STOCK WATCH

IT index

The FT Information Technology index has appreciated more than 50 per cent since its launch in January, as UK IT stocks have soared on the back of good results from the likes of Sage and Micro Focus. With demand for stock continuing to outstrip supply, the index which launched at 1,000 now stands at 1,580 as shares in the sector sell at 70 times earnings.

Infobank

Shares in software reseller Infobank International fell almost 28 per cent on 8 July following a warning that profits for the year would be significantly below market expectations. Its forecast to December has been cut by its broker from a pre-tax profit of #3.6 million to losses of #600,000. Although chairman Infobank David Fraser called the warning a technical irrelevance, the market had other ideas as the shares fell 80p to 210p.

Apple

Apple interim CEO Steve Jobs said the vendor will report a profit for its third quarter ending 30 June and will return to growth later in the year. Speaking at the Macworld trade show in New York, Jobs claimed revenues will be boosted by Apple's translucent iMac PC, which is launched in the US on 15 August.

Yahoo

Internet service provider Yahoo, revealed revenues for the three months to 30 June of $41.2 million, almost treble the $14.31 million recorded in the same period last year. This was offset, however, by a $44.1 million charge for the acquisition of software company, ViaWeb, to leave it with a loss of $36 million for the period. The Yahoo site has 115 million visitors a day, up from 95 million in the previous quarter. The company also announced a two-for-one stock split.

Motorola

Troubled telecoms and chip giant Motorola suffered massive losses in the second quarter to 30 June, sustaining a net loss of $1.3 billion, including a restructuring charge of $1.98 billion, against profits of $268 million for the same period last year. Total sales were $7 billion, down seven per cent on last year's period. Although the vendor narrowly defied Wall Street expectations to record a small operating profit for the quarter, turmoil in Asian markets and the difficult international climate for semi-conductors resulted in lower sales and a drop in orders.

Anite

Anite, the Watford-based networking and software systems integrator, is back in the black after a gloomy two years. Announcing its first dividend since 1995, Anite recorded a pre-tax profit of #29.3 million for the year ending 30 April, although most of this came from the disposal of Anite Networks to Cable & Wireless Communications for #47 million.