Earnings Watch For October 28 (MRK, PMCS, STX, SANM, AAPL, PPS)

(RTTNews) - Healthcare giant Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) will post its third quarter results before the market opens. The whitehouse Station, New Jersey-based company's earnings are expected to decline to $0.88 per share from $0.95 per share reported a year earlier. Quarterly revenues are anticipated at $11.12 billion, down from last year's $11.49 billion. The stock closed Friday at $46.54. (52-wk H/L $50.16/$40.02)

Seagate Technology Public Ltd. Co. (STX), a manufacturer of hard disk drives, is expected to report results for the first quarter. The Dublin, Ireland-based company is expected to post earnings of $1.30 per share, down from $1.45 per share last year, while revenues are anticipated to decrease to $3.56 billion from the prior year's $3.73 billion. The shares closed Friday at $49.80. (52-wk H/L $50.55/$24.90)

Technology giant Apple Inc. (AAPL) is slated to report results for the fourth quarter after the close of trading. The Cupertino, California-based computing and electronics company is expected to report earnings of $7.93 per share, a decline from $8.67 per share last year, whereas quarterly revenues are projected at $36.84 billion, up from $35.97 billion reported a year ago. The company's shares closed Friday's regular trading at $525.96. (52-wk H/L $603.00/$385.10)

Chipmaker PMC-Sierra Inc. (PMCS) is expected to post third-quarter results. The earnings for the quarter are expected to be $0.10 per share, flat with last year, while revenues are anticipated at $130.24 million, down slightly from $131.72 million reported a year ago. The stock closed Friday at $6.53. (52-wk H/L $7.14/$4.63)

Atlanta, Georgia-based Post Properties Inc. (PPS) is due to report its results for the third quarter. The real estate investment trust is expected to report a profit of $0.70 per share, lower than $0.76 per share reported last year. Besides, quarterly revenues are anticipated to rise to $92.55 million from the prior year's $86.37 million. The stock closed Friday at $45.58. (52-wk H/L $52.57/$43.60)

Contract chipmaker Sanmina Corp. (SANM) is scheduled to report fourth quarter results. The San Jose, California-based company is expected to post earnings of $0.40 per share on revenues of $1.51 billion. A year earlier, earnings and revenue were $0.46 per share and $1.58 billion, respectively. The shares closed Friday at $17.14. (52-wk H/L $18.44/$7.87)

Biogen Idec (BIIB), Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (EW), Loews Corp. (L), Roper Industries (ROP), Crane Co. (CR), FMC Corp. (FMC), General Growth Properties Inc. (GGP), Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG), Reinsurance Group Of America Inc. (RGA) and Riverbed Technology Inc. (RVBD) are also due to report their results.