80 cents a share while adjusted earnings came in at 92 cents a share, short of 95 cents a share forecast by analysts in a FactSet survey. Revenue rose $11.3 billion from $10.95 billion. Oracle shares declined more than 6% in after-hours trading.

Smith & Wesson
US:SWHC
 reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $25.1 million, or 45 cents a share, compared with $25.2 million, or 39 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue fell to $170.4 million from $178.7 million. In the current quarter, the company expects to earn between 23 cents and 25 cents a share and between $1.30 and $1.40 a share for the full year. Analysts are projecting earnings of $1.50 a share for the full year. Shares of Smith & Wesson dropped 12% in after hours.

Activist investor Carl Icahn released a letter to Family Dollar Stores’ Chief Executive Howard Levine in which he noted their differences over the future of the company. Icahn, who holds a 9.4% stake in the discount retailer chain, believes the company can do more to be competitive and warned that “consolidation in this space is inevitable.” Shares of Family Dollar
US:FDO
 rose 2.7% in after hours.

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