Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Thursday's session are Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (MFRM), Aeropostale Inc. (ARO) and Synopsys Inc. (SNPS).

Mattress Firm's fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 46% as increased advertising helped drive customer traffic and sales growth. The company's adjusted profit and revenue beat expectations, sending shares 14% higher to $39.17 after hours.

Aeropostale swung to a fiscal third-quarter loss as the youth-focused apparel retailer continued to struggle with falling sales and teens' lackluster response to new style offerings. Shares fell 5.7% to $8.83 after hours as the company guided for a wider-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter loss and the latest period's results missed the company's and Wall Street's expectations.

Synopsys' fiscal fourth-quarter profit nearly doubled on a top-line increase driven by growth in the company's time-based license revenue. Shares, however, fell 4.1% to $35.00 after hours as the company's guidance for the current quarter came in below Wall Street expectations.

Korn/Ferry International's (KFY) fiscal second-quarter profit surged due in large part to a big revenue boost in the company's leadership and talent consulting business, as well as a favorable comparison to the year-ago period. Shares rose 4.4% to $23.50 after hours as the company's earnings beat its expectations.

S&P Dow Jones Indices said General Growth Properties Inc. (GGP) will join the S&P 500 index, replacing Molex Inc. (MOLX), a move that sent the real-estate investment trusts' shares 3.9% higher to $21.06 after hours.

Puma Biotechnology Inc. (PBYI) reported positive top line data from the Phase II clinical trial of the biopharmaceutical company's investigational drug PB272 for the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Shares jumped 15% to $53.00 after hours.

 
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Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX, ABX.T), the world's largest gold miner, announced a raft of boardroom changes Wednesday and the exit date of founder and chairman Peter Munk, as it looks to ease investors' concerns over corporate governance at the gold-mining giant. The Toronto-based company said Mr. Munk will step down from the board at the 2014 annual meeting, which is expected around April.

Guess Inc.'s (GES) fiscal third-quarter earnings fell 7.2% as the apparel retailer was hurt by weaker sales, led by declines in its North America retail segment. The company also raised the lower end of its per-share earnings estimate for the year, but lowered its revenue view.

New York & Co.'s (NWY) fiscal third-quarter loss narrowed as the women's apparel retailer recorded comparable-store-sales growth and benefited from lower costs.

Activist investor Carl C. Icahn on Wednesday disclosed he increased his stake in Nuance Communications Inc. (NUAN) by 6.5 million shares. Mr. Icahn now owns a total of 58.9 million shares in the company, or a stake of nearly 19%, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Write to Anna Prior at anna.prior@wsj.com

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