VA Linux Loss Grows:

VA Linux Systems Inc. said its fiscal third-quarter loss widened to $4.5 million, or 13 cents a share, from $2.9 million, or 17 cents, a year ago. The company had six times more shares outstanding in the recent period. Analysts expected a loss of 23 cents, the average estimate from First Call/Thomson Financial. Revenue surged more than eightfold to $34.6 million from $4.3 million as the software company benefited from Internet start-ups using Linux to run their Web sites. VA Linux closed down $5.75 at $38.50 on Nasdaq before the earnings were released.