Weyerhaeuser Company (WY: chart) announced before market open Friday that its third-quarter net profit surged to $82 million, or 37 cents a share, on sales of $5.2 billion. Results for the quarter ended September 29 were a six-fold increase from $13 million, or 6 cents a share, on sales of $4.9 billion, generated a year earlier. The Federal Way, Washington-based largest producer of softwood lumber in North America attributed the better performance to improved housing construction that caused lumber and wood panel prices to rise. Excluding charges Weyerhaeuser said earnings were 65 cents a share, ahead of the average analysts’ estimate of 54 cents a share.

The company raised its 2003 EPS estimate to $1.65 from its previous outlook of $1.45.

The stock dipped 29 cents to close Friday at $58.44. Company shares slipped 0.36% to $58.23 in after-hours trading.

Dana Corporation (DCN: chart), the Toledo, Ohio-based auto parts maker, reported Friday earnings of $61 million, or 41 cents a share, for its fiscal third quarter ended Sept. 30. For the same period a year ago, the company earned $4 million, or 2 cents a share. Excluding one-time charges, profit in this year’s third quarter was $43 million, or 29 cents a share, above analysts’ expectations for earnings of 26 cents a share. Dana said it benefited from a restructuring plan that was started two years ago.

Shares of Dana closed Friday up 20 cents at $15.90. The stock inched down 0.06% to $15.89 in after-hours trading.

AK Steel Holding Corporation (AKS: chart) of Middletown, Ohio, said Friday its third-quarter loss widened to $277.5 million, or $2.56 per share, from a loss of $3.3 million, or 3 cents per share, a year earlier, on high energy and raw material costs. The maker of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products said that loss, excluding charges, was 82 cents a share.

The stock fell 8 cents, or 3.48%, to $2.22 on Friday.

Brunswick Corporation (BC: chart) posted Friday third-quarter net income of $37.9 million, or 41 cents per share, up 60% from $23.6 million, or 26 cents per share, in the year-ago period, and above Wall Street forecasts for profit of 38 cents a share. The Lake Forest, Illinois-based world’s top pleasure boat maker said profit increase was due to strong demand for boats and boat engines.

Brunswick shares closed Friday at $27.73, down 2 cents, or 0.07%.

Western Wireless Corporation (WWCA: chart) reported a wider third-quarter net loss of $18.5 million, or 23 cents a share, compared with a loss $14.7 million, or 20 cents a share, in last year’s same quarter, on a charge for debt relief. The wireless telephone company based in Bellevue, Washington, said revenue for the quarter rose 31% to $401.3 million from $306.3 million a year ago as the company added 21,000 new customers.

The stock surged 9.49% to close Friday at $18.61. Company shares gained 0.29% to $18.67 in after-hours trading.

Boosted by its acquisition of Mercator Software, Ascential Software Corp. (ASCL: chart) of Westborough, Massachusetts, said Friday it narrowed its net loss to $1.7 million, or 3 cents per share, for its fiscal third quarter ended September 30, from a net loss of $16.3 million, or 27 cents per share, in the 2002 equivalent. The leading provider of data integration software said revenue was up 52% to $45.9 million from $30.2 million, a year earlier.

Company shares soared 12.64% to $22.01 at market close Friday. The stock fell 35 cents to $21.66 in after-hours trading.

Extreme Networks, Inc. (EXTR: chart), the Santa Clara, California-based network equipment maker, said Friday it swung to a net profit of $2.6 million, or 2 cents a share, in its fiscal 2004 first quarter, from a net loss of $4 million, or 4 cents, in the year-earlier period, on the back of cost cuts and productivity improvements. Analysts had forecast a loss of 2 cents a share.

Extreme shares jumped 17.01% to $8.27 on Friday. The stock dropped 2 cents to $8.25 in after-hours trading.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW: chart) of Phoenix, Arizona, posted before market open Friday third-quarter earnings of $110.0 million, or $1.20 a share, up from $100.9 million, or $1.19 a share, in the prior year, and in line with the average analysts’ estimate. Revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% to $946.6 million. Pinnacle, which is the holding company for Arizona Public Service, the largest electric utility in Arizona, said results were due to higher utility sales and stronger performance in its other businesses.

Pinnacle shares rose 2.52% to close Friday at $36.14. The stock added 2 cents to $36.16 in after-hours trading.

Manor Care, Inc. (HCR: chart), the Toledo, Ohio-based health care center operator, said Friday its third-quarter net income dropped 16% to $31 million, or 35 cents per share, from the year-ago net profit of $37.1 million, or 38 cents per share. The company cited lower Medicare reimbursements and the cost of an employee stock compensation program as main factors for the profit decline. Results fell short by a penny of analysts’ projections.

The stock closed Friday down 8 cents, or 0.25%, at $32.40.

Steelcase Inc. (SCS: chart) lowered its third-quarter forecast, on flat shipment orders and aggressive restructuring. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based world’s largest office furniture maker said Friday
it now expects to report a loss of 5 cents to 7 cents a share, including pretax restructuring charges. Steelcase had previously forecast a profit, including charges, just above break-even.