MidnightTrader Earnings Play: Micron Technology

Micron Technology (MU | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is slated to report Q4 results after the bell tonight. The Thomson Reuters mean estimate for sales is $1.54 billion and a loss of $0.24 per share.

Micron is just favoring a widening pattern in its long-term movement between the sessions, cutting back or reversing its evening performance in next-day trade in eight quarters and widening in 10. In the near-term, the stock is holding the widening trend, with more vigorous, same-direction next-day trade in four straight quarters.

A deeper look into the performance of MU between the sessions reveals longs are seeing a slight advantage. MU has recorded a gain in after-hours trade following seven of the 18 quarters we've tracked, and in four of those quarters the stock added to its evening upside in the following day's regular session.

On the downside, shorts get a mixed picture as MU has a tendency to reverse its evening declines the next day. The stock recorded a downside move 10 times in the last 18 quarters, and in five of those negative trades MU followed that action by narrowing or reversing its negative trade in the next day's bell-to-bell action. We have one other quarter where MU ended the evening flat, followed by a fractional decline the next day.

Here's a look at recent quarters:

On June 26, 2008, the stock fell 1.3% during the evening hours after the company beat with sales but reports a loss wider than the Street view. The loss swelled to 12.7% the next day.

On April 2, 2008, MU advanced 2% in evening trade after meeting sales expectations. The stock firmed even higher the following day, closing the April 3 regular session up 6.2%.

On Dec. 20, 2007, the stock fell 3.4% during evening trading as the company reports a quarterly loss though does beat with sales. The loss expanded to 4.9% the next day.

On Oct. 2, 2007, MU dropped 4.1% in night trade despite topping Q4 estimates. Shares fell even further the next day, closing the regular session down 8.9%.

On June 28, 2007, the stock gained 2.3% in evening trading despite swinging to a Q3 loss on lower sales. The advance was pared to 0.9% the next day.

On April 4, 2007, MU advanced 3.5% in after-hours trade after the company reported a deeper than expected loss on sales shy of estimates. The after-hours upside evaporated in the April 5 regular session, with the stock losing 4.6% by day's end.

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