CHICAGO (MarketWatch) – NetApp Inc. Applied Materials Inc., PetSmart Inc. and Sears Holding Corp. are among the stocks that could see active trading on Thursday.

By David B. Wilkerson, MarketWatch

Shares of data-storage equipment provider NetApp Inc. NTAP -5.00%  fell 6.5% in after-hours trading on Wednesday after it reported a fiscal second-quarter profit, excluding one-time items, of 63 cents a share, on $1.51 billion in sales.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research had forecast NetApp to earn 60 cents a share on $1.55 billion in revenue. For its fiscal third-quarter, NetApp forecast earnings between 36 cents and 40 cents a share on revenue in a range of $1.52 billion to $1.61 billion.

Chip-equipment maker Applied Materials AMAT -2.49%  late Wednesday reported a profit from operations of 21 cents a share in its fiscal fourth quarter, on revenue of $2.18 billion. Analysts were expecting earnings of 19 cents a share on revenue of $2.16 billion, according to consensus estimates from FactSet Research.

PetSmart PETM -0.65%  said late Wednesday that its third-quarter profit reached 50 cents a share, on revenue of $1.5 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research estimated a quarterly profit of 48 cents a share on revenue of $1.49 billion. The pet supply retailer also lifted its earnings outlook for the year.

Sears Holding Corp. SHLD +0.96% , reporting third-quarter results Thursday morning, is expected to post a loss of $2.29 a share on sales of $9.63 billion, according to a FactSet Research poll of analysts.

Food giant J.M. Smucker Co. SJM -0.04%  is seen posting a fiscal second-quarter profit of $1.39 a share on sales of $1.496 billion.

Ross Stores Inc. ROST -2.19%  is expected to report a third-quarter profit of $1.24 a share on sales of $2.05 billion.

Discount variety retailer Dollar Tree Inc. DLTR +0.39%  is seen issuing a third-quarter profit of 83 cents a share on sales of $1.58 billion.

Contract oil drilling firm Helmerich & Payne Inc. HP +0.53%  is seen reporting a fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $1.04 a share on sales of $675 million.

Apparel designer and distributor Perry Ellis International Inc. PERY +3.64%  is expected to post a third-quarter profit of 61 cents a share on revenue of $254.9 million.

Stage Stores Inc. SSI -3.55%  is seen posting a third-quarter loss of 30 cents a share on sales of $333 million.

Children’s Place Retail Stores Inc. PLCE -3.64%  is expected to report third-quarter net income of $1.27 a share on revenue of $467.9 million. 

David B. Wilkerson is a reporter for MarketWatch in Chicago.