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Strategies & Market Trends : Market Gems:Stocks w/Strong Earnings and High Tech. Rank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gregg Sterner who wrote (27057)	3/11/1999 7:02:00 PM
From: kendall harmon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 120523

HBIX bloomberg story after the close. Huge 135,000 block buy at 9 after the close suggests a bounce tomorrow is highly likely. Hagler Bailly Shares Drop as Lower Earnings Are Seen (Update1) Hagler Bailly Shares Drop as Lower Earnings Are Seen (Update1) (Closes shares, adds analyst comment paragraphs 5 and 6.) Arlington, Virginia, March 10 (Bloomberg) -- Hagler Bailly Inc.'s shares fell as much as 55 percent after the consulting company said it expects first-quarter earnings to fall well below analysts' estimates. Shares of the Arlington, Virginia-based company fell 8 15/16 to 8 1/16 as 4,757,300 shares were traded, more than 42 times the average daily volume of 112,017. Earlier, the shares dropped to a 52-week low of 7 11/16. Hagler said that based on the first two months of the year, it expects to earn 5 cents to 10 cents a share in the first quarter, compared with 17 cents in the same period last year. Four analysts surveyed by First Call Corp. had forecast the company would earn 25 cents. Revenue is expected to be unchanged from last year's $23.6 million, the company said. The lower projection ''is definitely'' causing the drop in the share price, said James C. Yin, an analyst at Brean Murray & Co. Yin said he expects revenue growth to remain low in the near future. Hagler provides consulting services to companies in the energy, telecommunications and environmental industries. It told analysts that difficulty starting its joint venture with France's Cap Gemini SA, as well as a delay in starting government contracts, is contributing the earnings shortfall, said Tucker Anthony Inc. analyst William Becklean. In addition, the company's operations in Argentina are having trouble, he said. Becklean said he's dropping his recommendation to ''market perform'' from ''strong buy'' and revising 1999 earnings expectations to 65 cents a share from his original $1.15 forecast. Hagler also said pro forma fourth-quarter net income rose to $4.1 million, or 24 cents a share, from $978,000, or 6 cents, a year earlier. It was expected to earn 23 cents, the average estimate of five analysts polled by First Call. Hagler bought five companies last year and more than doubled its consulting staff. Company spokesmen couldn't be reached for comment.