For the quarter ended Aug. 28, National Semiconductor’s (NSM: chart) earnings dropped to $85.6 million, or 24 cents a share, versus $117.7 million, or 31 cents a share, last year. Revenue declined 9.9% to $493.8 million compared to $548 million a year ago.

The company’s first-quarter results included a pretax charge of $28 million related to the closure of a facility in Singapore, and a pretax gain of $24.3 million connected to the sale of the company’s cordless business segment in Europe.

Bookings climbed 18% vs. the fourth quarter, growing in North America and Asia.

National Semiconductor sees second quarter revenue up about 5% vs. the first quarter, to about $518.5 million. Last year the company posted revenue of $448.9 million.

Second-quarter gross margin is forecasted to be similar or slightly above that of the first quarter. In 1Q the company’s gross margin climbed 1.5 percentage points to 56.2% on growing sales of the company’s analog products.

National Semiconductor’s board authorized a new program to repurchase an additional $400 million of company stock. During 1Q, the company bought back $275 million worth of stock under an earlier repurchase program.

Drug maker Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BRL: chart) announced Friday that its 4Q profit nearly tripled, though revenue declined 7.5% as generic drugs sales slowed.

The company reported net income for the fourth quarter ended June 30 of $42.1 million, or 40 cents a share, versus $14.4 million, or 13 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue came in at $280.5 million, down compared with $303.2 million.

The decline was due too expected lower sales of ciprofloxacin. Lower costs, such as research and development, also helped profit.

Barr is to pay about $155 million to Akzo Nobel NV's Organon unit and Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc., to buy the new drug application for oral contraceptive Mircette and settle a legal dispute over the medicine.

Barr expects earnings between $2.95 and $3.10 a share for the current fiscal year.

Intel Corp. (INTC: chart) lowered its 3Q sales estimate to a range of $9.8 billion to $10 billion. That is on a par with its prior estimate of $9.6 billion to $10.2 billion. Intel reported that its gross margin would amount to 60% of sales, matching previous forecasts.

Quiksilver Inc. (ZQK: chart), retailer, reported 3Q net earnings of 20 cents a share, up vs. 16 cents a share in the same time a year ago on revenue growth, matching analyst estimate. The company expects 4Q earnings of 26 cents to 27 cents a share on revenue of $582 million to $592 million.

Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN: chart), chip maker, raised its 3Q financial objectives on account of better-than-expected demand. The company lifted its sale range to between $3.48 billion and $3.62 billion from the previous range of $3.29 billion to $3.56 billion. Texas Instruments upgraded its earnings per share forecast to 36 cents to 38 cents, up vs. 31 cents to 35 cents, including the cost of expensing stock options.

Yellow Roadway Corp. (YELL: chart), transportation service provider, narrowed its 3Q earnings estimate to $1.40 to $1.45 a share from $1.60 to $1.65 a share previously, missing analysts’ forecasts of earnings at $1.62 a share. The company states Hurricane Katrina as one reason for the narrowed forecast.

G-III Apparel Group (GIII: chart), outerwear and sportswear maker, reported a 2Q net loss of 4 cents a share, up vs. a net loss of 23 cents a share in the year-ago period despite revenue growth. The company announced strong sales after its acquisitions of Marvin Richards and Winlit. G-III Apparel expects fiscal 2005 earnings of 95 cents to $1 a share.

Harris Interactive Inc. (HPOL: chart), market research and opinion polling firm, posted 4Q net earnings of 2 cents a share, down vs. 43 cents a share in the same period last year despite revenue growth. The company expects 1Q earnings of breakeven to a penny a share on revenue of $46 million to $48 million and sees fiscal 2006 earnings of 11 cents to 14 cents a share.

Molex Inc. (MOLX: chart), electronic components company, posted 4Q net earnings of 3 cents a share, down vs. 30 cents a share in the same period last year on revenue growth, missing analyst estimate of 25 cents a share. Molex still expects 1Q forecast of 21 cents to 23 cents a share and 2006 forecast of $1.07 to $1.12 a share.

Aceto Corp. (ACET: chart), drug and chemical distributor, posted 4Q earnings of 11 cents a share, down vs. 13 cents a share a year-earlier on sales decline, beating analyst estimate by a penny though. On a continuing operations basis, the company reported a profit of 11 cents a share in the quarter.