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CNNfn market movers
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February 26, 1999: 2:34 p.m. ET
Cold analysts' comments chill out tech stocks; Micron takes a hit
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Cold words from several Wall Street market experts sent technology stocks down Friday, adding to the day's dose of earnings disappointments and deal news.
Among the leading losers, shares of Micron Technology (MU) shed 9-3/8, or more than 14 percent, to 57-7/16 after Goldman Sachs removed the company from its "recommended list," now seeing the company as a "market performer."
Even better-than-expected earnings and smaller-than-predicted losses failed to rescue tech and Internet shares among a massive pre-weekend exodus from the sector.
Shares of Novell (NOVL), the second-largest network software maker, lost 1-1/4 to 19-5/8 even after late Thursday the company said it earned 8 cents a share, in line with market expectations.
Lycos (LCOS) saw its stock shed 2-15/16 to 90-1/16. The Web portal reported a fiscal second-quarter loss per share of 3 cents, a penny less that Wall Street had predicted.
The only notable exception to the overall negative trend came from financial-software maker Intuit (INTU), whose fiscal second-quarter earnings per share came in 4 cents above expectations. Intuit shares gained 2-7/16 to 92.
Joining Intuit on the way up, shares of Datum (DATM), a maker of telecommunications equipment, jumped 1-1/2, or more than 22 percent, to 8-1/4 after the company reported a profit of 1 cent a share where Wall Street had expected a loss of 7 cents.
However Laser Vision Center (LVCI), provider of laser equipment for eye surgery, lost 2-1/8 to 28 even after the company said its fiscal third-quarter revenue more than doubled and earnings per share came in at 12 cents, 4 cents more than analysts had bet on.
Also in the losing corner, drug delivery systems maker Anesta (NSTA) saw its stock drop 1-3/8 to 19-7/8. It reported a loss of $1.59 a share for the full year 1998, more than it lost a year earlier and 21 cents above consensus estimates.
Buyer beware
In the day's other news, shares of Fore Systems (FORE) tumbled 2-5/8, or more than 15 percent, to 14-11/16 after the network equipment maker revealed it had bought closely held Irish firm Euristix Ltd. for about $81 million in stock, a transaction completed through the issuance of 5 million Fore shares and stock options in exchange for all outstanding Euristix shares and stock options.
News of strong sales helped lift shares of Starbucks (SBUX), the nations premier coffee retailer. Starbucks, which said same-store sales rose 6 percent in February, saw its shares rise 11/16 to 52.
One of Thursday's market gainers, Biomatrix (BXM), faced a reversal of fate, shedding 4-3/4 to 68-1/4. The stock had been climbing amid optimism about the company's future performance. Biomatrix started rallying Wednesday after the company gave a bullish growth outlook and detailed an aggressive marketing campaign for its lead product -- a treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee. BancBoston Robertson Stevens raised its earnings estimates for the company after the Food and Drug Administration approved a new plant that would quadruple Biometrix's production of its knee product, Synvisc.
IPOs ignore broader market weakness
Finally, nothing could deter investors from snapping up some hot brand new issues, especially shares of pcOrder.com (PCOR).
Stock in the maker of applications for e-commerce firms soared to 48-1/2 in its first day of trading after its initial public offering priced at 21.
Another Web-related company making its debut on the market Friday attracted only a smaller crowd of buyers. Shares of Intraware (ITRA), an Internet marketer of software and services for information technology professionals, rose 20-1/4 after pricing at 16. 
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