Rite Aid Corporation (RAD: chart) matched analysts’ expectations as the U.S. third-largest drugstore chain reported net loss of $10.6 million, or 4 cents a share, for its fiscal second quarter ended Aug. 30, a recovery from a net loss of $105.3 million, or 21 cents a share in the year-ago period. The quarterly results included a store closing and impairment credit of $9 million counterbalanced by an $8.8 million charge for stock-based compensation.

The Camp Hill, Philadelphia-based company attributed the narrower loss to a 22% increase in adjusted EBITDA to $152.9 million in the August period. Revenue rose 5.1% to $4.05 billion from $3.86 billion. Sales at stores existing for at least a year climbed 5.9% from a year ago, mainly bolstered by a 6.8% increase in the pharmacy business.

Rite Aid delivered an optimistic forecast for fiscal 2004, projecting net income of $4 million to a loss of $27 million for the period through Feb. 28, 2004. The company corrected earlier projections of a net loss ranging up to $63 million.

Company shares took a dive Thursday, closing at $5.01, down 6.88%. In after-hours trading the stock picked up to $5.06.

Canada’s Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM: chart) reported a profit of $2.1 million, or 3 cents a share, for its fiscal second quarter, marking a reversal of fortunes against the year-ago period when the Waterloo, Ontario-based company posted a net loss of $14.2 million, or 18 cents a share. However, excluding a patent-litigation charge of $5.7 million, the manufacturer of handheld computers and accessories reported adjusted earnings of $7.8 million, or 10 cents a share.

Research in Motion cited a 71% increase in revenues as the driving force for the turnaround. For the three months ended August, 30, revenue jumped to $125.7 million from $73.4 million year-over year.

The stock rose 2.12% to end Thursday’s session on Nasdaq at $35.72. In after-hours trading shares of the company jumped 5.43% to $37.66.

Solectron Corporation (SLR: chart), a leading provider of contract electronics manufacturing services, reported a significant reduction in its net loss in fiscal fourth quarter, boosted by improved gross margins and a nearly 20% decrease in operating expenses. Milpitas, California-based Solectron posted after market close on Thursday a net loss of $179.1 million, or 22 cents a share, for the quarter ended Aug. 31, compared with a net loss of $2.65 billion, or $3.21 a share, from a year ago.

Meanwhile, Solectron said that, excluding items such as $146 million in restructuring and impairment charges, the company further cut the fourth-quarter loss to $34.2 million, or 4 cents a share.

Solectron managed to beat analysts’ consensus estimate by a penny.

For the full fiscal year, Solectron reported a net loss of $3.46 billion, or $ 4.18 a share, down from a net loss of $3.11 billion, or $3.98 a share, in fiscal 2002. Excluding losses from discontinued operations, the company reported a loss of $3.1 billion, or $3.75 a share, against a loss of $3.14 billion, or $4.02 a share, in the previous fiscal year.

Solectron shares fell 4.18% to $5.96, on Thursday, making up for the loss in after-hours trading with a rise to $6.18.

Lawson Software, Inc. (LWSN: chart) reported on a generally accepted accounting principles net income of $3.2 million, or 3 cents per diluted share, for its fiscal first quarter ended Aug. 31. In the year-ago quarter, Lawson posted a loss of $1.9 million, or 2 cents a share.

Excluding non-cash items of $1.3 million, the St. Paul, Minnesota-based developer of enterprise resource planning software posted net income of $4.0 million in the fiscal 2004 first quarter, or 4 cents per diluted share, against a net loss from normalized operations of $668,000, or 1 cent per diluted share, in the year-earlier quarter.

The company’s earnings results were released after market close on Thursday. In after-hours trading Lawson Software shares dipped 1.94% to $8.10.

American Greetings Corporation (AM: chart) narrowed its net loss in fiscal second quarter, posting posted a loss of $9.7 million, or 15 cents a share, in the fiscal second quarter ended Aug. 31, against a loss of $15.8 million, or 24 cents a share, in the year-ago period. The Cleveland, Ohio-based greeting card manufacturer credited the improvement on its balance sheet to cost management and the weakness of the U.S. dollar against other currencies.

The greenback’s rate decline led to a 1.7% increase in sales. Shares of the company recovered from a 2.30% drop in regular trading to inch up 0.04% to $19.96.

International Multifoods Corporation (IMC: chart) of Minnetonka, Minnesota posted net income of $900,000, or five cents a share, for fiscal second quarter ended Aug. 30, recovering from a net loss of $ 28.1 million, or $1.47 a basic share in the year-ago quarter. Excluding extraordinary items, the consumer foods company earned $4 million, or 21 cents per share, a penny less than its second-quarter earnings in fiscal 2003.

Shares of the company edged down 0.12% Thursday to close at $24.02.

In other earnings-related news, BISYS Group Inc. (BSG: chart) lowered its earnings outlook for the September quarter on sagging revenues in its life insurance business and delayed new client installations in its retirement services business.